Originally published Sunday, March 23, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Job Market
Get written agreement before résumé is sent out
Q: Can an agency submit my résumé to companies without telling me? I told a recruiting firm very clearly to get my consent before...
Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist
Q: Can an agency submit my résumé to companies without telling me? I told a recruiting firm very clearly to get my consent before submitting my résumé to specific companies. Now I find that this agency has submitted my résumé to companies without notifying me. I'm very worried they may accidentally send my résumé to my own company. How can I avoid this in the future?
Nick's reply:
You are smart to realize that recruiters and agencies should not distribute your résumé without your explicit permission. You are right to worry that the unthinkable might happen — the agency might thoughtlessly send your résumé to your boss.
Indiscriminate circulation of your résumé could also damage your reputation. If you don't exercise control over recruiters, some will even use your résumé as a marketing tool to pitch their services. (Yep, if you're an attractive candidate, you become the bait to entice employers to sign up for the agency's services.)
That's why it's important to have a written agreement. If an agency doesn't immediately provide you with one, ask for it. (If it doesn't have a standard agreement, reconsider working with that agency.) Check to see what rights you are granting. It's always wise to stipulate in writing that they must get your approval — at least by phone — before sending your résumé to specific employers.
In the future, if you want to really protect yourself, withhold your résumé until an agency gives you a signed letter agreeing to terms that are acceptable to you.
With regard to the firm in question, I'd contact the owner and complain. This may have been an honest error, but it's a serious one. If that doesn't get you an explanation and an apology, I'd contact your state consumer-affairs office. That'll get the agency's attention.
I'm not a lawyer. But whether this agency's actions are legal or not, uncontrolled résumé distribution is not a legitimate practice. I can't stand unethical recruiters. You shouldn't put up with them, either.
Nick Corcodilos is author of "Ask The Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job," and host of www.asktheheadhunter.com.
He can be reached by e-mail at seattle@asktheheadhunter.com or at North Bridge Group, P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833. Sorry, no personal replies.
2008 Nick Corcodilos Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
The local, public face of Chase, Phyllis Campbell is trading on trust
10 investing missteps to avoid
Sunday Buzz: Boeing fighter to run on biofuel; Mastro bankruptcy trustee keeps job
On the Economy: Washington state has to play the add-value card, not low-cost-leader ace

Mourners gather at KeyArena for slain officer's memorial
Mourners gathered at KeyArena for the memorial service of Seattle police Officer Timothy Brenton on November 6, 2009.
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
How to tell your office you're gravely ill
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
- Flags were key link to cop slaying, bombings
- Suspect shot as city mourns slain officer
- Bombs, guns found at home of suspect in Officer Brenton's slaying
- Briefs | Soccer: New Mexico suspends hair-pulling player Elizabeth Lambert
- How an underdog named Mike McGinn took City Hall
- 3 Cascade Mountain passes close due to snow; more rain, wind expected Sunday
- Huskies suffer another heartbreaking loss to UCLA
- The birth of 'Grunge,' in photos by Michael Lavine
- McGinn pulling away as late ballots come in
- Using anti-shooter tactics, civilian Army police officer brought down gunman
- U.S. House passes health plan
378 - Bombs, guns found at home of suspect in Officer Brenton's slaying
294 - Grading the game
161 - Referendum 71 show's Washington's strategy for marriage equality is working
161 - How an underdog named Mike McGinn took City Hall
94 - Beavers open as 10-point favorites against Huskies
93 - Sounders FC-Dynamo playoff Game 2 thread
81 - Game thread: Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks, Nov. 8
74 - Fort Hood shooting suspect had shown troubling signs
74 - Landmark health bill passes House on close vote
62
- Suspect shot as city mourns slain officer
- Flags were key link to cop slaying, bombings
- The birth of 'Grunge,' in photos by Michael Lavine
- Bombs, guns found at home of suspect in Officer Brenton's slaying
- 10 ways to take control of your health
- Tlingit heritage helps glass artist Preston Singletary break new ground
- 10 investing missteps to avoid
- How an underdog named Mike McGinn took City Hall
- How do innovators think?
- Danny Westneat | Lee the Horse Logger found slow wagon shrank tumor





