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I got an interview through a recruiter for a very good job. The interview went really well, but the client wanted to engage me directly without the recruiter. The recruiter somewhat disagreed and wanted that I work as a consultant with them for 6 months as "pre-employment" before going to work for the client. This is a somewhat not unheard of practice in this country (France).
I will get a definitive answer in a few days. In case something goes awry I was thinking on alternatives, since the primary motivation for refusal would be financial (that is what I understood in the interview).
I was wondering when (if ever) would be okay for me to apply independently from the recruiter (this would be vastly more attractive for the client financially), and how could I approach the client if I could?
To clarify: The client called the recruiter and asked if it was possible to simply pay a fee so I can get the job instead of being a consultant for some time. Me hearing this conversation was by accident since I was in the car with the recruiter. I doubt there is an agreement between the client and the recruiter but who knows...