This is a reposted discussion thread.
Here is the quoted first post on the thread, written by JTGalt:
Quote:
Do's and Dont's of Contracting (Working With Agencies)
For those of you who deal with agencies (Although some of this information applies when you are working directly with companies) I just want to post this and see if anyone has any comments or wants to add to this.
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DO review their version of your resume before they submit it anywhere.
DO bring a couple of your resumes on every interview ( especially if you ignore the preceding rule. )
DON'T let an agency submit you anywhere without your permission. Have them call you for each submission. ( And get the hiring manager's initials.)
DO get the following information about each contract before being submitted:
1. The name of the company 2. The location of the company 3. The duration of the contract 4. The rate 5. The technical requirements 6. The job description
If an agency refuses to give you any of the above information, DON'T let them submit you to that position and DO drop them like a hot potato.
If two agencies tell you about the same position, DO give the one that offers you the highest rate permission to submit you. (Yes, the rates will be different depending on the overhead of the agency.) Tell the other agency you're already submitted there.
DO evaluate the skills you'll gain from any contract before accepting it. The industry moves fast, DON'T be left without the necessary skills in the future.
DON'T ever work with any agency when you aren't ready to move. If they waste time on you once, they'll never work hard for you when you really need it.
DO let the agencies know that you are working with other agencies, and that whoever finds you a position first gets you. This makes them work harder for you. DON'T accept an agency's offer to work with you exclusively - it's suicide.
DO realize that the agencies work for you, you pay them through deductions in your pay. DON'T let them pressure you into cutting your rate or jumping at a less than perfect offer just because they're anxious to get a chunk of your money. If they consistently try to place you in bad or unmatched situations, drop them and hire someone else. Always remember who works for whom, most agencies forget this and if you play along you'll be working a lot of cheap short-term horrible jobs that nobody else wants and will be convinced that contracting is unsecure and rots.
DO get references from anyone that you can at work and make sure that you can contact them after they leave their present position through email, address or phone. References are your lifeline and actually count more than your work experience. Conversely, only give references to people that you know are competent and have decent personalities - if you refer a jerk to a company his actions will reflect on you. Be careful whom you associate your name with. Anyone can write a resume, but few have the references to back it up. Having a solid resume backed by good references and a clean name gives you the freedom to work wherever you want.
Don't give agencies face-to-face interviews. Anything they need to ask can be handled via email and life is too short.
Don't fill out those stupid, standard job-application style forms.
Don't give them a resume until they've answered questions about existing positions. ( This weeds out the ones who are information black holes.)
Ditto for references.
Personally I only give out references after there is a tentative job offer and there needs to be a verification of the details of my past work. We can determine if there is a match of skills and requirements without having to bring references into it at an early stage.
They have no reason to know your current rate.
They have no reason to know the names of other agencies that you're dealing with.
Be wary of agencies that have under gone frequent name changes.
It is better to negotiate by Email, where you have more time to think about your position and your response.
