Contractors' Questions: What if agent represents me but won't submit CV?

Contractor’s Question: How can IT contractors get around the situation where a recruitment agency will get my permission on email to ‘represent’ me with a client, but will then NOT submit my CV (as they claim they can only submit two CVs per opening/vacancy)? The issue then for me is that no other agencies can subsequently submit my CV as I’m ‘represented’ already; please advise.

Expert’s Answer: Recruitment agencies need to ensure they show proof of representation to the candidate. They need to confirm in the representation email that representation is only valid on receipt of proof of submission from that agency within a certain time or by a specific date. Without this confirmation, you should make it clear to the recruiter that you are free to pursue the opportunity through other sources.

The majority of openings will be received when submitting a CV, either through a human resources contact or via a portal and then the agency should email back with more details. Generally, recruiters can submit three to five CVs per role, so I would advise a candidate to get a screenshot from the agency showing that they have, in fact, been submitted for that particular role. This is where the proof of representation will be received and the candidate should request confirmation, which can be sent to you in the form of a screenshot emailed to you or via email by the recruiter.

For an agency, honesty is the best policy. They need to be transparent with their candidate and have the decency to tell them if their application is not strong enough to be submitted for the role. Your agency should be transparent and upfront with you, and advise you that if you are not the strongest candidate for the role then perhaps it is best to review your agency representation and work with a different recruiter who has opportunities that are more aligned to your skillset.  

The expert was James Hanbury, director of Real IT Staffing for UK and Ireland.

Editor’s Note: Related Reading –

Contractors’ Questions: How to tackle ‘CV blocking’?

ii. Agency basics for IT contractors – CV Privacy

Contractors’ Questions: Should my CV include our company logo?