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Topic: Aquent?
| Author | Message |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 10/26/2007 11:31:23 AM | show profile Can anyone weigh in on this agency for creatives?My exp. with them has been marginal, at best. I am a highly qualified art director with a ton of exp. and recently my "agent" there sent me on this interview that initially she told me was for design and a "little production". When I got to the interview, I discovered it was for strictly line item corrections on their already designed and laid out annual report. I found out later, via email, it paid a whopping $29/hour which wasn't told to me before I went on the interview, even tho I asked. THEN the agent proceeded to get snippy with me because I told her that I had a very important deadline to meet for another high-paying client that held priority and that I was declining this gig.( I called via cell as soon as I was out of the interview.) Get this: She yelled at me for not telling her about the deadline even tho I was led to believe the project that she eroneously described was supposed to go into next week so I thought I wasn't going to have to spend 8 hours a day at this place! In reality, it was requiring 8 hours + per day. I yelled right back telling her that I had no idea that this is what the interview was for and that she lied to me about what the position entailed. And on top of everything else, it would cost about $40/day just to park! Would appreciate any feedback anyone has had with this agency. So far, I'm NOT impressed! |
| s_sanaru | Posted – 1/30/2008 12:45:37 PM | show profile I have had similar experiences with agencies, and the truth is, a lot of what they have is bottom-of-the-barrel assignments that employers have trouble filling so they are often dishonest about the descriptions of the work. I have even had agencies negotiate a lower fee for my service without my consent in order to preserve their desired take on an assignment. They can be first-class weasels. In fairness, however, the hourly rate problem seems to not be confined to just agencies. Everyone is cutting hourly compensation for design and edit because, frankly, they can. The demand for jobs is high and so is the supply of talent and that translates into many places cutting rates as far as they can. I am currently seeing about half the rate of a decade ago in most places. Its ruthless, but so is the business. |
| AnonRep | Posted – 1/30/2008 2:45:23 PM | show profile | email poster A Note From the Other Side As a talent rep (not with Aquent) who was once a freelancer herself I have seen both sides and would like to weigh in. It is dishonest and, in my opinion, unconscionable for a rep/agent to make any decisions for you such as renegotiating a rate with out asking. They should always call you first, let you know the client came back to them with a lower rate then first quoted and take it from there. However, please understand that as agents, we are working with the client. If the info we have about the job is off usually it is because the information we were given is not accurate. Most often, that information is simply not up to date. A client calls in a job then steps into a meeting where details, deadline, work flow all change. In the meantime we've set an interview for you and when you get there all you get is the new info. I can only speak for the small team I work with and we work very hard to keep our information fresh. We wouldn't be knowingly dishonest with either you or the client because it will only bite us in the end. Filling a one week spot isn?t worth loosing good talent that could work with us for years. I'm sorry that your experience was bad, it shouldn't have been but please keep an open mind when it comes to agencies. Most of us value our relationships. It doesn't mean that things won?t go wrong but we work our hardest to alleviate those issues. There isn?t any point to doing my job if I am not making the right fit between talent and client. Thanks for listening (um, reading)! And sorry again, that sounds like a huge waste of time and effort expected on your part for nothing! And then to be rude to you? |
| Letterbox | Posted – 1/30/2008 8:20:27 PM | show profile I gotta say that Aquent just plain bites. I've worked for a couple of agencies without any issues, and truthfully, it didn't work for me because of the prolonged commitments that most jobs required. But Aquent was a bad experience all around. I've only met one rep that I really liked and she left for the New York office. The rest since have been bitter, failed artists that seemed resentful and generally unpleasant to work with. That's not just my experience, either. Three other designers I know had similar experiences. |
| PhotoWacko | Posted – 2/28/2008 7:14:39 AM | show profile Agencies I have been working with a number of agencies for years. I refer to them as high quality shops or hack shops. Aquent tops my list of hack shops, particularly the New York office. Don't know how to be delicate about this....they suck. |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 2/28/2008 3:33:46 PM | show profile Update Since dealing with them, I've gotten a full time job. I never did hear back from her about any other positions. Yep, bad exp. and I've told other freelancers to avoid them. They're bottom-feeders. |
| Canadiana | Posted – 3/2/2008 9:48:00 PM | show profile I'm a writer and applied to one of their posted jobs. A rep interviewed me over the phone, liked what she heard and then dragged me in for a "test" and an in-person interview. I thought I nailed the proofreading test; I'm not an overly confident person but I am very good with spelling, grammar, proofing, etc. Later on, my rep told me I placed quite low on the proofreading test; I was shocked. And, despite her other positive comments and me spending time revising my resume and uploading work onto my online Aquent profile, I never heard from them again. This took place about 6 months ago. I'm not very impressed as you can imagine. |
| Rewriter | Posted – 3/6/2008 8:03:58 PM | show profile | email poster Aquent? I had a similar experience, Canadiana. They told me I scored low on the proofing test. I was gutted! I am a good writer and a strong proofreader (an English major, publish author and journalist) and yet I never hear back from Aquent about jobs. I know some copywriters who do well with agencies - even Aquent but I never did. I do better getting projects on my own. |
| Canadiana | Posted – 3/8/2008 9:49:39 AM | show profile Rewriter: I know, I just can't believe I did as poorly as they say I did. Perhaps Aquent is just some weird cover-up for the mob...or Scientology! |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 3/8/2008 2:43:17 PM | show profile Weird...just heard from them out of the blue yesterday. They wanted to place me somewhere. I had the pleasure of telling them I just started a FT job last month and was no longer in need of their services. |
| bklynspider | Posted – 3/17/2008 5:51:26 PM | show profile | email poster Aquent I had a horrible experience with Aquent. After sending me on interviews for jobs with salaries SIGNIFICANTLY lower than my requirements, they kept making and confirming interviews for me without asking about my availability, then the recruiter would get mad when I couldn't get out of work. |
| chocolatebuckeyes | Posted – 3/18/2008 2:50:22 PM | show profile Always posting jobs, but never I have to agree with everyone so far: Aquent always seemed fishy. As a new freelancer in town, I contacted all the agencies around the area (SF). I've only gotten work from The Creative Group so far in nine months. Aquent is always posting jobs, but whenever I contact them, they "don't have anything right now." Really? Nothing? I worked in New York for 10 years, there must be something that I could do. Even if they had jobs, the pay will be pretty darn low unless you get stuck in a bank or pharma. |
| brooklynn44 | Posted – 3/20/2008 1:18:47 PM | show profile Aquent I think most agencies are the same...they're bidding on the same jobs, trying to fit the best candidate...and they have SO many choices of people to fill positions that sometimes they misrepresent a freelancer. Personally, my experience w/ Aquent has been positive. I think the trick is finding one person at an agency, develop a good relationship with them, then look to them to represent you with a knowledge of your background. The worst agencies I've worked for have been the biggest ones, like Creative Circle. Half the time, I wonder what those people are thinking...not pitching me for jobs and calling me for jobs that hardly pay. Oh, the life of a freelancer! |
| beachbum | Posted – 4/1/2008 5:04:29 PM | show profile I had an OK experience with Aquent. When I moved to Florida in 2004 I was unemployed so they kept me working for a year and a half. I worked in 3 places for 3-6 month each. The last place wanted to hire me FT but I didn't like it and I had received a better offer elsewhere (without Aquent's help). I think it depends on the rep. The first guy I was dealing with was great, always called me and got me decent hourly rates. The second rep sucked. Thank God I didn't need her by then b/c she never, ever called. Overall, I think the jobs they get you are just placeholders until you yourself find a better job. None of the jobs I worked at thru Aquent were great for full-time employment. |
| paludi1 | Posted – 4/8/2008 1:14:28 PM | show profile | email poster I am currently trying to get an agency to pay an invoice that is almost 3 months old. That is my biggest complaint. If anyone has some technique for lighting a fire under an agency to pay, please share... |
| beachbum | Posted – 4/8/2008 5:00:35 PM | show profile hire a lawyer! |
| Exit4NJTP | Posted – 4/9/2008 2:19:03 AM | show profile Aquent - don't give up on 'em & some thoughts on contracting Hi there - I'm a marcom/PR person. I've worked with a few staffing firms in the past and I have to say that I've had the best experience with Aquent -- far and away. It sounds like you had a pinhead for an agent, though. But as a creative pro, your talents are most likely "virtually transportable" right? How about checking out opportunities outside of your geographic area & contacting Aquent agents there? Some of the definite pros from my POV - and most of these are pretty much leverage against the whims of slow- or low-paying clients: - you will be paid every week, and that's according to your liking (1099 or w-2); - aquent has never screwed up (lost!) my timecard/ paycheck, unlike some other staffing firms - they have a huge client database (in my geo area, that's tech, law, bio/pharma, defense & nonprofits); i've been able to leverage that experience into some interesting solo gigs -they used to (might still) have a program called Aquent FastCash where they invoiced your client and funded your account in a day or so. (this is outside of the staffing thing. I used it several years ago when I had more business and fewer kids.) -I think the agents appreciate talent pursuing them - that's how I got my latest gig with them - I bugged the agent who bugged another agent. Downside - of course, your rate won't be as high. And, I think that there's an experience ceiling esp w contracting opps - in my case they're not really looking for VP levels. Yet I want to keep busy and current. Finally, you raise a most salient (and for me, very painful) point: the stress (and cost) of traffic and transit. No matter how good you think the staffing firm is, or how well and fast they pay -- you can't ignore quality of life, and you're not getting paid to sit in traffic. Best, exit4njtp |
| ArtDir | Posted – 4/14/2008 2:43:06 PM | show profile I have worked with a 2-3 agencies when between jobs but its been a few years. Aquent always bothered me because they were only interested in me when I was holding staff art director positions... lots of spam from them to hire their people. But when I was between jobs they lost all interest. So good enough to hire *their* people but not good enough to work with Aquent when I needed freelance. How does that work? |
| Letterbox | Posted – 4/14/2008 3:53:47 PM | show profile Exit4 sounds like a shill. It's interesting that somebody that's never posted before would have so much to say in defense of Aquent. |
