Mini update and some fuming

[selenay]

I have held my nerve and turned down the job offer. Despite telling her that I would call this lunch time with my decision, the agency proceeded to call my mobile every twenty minutes from 9am. The woman topped this with a phone call to my work telephone late in the morning.

My colleagues have a tendency to pick up phones and take messages if people aren't around, so if I hadn't been there it would have been a very bad moment. It's the reason why I deliberately haven't given out my work telephone manner.

If I hadn't already been angry enough, the agency woman couldn't understand why I couldn't talk openly on that work phone. And despite turning down the role when I finally got to my car armed with my mobile, she continued to call all afternoon in hopes that I'd change my mind and unable to cope with the concept of wanting my health and a career. "Well, wouldn't the back pain be worth the career move?" Grrrr.

And she has no concept of distance or location, despite lengthy discussions, because she still can't work out why my current job isn't 45 miles away (um, because it's not?) and why I don't think a 35 mile commute is a massive difference from 37 miles. The fact that there was a crash today and it took me over two hours to cover that distance, and that will happen regularly no matter which direction my 35 miles is, doesn't seem to be sinking in. She also is having trouble understanding why there isn't a direct train. Well, not only is the job not where she thinks it is (i.e. it's not in the city centre next to the train station where she originally told me it was), I'm also unable to build an entire train line no matter how many snide comments she makes about the lack of train lines.

Methinks she might be desperate for commission or something.

Does everyone get agencies this dumb? I'm now at the stage of thinking I can hear my phone every few minutes, even though it hasn't actually rung for hours. I'd been leaving it on quietly as a way for my parents to contact me if needed, but I'll have to turn it to silent and hope there's never a reason for them to need me at work.

And that turned into a much longer rant than intended :-)

Comments

[paranoidangel]

OMG that's terrible! Whatever you do don't deal with that agency again (name and shame?). I had one guy find my work number once, strangely enough I refused completely to deal with him.

Just last week I had one that called me Nicola (grr, can he not read?). But my phone battery died, I didn't catch the agency name and he never rung back. I'm not finding this a bad thing.

And this week after I had a call from Computer People who were really nice and were happy with me saying after 6pm is a good time to call. Except she hasn't. Although having looked at their website they don't have any jobs I want anyway.

[selenay]

I'll definitely not be looking at any more roles that this one passes along. And at least I'm not insane to be angry about her calling my work number!

So far, I've found that having people call me back is guaranteed to ensure that they don't. It's expensive always making the calls, but it's the only way I can speak to them. None of these agencies understand why calling during work hours is difficult and some don't understand why discussing jobs in the middle of an open plan office may not be appropriate. Grrr.

[munchkinott.livejournal.com]

Does everyone get agencies this dumb?

Yes.

The worst ones are always the ones who get the contracts for IT work. They're phone-every-three-minutes persistent and then go off in a sulk, or ring you back a week later and say 'why didn't you ring us y-days ago?!' *rolls eyes*

[selenay]

I know! My best friend is an accounts clerk and she never seems to get these problems with agencies - in fact, they're remarkably helpful and co-operative with her. It's why I keep feeling stunned when new idiocy is landed on me from agencies.

I don't trust agencies to actually call me back later if I ask them to, but it's getting expensive making all the calls myself. And this whole every twenty minutes until I make a decision isn't fun.

She kept wanting to give my number to the client so they could talk me into it. And getting huffy when I asked her not to do that. Er, shouldn't it be in her best interests to ensure that I don't make a deal behind her back?

[wadjet-theperv.livejournal.com]

She kept wanting to give my number to the client so they could talk me into it. And getting huffy when I asked her not to do that. Er, shouldn't it be in her best interests to ensure that I don't make a deal behind her back? ****


I don't think the company would be allowed to do that due to the contract they signed with the agency to find someone for the position, but by persuading you to take the job it makes her life easier.

[selenay]

Technically they're not supposed to, but I worked in HR for a month last year and it's definitely not out of the realms of possibility...

But yes, she probably was counting on it being harder for me to say no to the company than to her! Maybe the company could find a way to make the job doable, but the only practical way would be some telecommuting and I'd be totally amazed if an employer was willing to consider that. I, er, may have told her that in hopes that she'll finally go away!

[munchkinott.livejournal.com]

I think the hysteria - and it is hysteria - is down to the fact THEY don't understand the job they're recruiting candidates for.

I only know from my own experience but my CV is SHITE. Past employers, qualifications, etc etc - all rubbish - BUT my intro paragraph mentions all of the computer tinkering stuff I know well enough to do with my eyes closed. I've had FOUR agencies harassing ME because of that intro! O.O

Basically, they see the acronyms with me and start pursuing. With you, I don't know, but I'm thinking you're probably the only person on their books who fits the client's criteria - so if you WON'T take it, they're panicking and trying to bully you into it to save face. Hence the lies and the barefaced attempt to make your current job absolutely intolerable. So, play with her brain next time she rings. *beams* It's fun!

Agencies have no right to behave as they are, but tbh, they're getting worse in the politeness/ethics line and have been for a very long time. :-(

[selenay]

is down to the fact THEY don't understand the job they're recruiting candidates for

This is too often the case. If they don't actually know much about IT, even down to having no clue about the skills and languages involved, then they'll have very little odds of picking out suitable candidates. And then they get no commission and get nasty.

I've had FOUR agencies harassing ME because of that intro!

I've had plenty that ignored that part - last year 60% of my offers were for accountancy roles, even though I stated that I was looking for programming/IT. Now I'm getting harrassed about datawarehouse development, despite stating clearly that I'm looking at web development and have nifty skills in web technologies.

so if you WON'T take it, they're panicking and trying to bully you into it to save face

I'm thinking that's true. My CV presents me in the best light I can, but I do have a slightly unusual background and that varies between making me a candidate they can't place and being a candidate that's perfect for clients not looking for your usual spotty faced young graduate. If I'm perfect, then they'll never find another me - the industry isn't precisely overrun with IT graduates from the Open University :-)

Agencies have no right to behave as they are, but tbh, they're getting worse in the politeness/ethics line and have been for a very long time. :-(

I think a lot of people are getting worse in this way. Agencies may be one of the most obvious, but politeness and decent ethics aren't seen as core selling points anymore and businesses don't value them as much as they should :-(

[wadjet-theperv.livejournal.com]

That's horrendous. :o( You did absolutely the right thing. A suitable job *will* turn up and she will get the message that there are certain things you want that you will *not* compromise on. She may well be desperate to fill the vacancy but that isn't your problem.

Onward and upward, honey. It'll be worth it in the end. *hugs*

[selenay]

Thanks, hon. I think she's mostly desperate to get the job filled because I've seen it advertised with two other agencies today - the time stamp being before I actually gave a decision. She wants to step in before anyone else can and will use any methods to get that.

A suitable job will turn up and just have to believe it. The right job will be with all of this hassle!

[huffytiger.livejournal.com]

Methinks she might be desperate for commission or something.

Does everyone get agencies this dumb?

Oh yah. Agencies can be mind-bendingly STOOPID. I'll never forget one agency... they claimed I was being unreasonable because I didn't want to comute 40 miles for a 5.30am start to do cleaning work.

[selenay]

Ack! And I thought 37 miles for an 8am start, with special 7.30am start status on Mondays, was pretty darned ridiculous, although I'm still doing it every week :-)

I don't think it's at all ridiculous. Particularly not doing 40 miles for a cleaning job. You'd be lucky to make enough money to cover the petrol! Agencies don't actually live in the real world, do they?

I particularly liked the moment when, in response to my honest assessment of the day ("Long, stressful"), she insisted that her job was much harder and she'd be there way later than me. I won't dispute that (although she started much later and took at least an hour's lunch...), but why did she need to turn that little comment into a competition?

[huffytiger.livejournal.com]

Well, it wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't actually looking for an 9-5 office admin job, no more than 5 miles (and hence cycling distance) from my house! ;o)

Personally, I was probably being unreasonable to turn down such a lucrative & well paid cleaning job. I mean, £5 an hour is not to be sneezed at. ;o) *VBG*.

[selenay]

My goodness, turning down such a lucrative position with obvious career potential? You are a selfish little thing! *bg*

Didn't the guy do the math and work out that the wages for the first day and a half of each week would be spent purely on transport? Obviously not the brightest bulb on the tree.

[notsoshygirl.livejournal.com]

C'mon...say it with me...."moron".

So glad you turned it down.

[selenay]

::repeats "moron" ten times::

With a day to calm and de-stress, I'm feeling very glad that I turned it down :-)

[historyterry.livejournal.com]

Yes, agencies *are* that dumb. It's apparently totally unreasonable of me, for example, not to want to travel to Chiswick for work. Chiswick's West London, right? I'm west of London, so no problem! No concept whatsoever that that would take me over two hours, probably more like two and a half each way, since it involves at least three train lines and a bus journey and whatever else after I get off that end. Sigh. Hope the phone interview went okay. Will email later. xx

[selenay]

But of course Chiswick is commutable from us! Why, you can just catch a train through and hop off at the right station...

This is when it becomes very obvious that these agencies have never taken public transport in their lives *sigh*

[historyterry.livejournal.com]

I think it's got a lot to do with where they're based, as well. They just get a map and a ruler and think, mmm, London, looks about twelve miles across. Travelling at thirty miles an hour, allow a bit for early morning traffic, should be able to cross that in half an hour, no problem...

Anyway, hope things are a bit better for you today. Speak later?

Tx