Reply to: How much do I tell recruitment agencies?

[d000hg]

How much do I tell recruitment agencies?

Tell them your hopes and your dreams. Tell them your fears. Tell them what keeps you awake at night and what gets you up in the morning. Tell them your greatest successes and your deepest failures.

















Just don't tell them who your last line manager was.

[Wanderer]

the letter offered another contractor at a lower price than me for the remainder of the project time that i had told the agent i was on contract for.

Wow that is a dirty trick.

[amcdonald]

I annoyed an agent like this a few weeks back, had one supposedly putting me forward for a role but wants me to promise I won't go after any more work (as if....), then another agent phones up wants to know if I'd go back to x if they've got any roles going.

By the afternoon agent no2 phones back offers a contract, all sorted and agreed by the evening

Next morning agent no 1 phones up with the offer of an interview and I go sorry signed a contract yesterday, they were not a happy bunny....but you promised me blah blah blah

Unless they offer you at least an interview on the spot keep looking, even if you get a confirmation of assignment keep looking, it can still fall through, budget gets canned etc etc

[eek]

He is a (very) soon to be married man.

His (soon to be) wife still hasn't got that replacement guide dog

[mudskipper]

It's more of a hobby for him nowadays.

He is a (very) soon to be married man.

[northernladyuk]

38 contracts?!?!? Do you work at King Cross or something??!?!

It's more of a hobby for him nowadays.

[No2politics]

I'm fairly certain the same thing happened to me as well! You have to be on your guard at all times. It's a shame because most recruiters probably don't do this, they genuinely want to schedule a call to you at the appropriate time.

If they ask you when do u finish, what do you guys do. I think I might start adding three months onto the end of every contract to avoid the situation u describe.

[AtW]

38/39

Even Tyson lost a few towards the end. ;-)

38 contracts?!?!? Do you work at King Cross or something??!?!

[KentPhilip]

That works well when you are getting interviews and aren't long on the market. If things go pear shaped, and you're still looking a few months down the line, you've implied that you interview lots but can't get the gig.

I'll have forgotton that I said I was getting interviews, and they'll have probably forgotten as well. After a few months you're new meat to each other..

[garnet]

So I finally decided to quit my perm job for contracting.
I am getting these sort of questions for recruitment agencies:

Have you applied for any other roles?
How far are you down the process of applying for another role?

I understand they don't want to waste their time trying to get my role if I accept one elsewhere.
Equally I want to apply for lots of roles so I there is more chance I will get offered one and it's nice to have a choice.

I've had a couple of phone interviews but no face to face interviews as yet, but likely will have one soon.

So far I've been honest with the agencies, telling them I am applying for other positions. However as I get further down the application process, I'm worried I'll put off agencies from putting me forward for other positions if I remain being so honest.

Am I over thinking this? ( I am a newbie at contracting )

Mark

Hi
if you get called by them with specific role on mind, NEVER let them know if you are chasing other roles with other agents. The less they know on your plans besides that you are keen on the role they offer, the better for you.
Chase roles at the same time in parallel. This gives you more choices.
Choice is all...

[TheFaQQer]

I normally tell them I have a couple of interviews coming up - it incentivises them a little to get me an interview.

Also you don't want to appear to be failing to get a job, as they may infer from this that you're no good. So it helps to say you are getting interviews and won't be long on the market.

That works well when you are getting interviews and aren't long on the market. If things go pear shaped, and you're still looking a few months down the line, you've implied that you interview lots but can't get the gig.

[jmo21]

I normally tell them I have a couple of interviews coming up - it incentivises them a little to get me an interview.

Also you don't want to appear to be failing to get a job, as they may infer from this that you're no good. So it helps to say you are getting interviews and won't be long on the market.

This is the problem for me.

Make myself sound a little popular, but not too popular.

You'll drive yourself crazy second guessing yourself like this and trying to out think a salesman whose angle is anyone's guess.

[KentPhilip]

I normally tell them I have a couple of interviews coming up - it incentivises them a little to get me an interview.

Also you don't want to appear to be failing to get a job, as they may infer from this that you're no good. So it helps to say you are getting interviews and won't be long on the market.

[BillHicksRIP]

If you're intending going after roles in larger companies, always ask the pimp if they are on the Preferred Supplier List for any clients discussed.

[Tasslehoff]

Not exactly. I only started actively looking recently.

I just uploaded my CV and mostly people have been contacting me.

Well you know how it is... Always talking to people about potential work but it's hard to tell until you start actively looking. I'm really pleased with the response so far though. How about you?

Not at the moment, but I expect you will run the role by me before submitting my CV anyway, right?[/I]

Yeah I did, but I can't give out the name because they hate being cold called [by agents] and I wouldn't do that to them.


So do you want to tell me about the job spec.?

Other stuff: Always establish that the agent has been properly engaged by the client before agreeing to be put forward. Do not make a play of this being your first contract. Stay cool. Do not commit to a rate up front - it depends on the role/client/location/terms, etc. - give an indication if you must but always make it subject to offer so you have room for negotiation when that offer comes along.

Wow, thanks. Going to use all of these.

I have fell foul of all of these questions in the past few days. I dare say my previous employers are cursing my name.