Re: ethical consulting practices?

[Jo Francis Byrd <jbyrd -at- byrdwrites -dot- com>]

I keep forgetting to reply to "All," so this went only to Theresa. I think this
issue is important enough to merit a global response, so I am sending it again.

This is unethical. Do not walk, run.

These people are using you to do their marketing.

There is a contracting firm here in Dallas notorious among contractors for
pumping for just that sort of information. I counter by either saying (usually
truthfully) that I have no idea who the contact person is, and in any case, that
information is not mine to divulge, that it would be unethical for me to do so.
That usually shuts them up.

Theresa Jones wrote:

> The other day, I interviewed for a position with a consulting company. After
> talking to my recruiter, I spoke with an account manager who gave me a
> miserable time in my interview- needless to say she was not impressed with
> me.  She looked at my resume and noticed that I have worked for some large
> companies.  She then asked about those companies, how I liked them, and if
> used contractors.  I told her that I didn't think so and that if they did,
> they use one of the several contracting agencies in that city, not from over
> 2 hours away. She then kept after me until I gave her the name of a person at
> that company that she could speak to.  After that, she offered me an interview
> with a company that I am very interested in.
> My question is, do consulting firms regularly use prospective writer's resume
> to pick up new clients?  Am I being naive, or is this unethical?