"What is your rate?"

[thunderlizard]

how many interviews?

yep there's no right answer, just like there's no right answer to "would you like a cup of tea?". They're just making chit-chat (with a tiny hope of getting a lead out of it), not laying a Jedi mind-trap.

[NickFitz]

That's another good one. There is no right answer apparently. If you say you had interviews, then the recruiter will say, "Well you are waiting to hear back from someone, it is too much of a risk for me to put you forward." If you say you haven't had interviews, then the attitude is, "Oh you can't be much good then."

What's the best way out of this dilemma?

"I haven't been looking. In fact, I'm not sure why you're wasting my time like this - if you have anything of interest to me, I'll see it on JobServe and give you a call."

Remember, they need you more than you need them - but they don't seem to understand that. A gentle reminder is always worthwhile.

[Ashwin2007]

"I haven't been looking. In fact, I'm not sure why you're wasting my time like this - if you have anything of interest to me, I'll see it on JobServe and give you a call."

Remember, they need you more than you need them - but they don't seem to understand that. A gentle reminder is always worthwhile.

One Agent was saying, "My client wants candidates who are actively looking. You need to provide evidence that you were actively looking, by providing me the list of roles/places you have already applied"

[mailric]

One Agent was saying, "My client wants candidates who are actively looking. You need to provide evidence that you were actively looking, by providing me the list of roles/places you have already applied"

audacious

[chef]

One Agent was saying, "My client wants candidates who are actively looking. You need to provide evidence that you were actively looking, by providing me the list of roles/places you have already applied"

my reply would by "why would your client want someone who is actively looking? would your client prefer someone who would jump ship at the next available opportunity of a rate increase?"

[mailric]

they've got lots to gain, you want £50ph, client willing to pay £60ph, they pocket difference.

I tend to give a ball park figure or ask them what the client is offering and go from there

And when you tell them what it is don't you find their answer is always "ok, well that fits in with what my client is looking at". It's never... "Kerrrr-ching, thats well below what I can get the client to pay. You loser. Show me the money!"

[BrilloPad]

A lot of agents with no real jobs call me up and the main thing they are interested in is "What is your rate?" I generally tell them I'll discuss it in connection with a particular job.

But they get more and more insistent.

This puzzles me. What have they got to gain? Other contractors get, "Give me 2 references." I don't get that so much. I get, "What is your rate?" Why is that? Has word gone round that my rate is too high? Anybody else see this pattern?

D.

I usually reply "market rate".

[DimPrawn]

Blimey, haven't seen all these agent ruses for years.

The market is truly dying/dead then.

When real contract opportunities dry up, agents focus on these little tricks and word games. It's their backround as failed used car/double glazing salesmen shining through.

Conclusion, the market has gone. Time to dig into defensive positions and hunker down.

[qska]

The market is truly dying/dead then.

Yup, looking actively for C# roles in London/Kent/Essex/Sussex/Surrey and only had 1 interview in 7 weeks, 45 miles drive from home :-/

Unfortunately unsuccessful :-(

Third week on the bench now, even dropping the rate by 40% doesn't seem to generate much interest :-/

[NotAllThere]

I usually reply "market rate".

"Above market rate" would be better, surely?