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GeneralRe: Agents & CV's... Pin
glennPattonWork318-Aug-16 1:33
professionalglennPattonWork318-Aug-16 1:33 
GeneralRe: Agents & CV's... Pin
V.18-Aug-16 1:34
professionalV.18-Aug-16 1:34 
GeneralRe: Agents & CV's... Pin
Ian Shlasko18-Aug-16 3:27
Ian Shlasko18-Aug-16 3:27 
GeneralRe: Agents & CV's... Pin
glennPattonWork318-Aug-16 4:53
professionalglennPattonWork318-Aug-16 4:53 
GeneralRe: Agents & CV's... Pin
Ian Shlasko18-Aug-16 5:42
Ian Shlasko18-Aug-16 5:42 
GeneralRe: Agents & CV's... Pin
AndrewDavie19-Aug-16 2:11
AndrewDavie19-Aug-16 2:11 
GeneralRe: Agents & CV's... Pin
glennPattonWork319-Aug-16 2:32
professionalglennPattonWork319-Aug-16 2:32 
GeneralRe: Agents & CV's... Pin
BryanFazekas19-Aug-16 2:16
BryanFazekas19-Aug-16 2:16 
I've had agencies butcher my resume. Having been in consulting/contracting most of my career and as an independent the past 5 years, I learned some lessons:

  • Work only with agencies that have a local presence. I want a person I can speak with face-to-face. It makes me far harder to ignore.
  • Check references on the agency from friends and acquaintances. There are online review sites ... although I'm cautious about trusting opinions on what is an unregulated forum.
  • Interview the agency so they can explain why you should let them should represent you. If they act like they are doing you a favor ... they're not.
  • READ YOUR CONTRACT WITH THE AGENCY! It's scary how many people I know glance at their contract and sign it. Unless you understand all the legalese, it may be worth having the contract reviewed by a lawyer. If the contract doesn't define payment time frames (agency to you) request the update.
  • Do not allow blind submissions, e.g., if I don't know who the client is, my resume will not be submitted. I sometimes work in state government, and a double submission can get you blackballed. At the very least it will disqualify you.
  • Require review of all altered resumes. If the agency refuses, find a new agency.
  • Bring your resume to the interview. If the one submitted is not what was approved, let the client know. It may not help then, but you know you can't trust the agency and neither can the client. I've had interviewers ask me for a resume and compare to the one submitted, so smart interviewers don't trust the agencies either.
  • Don't be a jerk. This is business. Keep things friendly but impersonal; when you refuse, do it politely. Don't burn any bridges unnecessarily, even if the other guy is being a jerk.


My last point is critical. Remain professional, regardless of situation or outcome. A mentor told me, "He who gets mad first, loses." I don't fully agree with that, but I know that when I get mad, *I* lose.

A huge caveat: I'm in the middle-Atlantic USA in a good job market. Refusing one agency won't hurt me, but folks in tighter markets may not have that ability. I have been in a position where I had to take what job I could get, and am thankful to be in a good position now.

I'm ramping up to sign my 4th contract with my current agency. There is a strong trust relationship in both directions and I know from experience what to expect and that the owner's ethics are good ones -- he does his best for the consultants AND the clients. I'll continue to work with this agency unless things don't line up and they cannot place me.
GeneralRe: Agents & CV's... Pin
Gerry Schmitz19-Aug-16 7:10
mveGerry Schmitz19-Aug-16 7:10 
GeneralRe: Agents & CV's... Pin
glennPattonWork319-Aug-16 8:46
professionalglennPattonWork319-Aug-16 8:46 
GeneralRe: Agents & CV's... Pin
Herbie Mountjoy19-Aug-16 9:02
professionalHerbie Mountjoy19-Aug-16 9:02 
GeneralI was sent this, and ... [new link added] Pin
OriginalGriff18-Aug-16 0:18
mveOriginalGriff18-Aug-16 0:18 
GeneralRe: I was sent this, and ... Pin
Johnny J.18-Aug-16 0:20
professionalJohnny J.18-Aug-16 0:20 
GeneralRe: I was sent this, and ... Pin
OriginalGriff18-Aug-16 0:34
mveOriginalGriff18-Aug-16 0:34 
GeneralRe: I was sent this, and ... Pin
glennPattonWork318-Aug-16 0:43
professionalglennPattonWork318-Aug-16 0:43 
GeneralRe: I was sent this, and ... Pin
Johnny J.18-Aug-16 0:47
professionalJohnny J.18-Aug-16 0:47 
GeneralRe: I was sent this, and ... Pin
OriginalGriff18-Aug-16 0:52
mveOriginalGriff18-Aug-16 0:52 
GeneralRe: I was sent this, and ... Pin
U. G. Leander18-Aug-16 0:56
professionalU. G. Leander18-Aug-16 0:56 
GeneralRe: I was sent this, and ... [new link added] Pin
glennPattonWork318-Aug-16 1:24
professionalglennPattonWork318-Aug-16 1:24 
GeneralRe: I was sent this, and ... [new link added] Pin
Dan Neely18-Aug-16 2:51
Dan Neely18-Aug-16 2:51 
JokeYou know... Pin
Johnny J.17-Aug-16 23:23
professionalJohnny J.17-Aug-16 23:23 
GeneralRe: You know... Pin
pkfox17-Aug-16 23:25
professionalpkfox17-Aug-16 23:25 
GeneralRe: You know... Pin
Johnny J.17-Aug-16 23:29
professionalJohnny J.17-Aug-16 23:29 
GeneralRe: You know... Pin
Rajeev Jayaram18-Aug-16 0:29
Rajeev Jayaram18-Aug-16 0:29 
GeneralRe: You know... Pin
Ian Shlasko18-Aug-16 3:25
Ian Shlasko18-Aug-16 3:25 

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