Have i been had by an agency?

MissSarah1972

Two4Tuesday wrote: »

I had a funny experience with an agency a couple of weeks ago. With my current employer's permission, I put my CV up on jobsite.co.uk for temporary contracts and had agents falling over themselves calling me with jobs.

Then my boss got an email from an agent with my CV saying I was available but to act fast! It would have been embarrassing if she didn't already know and had agreed to it.

You do not need an employers permission to get a Jobsite account and post a cv there.

Also why did the agency put you forward for a job with out your consent?

Two4Tuesday

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

You do not need an employers permission to get a Jobsite account and post a cv there.

Also why did the agency put you forward for a job with out your consent?

I got my employer's permission because I was only looking for short term contract work and had no intention of leaving the company.

It seems to be the way that a number of agencies get hold of someone's CV and forward it to lots of companies en masse, then if someone seems interested, they get back to the candidate.

In the end, I got a six month contract with a well known magazine publisher, and I'm still working for my old company. They get my daily rate and I stay on my old (generous) salary. It's unusual but it means that in 6 months time I still have a job to go back to, and my employer gets a return on their investment in me.

MissSarah1972

Two4Tuesday wrote: »

I got my employer's permission because I was only looking for short term contract work and had no intention of leaving the company.

It seems to be the way that a number of agencies get hold of someone's CV and forward it to lots of companies en masse, then if someone seems interested, they get back to the candidate.

In the end, I got a six month contract with a well known magazine publisher, and I'm still working for my old company. They get my daily rate and I stay on my old (generous) salary. It's unusual but it means that in 6 months time I still have a job to go back to, and my employer gets a return on their investment in me.

I have been on that site for over 3 years and not one agency has used my CV to give to a 3rd party before talking to me as I have not given them my permission to do so.

I do not understand your situation - if you have a job on a contract but when it ends go back to a different company?

Two4Tuesday

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

I have been on that site for over 3 years and not one agency has used my CV to give to a 3rd party before talking to me as I have not given them my permission to do so.

I do not understand your situation - if you have a job on a contract but when it ends go back to a different company?

Work was a bit slow at my current employers, so we came to this arrangement. Most contractors use an umbrella company. I just had my current employer be my umbrella company :-)

At the end of my current placement, I go back to them.

As regards the agency sending my CV out to lots of people, maybe they were a bad apple, but I'm sure lots of agencies do it but don't tell us about it unless they get some interest. I wouldn't have known if my boss hadn't forwarded their email to me.

MissSarah1972

Two4Tuesday wrote: »

Work was a bit slow at my current employers, so we came to this arrangement. Most contractors use an umbrella company. I just had my current employer be my umbrella company :-)

At the end of my current placement, I go back to them.

As regards the agency sending my CV out to lots of people, maybe they were a bad apple, but I'm sure lots of agencies do it but don't tell us about it unless they get some interest. I wouldn't have known if my boss hadn't forwarded their email to me.

I have no idea what an umbrella co is (no need to explain) but if you were leaving as work was slow then the agency who sent the CV to the co you were at, what job was it for? Couldn't have been yours, could it?

I think agencies would not send a CV out to employers unless they have met you and can talk to the employer about you. Not in accounts work anyway.

Two4Tuesday

The agency had sent my CV out on spec - in case employers had a suitable vacancy. iPhone/iPad developers are in big demand at the moment (yes I see how ironic it is that work was slow with my current employer)

LittleVoice

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

I have no idea what an umbrella co is (no need to explain) but if you were leaving as work was slow then the agency who sent the CV to the co you were at, what job was it for? Couldn't have been yours, could it?

I think agencies would not send a CV out to employers unless they have met you and can talk to the employer about you. Not in accounts work anyway.

Agencies send CVs out on a speculative basis all the time - even when they have been told there are no vacancies in the foreseeable future.

Some always anonymise the CVs: others don't spend so much time on adjusting the CV and the candidate can be guessed by the employer if they do actually know the person.

MissSarah1972

LittleVoice wrote: »

Agencies send CVs out on a speculative basis all the time - even when they have been told there are no vacancies in the foreseeable future.

Some always anonymise the CVs: others don't spend so much time on adjusting the CV and the candidate can be guessed by the employer if they do actually know the person.

which could lead to the sack if your boss gets your CV and of course you are looking for a new job. I thought an agency was not allowed to share your info with a 3rd paarty when you yourself has never spoken to the agency?

KiKi

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

which could lead to the sack if your boss gets your CV and of course you are looking for a new job.

Which is precisely why it was sensible that the poster told their employer (even better that they got an umbrella company deal!).

I thought an agency was not allowed to share your info with a 3rd paarty when you yourself has never spoken to the agency?

Some agencies may work on that basis but I don't think you'll find a law for it...! If an agency has your CV and it's a highly specialised role, they may well send it to a client who's looking. They don't need to speak to you to make it more 'valid'. If the client is interested, then they may engage with you.

KiKi