Rate advice question

**Old Greg** · 19 September 2013, 14:55

Originally posted by d000hg View Post

A gig has come up for a very niche programming language I have worked with It's with a telecoms client based in central London. The technology is not only niche, but expensive to license.

I haven't worked with a London client before, definitely not a big-shot fancypants one in central London, so it's a whole pile of unknowns as far as rate is concerned. I'm really only interested if it's paying a top rate though.

All advice welcome. Agent so far "has no information on rate" to give me a ballpark.

Tell them £1200 per day (assuming you'd be delighted with that) but you may be negotiable and see what they come back with.

**kevpuk** · 19 September 2013, 14:58

Hhhmm, tricky - if really niche, and quite obscure, a ballpark could be difficult...
I assume you have searched for similar gigs, all areas, to see if there is a guide price?
Otherwise, I guess you could try to see what permie jobs in the sector/niche pay, and try to reverse-engineer a rate?
Failing all that, just hit them with a price that would work for you and see where it goes!

**eek** · 19 September 2013, 15:19

Originally posted by d000hg View Post

A gig has come up for a very niche programming language I have worked with It's with a telecoms client based in central London. The technology is not only niche, but expensive to license.

I haven't worked with a London client before, definitely not a big-shot fancypants one in central London, so it's a whole pile of unknowns as far as rate is concerned. I'm really only interested if it's paying a top rate though.

All advice welcome. Agent so far "has no information on rate" to give me a ballpark.

I assume that the niche language has a supplier with a consultancy of some form attached?

All you need to do is to identify their rates and undercut them. Then depending on the length of gig set an appropriate rate remembering that Durham - London is a £300 train ticket at full whack... and that is especially annoying if you aren't in London 5 days a week (PM me if you end up there Monday - Friday as there is a cheaper ticket option).

**d000hg** · 19 September 2013, 16:30

Thanks so far... I think they do offer official consultancy so I'll try to track that down.

Otherwise, even knowing what other people would come up with as a first number, especially people who are used to working in this kind of location, would be useful. Just your best guess without more to go on, what might be likely or how you would go about working it out.

**Scrag Meister** · 19 September 2013, 16:34

Pick what you would be happy with considering all the associated expenses, and then add 50%.

**northernladuk** · 19 September 2013, 17:01

Anything similar on jobserve or google some terms and see if you can find historic roles that are similar?

I know it is just a scraping tool so not accurate but you could look at IT Jobs Watch, Tracking the IT Job Market to see you can get an idea?

**d000hg** · 19 September 2013, 17:05

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

Anything similar on jobserve or google some terms and see if you can find historic roles that are similar?

I know it is just a scraping tool so not accurate but you could look at IT Jobs Watch, Tracking the IT Job Market to see you can get an idea?

It's niche enough I've never seen it listed on any job boards, not ones in the UK anyway.

**northernladuk** · 19 September 2013, 17:12

Originally posted by d000hg View Post

It's niche enough I've never seen it listed on any job boards, not ones in the UK anyway.

Ok, thought the jobswatch might have helped. Oh well, sorry.

**TheCyclingProgrammer** · 19 September 2013, 17:14

Start high and negotiate down. Don't be afraid to charge what you think you should get (within reason) - especially if it's a big client and a role that demands a particularly niche/rare skill.

Are you competing for the role or have you been approached specifically for the role? If the latter, you have more room for negotiation. Are you being hired as "just a programmer" or is there a consultancy aspect to the role that makes your skill and experience particularly important?

Hard to put a number on it without knowing what it actually is, but if you want me to pull a number out of a hat, how about £700-800/day?

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