Beware of Fake recruitment agents

[nshar1]

I have been in UK for almost 4 weeks and actively looking for a job.

I have been receiving calls from recruitment consultants regularly but off late I realize half of them are fake. These consultants contact you stating that they have some openings which match your profile but in order to avoid duplication of CV submission they ask you the name of the companies your CV has been forwarded to and where you are interviewing. And these are the names these idiots want from you.

Please please do not disclose any names of companies to these idiots. For one, they are misusing you and wasting your time and secondly it will harm the genuine recruiters who are helping us find the jobs.


Take my word these recruiters will never get back to you. These recruiters have no openings and are simply collecting names of companies which are hiring.


My advice is simply tell them that your job applications are confidential and cannot be disclosed. After hearng this they will find an excuse and finish the call without discussing any opening(something which they never had )

In India, no consultant ever asked me - which all comapnies I had applied to or was interviewing with. Whats wrong with the ethics of these people.

[runie80]

Good Post.

I have had couple of these "fishing" agents in past.

Sorry to hear that you have not been able to secure the job so far.

Are you sure you applying about 100 to 150 jobs a day minimum ?

I just got a message on my mobile today from gradjobs.

http://www.gradjobs.co.uk/reg_form.php

its on 7th and 8th march

They are having an exibition for recruitment.I am just posting here so if its any use to anyone.
Thankfully I got the job I wanted but I hear even some born and bread people here finding it hard to find jobs.I guess its just the economic slowdown effecting things.



I have no relation to the above link just posting it to help folks here.

Best of luck.

Make sure

Dress well
Be confident
Know your trade well
Interview practice
and a Good smile

You will get it

Also found

Bad news
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx ... 30469.html

Good News
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... ant103.xml

[ashishashah]

Very true..
I also get lof of calls from "Agents" who are phishing..They ask me same q.WHERE HAVE U APPLIED??..
So i ask them "R u calling to GIVE me a job??" or looking FOR a job??

Then they hang up.

I really cannot find out who is genine and who is not??
The IT market is crazy , there are very few (if any) and a lot of no. of candidates(even local)...
Problem is that even if they say that they r sending my CV to client, i NEVER hear back...They shd. have some courtsey to even drop me a line that my CV has not been selected /or they havent sent the CV AT ALL...

It has happened that i tell 2 agents to send my CV, one guy says that "Sorry the client didnt like your CV", while through other agent i got Interview..So u know that 1st agent NEVER sent your CV to cleint and he was LYING...

I say, dont worry abt. duplicating your CV, always say that i have just started applying yesterday

[pyke]

Thanks for the warning! How do these fake agents get your number? Are they from sites you have registered with?

[nshar1]

Pyke,
yes, these people get the number from one of the sites we have registered.

It gets really irritating when you get 3-4 back to back calls from these people.

Also, I fully agree with Ashish's advice - don't worry about the duplication of CV to a client.

The agents just can't be trusted. I have seen so many instances that these agents claim to be forwarding your CV to a client but then dont do it...sometimes the most genuine looking ones.
I once came across an agent who told me that he has contacts with most of the financial giants and he will represent me with all of those. He asked me to not to forward my CV to any of these big companies.... Unfortunately-I never heard back from him...fortunately- I hadn't believed him.

Another observation - female recruitment agents 99% of the times mean business.

Shortly, I will list down, in a separate thread, few recruiters who mean business.

NShar1

[crusador0408]

I am telling you not to worry about duplicacy and all.
If employer likes your resume, you will definitely get a call...
All these unscruplous people are part of society and something or else will remain coming in market , UK market is vast enough, so all this is part of it.

Incase, two resumes reach an employer, the one chosen earlier by employer will get the lead.

Good luck.

[jd]

I'm here for about a month.

I'm really irritated with these fake calls. I've been telling them about all the details of my interviews but just wasted my time and i think my chances. I was such an idiot but only because i was not aware of this.

I think we should do something to spread awareness to all and specially newcomers.

I'm still very positive and have some interviews scheduled.

Regards,
JD

[chetanamale@gmail.com]

guys, good discussion...can you list out mail ids of good agents here ?

[pyke]

Thanks Nshar1. Yes, that's a great idea. We should compile a list of good and unscrupulous agents here.

I retract that. It's against the rules.
http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=24539

My apologies.

[shads]

I don't know anything about fake agencies, BUT agencies should check if you have already applied for a job through another agency before sending your CV to the client.

If the client receives your CV from two different agencies then it's very possible they will have to overlook you as a candidate. I don't remember exactly why this is, I think it's more about ethics than actual law.

So agencies do have a legitimate reason to ask what jobs you've applied for, and it's in your best interests to tell them .. but obviously, be sure it's not a scam before disclosing those details.

[nshar1]

The better way for an agent is to ask...I have a position with XYZ company..has your CV been forwarded to this company?

Asking 'which all companies your CV has been forwarded to and where all you are interviewing?' is unethical..Its none of their concern.

[ashishashah]

That is correct..Why shd . i tell him names of 10/100 Comapnies where i have sent my CV...It is easier for him to tell me the name of ONE compnay where he is sending my CV...

And i never talk to agents who ask such kind of questions...They are looking for some info. thats it...Rather then helping you, they will call up other 10/X companies whom you mention and try to send CVS to them...

[Administrator]

.

I'm going to "sticky" this topic for a while so that folks can see the warning.

Folks, any agency that asks you for info on your contacts is someone to immediately hang up on. An honest agency exists to help you find a job based upon your CV ... no honest employer cares if they get multiple copies of your CV.

One thing to take care about: know which employer you sent a CV to on which date, so that if an agency contacts them afterward there is no conflict over you getting credit for getting your own job without their help (that is one of the real reasons behind this scam).


If members here wish to make a listing of agencies that they can recommend as being honest, please do so & we'll make that a sticky.

HOWEVER ---

DO NOT (please!) list names of "bad agencies." For two reasons: liability & publicity (ANY publicity is better than they deserve).

Also, if you are willing to get a topic on it started, please try to keep chatter to a low level and try to post content when adding to the topic.


AND, anyone using this forum to falsely promote their own agency will be summarily banned. Members with direct experience as clients can recommend.

the Admin

[tral_hsmp]

Hi All,

Last week I compiled a list of eight agencies in Central London and decided to visit them. Out of eight, three didn't exist at all on their address, and out of other five only in one agency, I had a proper discussion with their Recruitment Consultants for 15-20 minutes and other four just gave the email-id, which anyways I already had and told to send the CV through mail.

I think this means there are also agencies, which have only websites and doesn't actually exist. We register with them and they have all our details.

So please before registering with any recuruitment site try your best to make sure that it is not existing in air.

Wish all the best and success for all job hunters including me........

[cskmail]

Thank you for the information

[abigailrachana]

It is a good discussion....

...be alert.....

[namastelondon]

Once i went for an interview and the employer asked me that which agency have sent my profile. I was amazed by this question , then i came to know that my profile was sent by two agencies. I told them that i was in touch with XYZ agency and other agency(big agency) did not call me for this job.
It was enough to clear the doubt and i gave the interview and got thru.
Next day other agency guys started calling me and applogized for that.
So if some one asked u, infact u shud ask them the company name for which they are recruting. If they ask which companies are recruiting -Always give big companies names so that they cud not find the opening.

Some agencies are very fast in getting the feedback from the employers and some are not.

[namastelondon]

Most of the time i say to agents that i came recently to UK and i just starte searching for job.They think we are new so we may not know about the fake agency. Some asked me about the market and where i have given any interview.
I told one that i have given a interview in ABC company
Agency - Oh ABC company, I have 8-9 opening in this company. please let me to which manager u have forwarded ur resume so that i shud not duplicate ur profile. I know that he is fake , i disconncted the phone

Next time this guy asked some lady to call me and she told me an opening in the same company and i started explaning my interest. She thought that i will tell that i her the details about company and contract person. She told me that she will send her details and hang up

some agents call us with some job spec and they see that we might not have worked in some particular skill. They will ask about that skill and if we say that we have not worked in that, they will say this job is not for u and they will look for me, and then ask us where we are interviewing/market.I always use to say that i started searching and may be next week i may have a couple of interview but not yet scheduled.


Once i did not disclose the information, then the agent told me that the client are interested in those profile who are also interviewed by other employers also, so please let me know the name of companies who are also interviewing u.

I did noticed that there are female agents also who are fake.

This topic is very important for those who are new to UK and how to handle agents.

Genuine agents do not ask about other places u are interviewing. They will try to get u a job via them to get commission.

[rsathish]

Hi,

Very good post indeed. In my opinion, many of the high-street (Big name) consultants are more interested in their Commission rather than your career.

I guess the lesser known agencies are far better. I met a good lady at her small 5th floor office nr Liverpool st, with whom I spent more time discussing my career rather than the actual role.

Her advise, few like - Three or more temp jobs in your CV and you will be forever temping, and then permanent jobs will be nearly impossible to get were really appreciate, which none of the Big players care to give.

Thanks very much for this post by Sandy too - Tricks used by Consultants / Agencies
http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=26865;

On the contrary, there was a remark by one consultant in another leading Recruitment agency, that some of the guys seeking employment tend to provide false references, documents or in even 1 case was working after visa expired. These kind of things they say, might end up in Companies suing the Recruitment agencies for Millions of pounds for not fully / correctly referencing employers (as they would get kicked by HO).

So, to summarise, maybe if we could trust each other and are both genuine in our approaches, everybody could benefit.

Thanks.

[adils]

Hi,

Very good post indeed. In my opinion, many of the high-street (Big name) consultants are more interested in their Commission rather than your career.

I guess the lesser known agencies are far better. I met a good lady at her small 5th floor office nr Liverpool st, with whom I spent more time discussing my career rather than the actual role.

Her advise, few like - Three or more temp jobs in your CV and you will be forever temping, and then permanent jobs will be nearly impossible to get were really appreciate, which none of the Big players care to give.

Thanks very much for this post by Sandy too - Tricks used by Consultants / Agencies
http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=26865;

On the contrary, there was a remark by one consultant in another leading Recruitment agency, that some of the guys seeking employment tend to provide false references, documents or in even 1 case was working after visa expired. These kind of things they say, might end up in Companies suing the Recruitment agencies for Millions of pounds for not fully / correctly referencing employers (as they would get kicked by HO).

So, to summarise, maybe if we could trust each other and are both genuine in our approaches, everybody could benefit.

Thanks.

Hi Guys,
Your quotes are really worth useful to keep in mind before making a mistake. I am currently in the US, got HSMP stamped on 14th April but before I wanted to resign my company to leave for UK, I got an assignment to go to US for 3 months.
If this is the situation running in UK then I am confused now that whom do I send my CV and whom not to.
Could you kindly share genuine consultants who forward your CV to the recruiters?
Thanks for all your support,guidance, and valuble discussions.
All the very best in your job hunting........May God bless you.

[crusador0408]

true...good posts above!
Good way is to talk less over the phone and asking them to send over details via email, also this way you get time to ponder over the vacancies and genuineness. If they really have something, they will send u job spec. otherwise nobody is gonna mail u.

[hsmp_indian]

.

[ EDIT by Admin:

Absolutely NO NAMING people or services you have a problem with.

Pay attention, people. Please!

the Admin

]


_______
******* CONSULTING is a new agency with out any contacts. They normally put fake advts in JOBSERVE & other sites saying they are exclusive agents... From my experience (also 2 of my HSMP friends) they will try to get reference first ..including phone numbers..

They wil ask like "did you work with TOM JONES..?? " I normally say..YES..!!

Then they will ask which all inetrviews you attended..next question is "did James interviewed you..??"

BEWARE OF ********* CONSULTING...!!
http://www.**********consulting.com

[UKindian]

Hi Guys

For your information, i have also faced all this situation, if they ask for any reference i dont provide them normally. Still if agent says its their agreement with client & agency that they have to provide name, i would tell them, i would better skip this one and not interested for such type of client.

Also another way of identifying is they will ask for your daily rate, Eg: if you say i was getting £350/day, they will immediately reply, i can get you for £500/day, no agents will go up for such a high rate when a candidate is getting already £350/day. Then comes the main question, can you provide me reference name blah blah.....this wil clearly highlight what type of job is that agent talking to you.

Pleae beware...

Thanks
Goodluck

[becool]

Thanks a lot guys..

I am in london looking for jobs from 2 months.
I get a minimum of 5 calls every day from agents.(all say they r forwarding my cv to the clients). Few agents say they are going to send me couple of job specs but i never receive them.
I was wondering why am i not getting a call for interview. I was thinking there may be a fault with my cv or my communication.
Today i came to know that most of them are fake.

[universalCitizen]

Hi guys,

Yesterday, I got a call from an agency. And I realized he just wanted the companies names from me. I just remembered what was written on this forum. And straightway asked for if he had any offers why doesn't he come up with the company names himself. To this he stumbled coz he might not has expected this. Then I explored him a little more pushing him for giving me the exact specs or the company names. And the result was that he become nervous and hung-up. He was speaking something which was generic and didn't mean that he had any job-offers. So, Am pretty much convinced that such touts are all around. Just beware and judge the Agency before communicating anything to them.