Did you take a lower rate for your 1st contract?

[d000hg]

I was thinking of just telling the agent I will take a cut if necessary on a decent paying role, but then I thought they would just pocket the difference.

If that gets you interviewed rather than not interviewed, what's the problem? It's an incentive to the agent to favour you if he can make an extra buck.

[GSD123]

Gilsman - That is also what happened to me a few years ago. Was out of work for 6 months after being meade redundant after a takeover ( long story ). Managed to land a contract nr Oxford and agent said that there was me and one other guy in the running and that if I reduced my rate from £25 to £20 ph the client would take me on. I was a newbie and desperate for work so I agreed, only to find out a few months down the line that the agency was being paid £45 ph for my time.

Suffice to say i was p****d off. Was offered a permie job by a contact from Linked In shortly afterwards that I took, and the agency went bananas.

Im now trying to go back into contracting and looking around for work.

I suppose the moral is to never trust the agencies and not to take what they say as being honest.

GSD