Agency advertise contract for rate 400 - 460 per day, how much should I ask?

**northernladuk** · 5 February 2012, 21:40

What they advertise and what they offer are two different things. It isn't unknown for them to offer under the bands they advertised.

I don't wish to be rude but if you don't know what to do yourself already you are not going to put anything over to the agent with enough conviction for him to believe you and you will get no where. You have to be prepared to negotiate hard until you get the value you want and he has to believe you mean it.

In your case you will say you want £460, he says you way, you shrug your shoulders and accept. Chalk another one up the agent.

Pick a number you will accept, nothing lower, ask for a bit more but be prepared to take what you are comfortable with. I am crap at this marlarky but so far I haven't been offered anything I wasn't happy with.

**TheFaQQer** · 5 February 2012, 21:53

If you have already agreed a rate, and got the job based on that rate, then (to say the least) it's bad form to go back and demand more. Imagine if the situation was reversed - you agree £420 and the agent then says that even though you've got the gig, the agency is now offering you £380 instead.

It doesn't sound like you've done much research about becoming a contractor - did you fall into contracting because you lost your permie job, or have you actively determined what contracting is about and whether it'd really what you want to do?

In future, determine your rate up front, and work out what you are prepared to accept. Trying to change what you've agreed isn't going to get you very far very long.

**SimonMac** · 5 February 2012, 21:54

Did you say you were happy with £420? If the advert was £350 - £400 would you go back and tell them to lower your salary?

I would be more worried they are still advertising YOUR job after you have been offered it, how dare they, I would walk if I were you

**TheFaQQer** · 5 February 2012, 21:55

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

Pick a number you will accept, nothing lower, ask for a bit more but be prepared to take what you are comfortable with. I am crap at this marlarky but so far I haven't been offered anything I wasn't happy with.

The key is to laugh at the agent when they offer something ridiculous. I did that recently, and the agent (offshore) still wanted to put me forward for an interview. Since they were about £200 a day off what I wanted, I just told them to stop wasting my time and hung up.

**Donatas** · 5 February 2012, 22:23

Hey can i have that 460 one please

I get what you are saying, got to prove that i am worth it. Thanks

**stek** · 5 February 2012, 23:25

Take it with a pinch of salt, I was sniffing around one last year for £500-550, sent CV, agent rang me straight away, perfect fit for role etc, how much am I looking for, I say well, £550, he says, 'Oh, they won't pay that!'.

So why is it on the spec then?

I know the answer, it a carrot with a stick to get hold of the wrong end of to beat about the bush with later....

**Donatas** · 6 February 2012, 01:39

Originally posted by stek View Post

Take it with a pinch of salt, I was sniffing around one last year for £500-550, sent CV, agent rang me straight away, perfect fit for role etc, how much am I looking for, I say well, £550, he says, 'Oh, they won't pay that!'.

So why is it on the spec then?

I know the answer, it a carrot with a stick to get hold of the wrong end of to beat about the bush with later....

One more aspect i would like to know.

Say got provisionally agreed to an initial rate, but then client comes up with additional NDA suggesting more responsibilities/restrictions to take on. Then going back to agent asking for a bit higher rate as contract changes. Can it be that the agent is already agreed to initial lower rate from my side with a client and there is nowhere to push further, or is there a chance i can negotiate a lower agency margin for my favor as i get more terms to agree on?

TA

**northernladuk** · 6 February 2012, 08:12

Not unless you are in to a different skill bracket. IMO they are paying the going rate for someone of your skills. Some extra responsiblities are process issues not skill/ability based so within reason I would say no.

If you were taken on as PM but the extra responsiblities were to over see 10 other projects at programme level then no etc.

People will say there is no harm in trying but again the agent will give you the cold stare and advise the next guy the client picked is still available, take it or leave it. Be prepared to walk if you ever want to pull this off.

Another way of thinking about it is try and be in the agents shoes. Would he give a moaning contractor more of his money?

**ChimpMaster** · 6 February 2012, 10:02

Originally posted by TheFaQQer View Post

The key is to laugh at the agent when they offer something ridiculous. I did that recently, and the agent (offshore) still wanted to put me forward for an interview. Since they were about £200 a day off what I wanted, I just told them to stop wasting my time and hung up.

Thing is, these offshore people know you are going to decline that rate and that is part of their plan. They want to go back to our incompetent authorities and 'prove' that there is no one available in the UK to do that work, so they can therefore bring in cheap labour from overseas.

I just don't get it any more - I know so many non-EU consultants working in this country now and the number is increasing, leaving local experts without work. Sign of the times perhaps.

Agency advertise contract for rate 400 - 460 per day, how much should I ask?