What Rate Are You Holding Out For?

[stek]

My first ever contract, back in 1986 I think it was, was for GBP5.50 an hour. No interview, just turn up at midnight tomorrow, introduce yourself to the security guard and off you go.

My first was £18.84/hr 1994! Actually, now I'm temporarily permie, I think i'm on less....

(frantically works stuff out...)

Christ - I am!!!

I am now open to £200 a day contacts!

Reality has just dawned a bit....

[centurian]

Part of the problem of taking a considerably lower rate is that it sets a new baseline. If you want to go for a big rate again, any ClientCo paying that kind of money will look at your current/last gig and make an informed guess as to what your rate is.

If they think (or even suspect) you are on a low rate, they will either :-

a) downgrade their offer accordingly - why would ClientCo pay more than they feel they need to

b) decide you must be tulip if you are on such a low rate and withdraw the offer completely.

Hence you have to work your way back up gradually. Of course it's still better than being completely benched for a year, but I can understand why some prefer the bench for a short period.

[Worzel]

Part of the problem of taking a considerably lower rate is that it sets a new baseline....

Absolutely. This is what's pushing rates down and down and also reinforces client motives to go rate-cutting. You have to strike a balance and identify a realistic price range for your skill set.

[darmstadt]

For many years I stuck at one rate which was quite reasonable and I had 2 excuses for having that rate:

- being that little bit cheaper would possibly give me a plus point in getting the contract

- I don't claim to be an expert and that was my 'hint' at showing the client that

When the Euro came in I adjusted it accordingly and stayed at that rate for a few years more. Eventually I decided it was time for a pay rise and upped it by around 15% and no-one complained which led me to believe that I should have done it a while ago. What I do now is to take my current rate and adjust it according to:

- how much I want the contract
- where the contract is based
- how long the contract is for
- who the contract is for

So far this has worked pretty well with only a +/- change on my base rate of 6%.

What I do like on the Gulp website is that when you get an offer and put your bid in, as it were, and are rejected you can then look to see what other people have put down as the rate they require. One recent one was rather an eye opener with my rate being in the top third yet some people has put in rates of well under half of what I was wanting and some people wanting nearly a third more of what I wanted. Interestingly enough the position was advertised again a short while later but this time I turned them down.

[TheVoice]

Nothing less that £200 a day here - senior server engineer \ infrastructure manager with VMWare (ESX & View), Cisco & a CV full of blue-chips

Would settle for less for remote working from home, as this is, afterall, the 21st century!

[d000hg]

Part of the problem of taking a considerably lower rate is that it sets a new baseline. If you want to go for a big rate again, any ClientCo paying that kind of money will look at your current/last gig and make an informed guess as to what your rate is.

If they think (or even suspect) you are on a low rate, they will either :-

a) downgrade their offer accordingly - why would ClientCo pay more than they feel they need to

b) decide you must be tulip if you are on such a low rate and withdraw the offer completely.

How on earth does a company know what another company was paying a different agency? How will they know that your last role as a .Net Finance Developer was on £285/day when you ask for £400/day?


The agent might know this, but the client?

[worzelGummidge]

I'm holding out for a daily rate of £2,500, but I'm not picky, I'll take £2,250.

I've been waiting for 15 years now. Any day now I should think it'll be along.
They are like buses. If you wait long enough then three will be along at once.

In reality, something that pays to live away from home. £400 per day will cover it.

[MarillionFan]

I'm holding out for a daily rate of £2,500, but I'm not picky, I'll take £2,250.

I've been waiting for 15 years now. Any day now I should think it'll be along.
They are like buses. If you wait long enough then three will be along at once.

In reality, something that pays to live away from home. £400 per day will cover it.

Stick your hand up for a murder, get put away for 20 odd years and then win a multi million pound settlement. That should tick all boxes.

[centurian]

How on earth does a company know what another company was paying a different agency? How will they know that your last role as a .Net Finance Developer was on £285/day when you ask for £400/day?

Finance is a good example because most of the big payers know who the other big payers are (they keep poaching them from each other)

Hence if you're not working for one of them, they will get suspicious. It might be a low rate contract to tide you over, but it could prevent you from getting the big bucks again.

[threaded]

Finance is a good example because most of the big payers know who the other big payers are (they keep poaching them from each other)

Hence if you're not working for one of them, they will get suspicious. It might be a low rate contract to tide you over, but it could prevent you from getting the big bucks again.

WHS++

If you've worked your way up into management, and then take a lowly developers job, it can be a bit tough to get another management gig, but no problem to get another dodgy programmer job. (As well as being frustrating when you just know you could manage it better)