Reply to: Inundated with interviews

[cojak]

*cojak starts eyeing 'ISEB Software Testing' courses speculatively...*

[XperTest]

Yup and wishing that I knew more dutch than "Geen koekje voor u" and that my wife would let me go over there. It sounds like the market is good out there at the moment

I can't think of many business situations where that particular sentence might be of any use although people are not likely to take offence, just probably think you have lost your marbles. Test market here is very hot indeed. I have also kept my eye out for a position in the North East but the market over there seems to be very quiet compared to here for some odd reason. I was a permy not long ago and as soon as I heard they had sold out all their testing folk for the next three months I thought it might be a good time to start contracting..

[Spacecadet]

What a great position to be in. Well done!!

Quick tip; when a pimp asks your rate, tell him x. When he asks what will you accept, tell him x. It amazes the hell out of me when people say their rate is £450 but will settle for £400...

I will quite often say that i'll be more flexible for a longer term contract. But yeah the old "well whats the lowest you'll go to" is a trap that a lot of people will fall for

[Ardesco]

I will have a think about it this weekend. For now though, I am more than content..

I have only been with this customer and agent for 2 months, so I thought it was best to wait for a while to prove my worth..

PS Ardesco, I believe you're into testing as well aren't you?

Yup and wishing that I knew more dutch than "Geen koekje voor u" and that my wife would let me go over there. It sounds like the market is good out there at the moment

[ratewhore]

What a great position to be in. Well done!!

Quick tip; when a pimp asks your rate, tell him x. When he asks what will you accept, tell him x. It amazes the hell out of me when people say their rate is £450 but will settle for £400...

[XperTest]

Not as good as a couple of hundred extra pounds a week though. I would seriously barter, you can still accet what is being offered and to be honest he should be expecting you to barter with him a bit. If you don't he will think he can walk all over you!!

I will have a think about it this weekend. For now though, I am more than content..

I have only been with this customer and agent for 2 months, so I thought it was best to wait for a while to prove my worth..

PS Ardesco, I believe you're into testing as well aren't you?

[Ardesco]

Not as good as a couple of hundred extra pounds a week though. I would seriously barter, you can still accet what is being offered and to be honest he should be expecting you to barter with him a bit. If you don't he will think he can walk all over you!!

[XperTest]

QUICK!!!

Ask for 15-20% from the current agent!!!

He's shown his hand early so make him pay in the barteing game

It was a bit of a strange move from him, but I will keep him on my side for now and see if he can do any better with the next extension. Cutting out over one and a half hour of daily commute and getting a couple of hundred pounds extra per month is good enough for now..

[Ardesco]

QUICK!!!

Ask for 15-20% from the current agent!!!

He's shown his hand early so make him pay in the barteing game

[XperTest]

An update: I've just been informed my current customer wants to extend and transfer to a different site which is a mere 10 minutes walk from where I live (as opposed to a one hour commute). It gets better though, because I will be in a pool of test managers at their disposal and there isn't really an end date as I will work on multiple projects and as long as they are happy and the stream of work doesn't dry up they will probably keep extending the six month contracts until either party has had enough. The icing on the cake however is that upon informing the agent he has given me a 5-10% rate raise without me even having to ask for it (I was planning to do so at the next possible extension at the earliest)!

I will contemplate this weekend on whether to cancel the other interesting options, having already cancelled the not so appealing ones..

On top of all that, the sun is shining! Bring on the weekend!

[XperTest]

Now a few hints as to play the market.
...oh and in future give a range, don't nail yourself, your rate depends on the type of work blah blah blah but leave the lower end of the range attractive.

Another great tip. Thanks! Seems like I will have to be brave and brush up on my negatiation skills fast..

[BlasterBates]

Now a few hints as to play the market.

Of course you can change your asking rate. Ring up the agent and tell him you are going for another contract (or three) at a higher asking rate. Thank him very much for his time and explain to him obviously with a higher rate on offer it might be better to cancel the interview, unless of course...and take it from there.

Also be firm if a contract is offered and is brilliant...take it if you have two more interviews and you're not convinced just give the agent a date when you'll take the decision.

...oh and in future give a range, don't nail yourself, your rate depends on the type of work blah blah blah but leave the lower end of the range attractive.

[lukemg]

Builder friend works like this -
If he has plenty of work on - gets asked for quote on job he isn't that keen/desperate to do - puts in quote + 50% more than normal cost. If he gets the job, he will take it and coin it, if he doesn't then no big deal.
You can really focus on the job you want, rate, location, duration, working conditions, opportunity to learn stuff, boss etc etc. Usually you have one choice so these are put to the back of your mind. I would take the one that fitted these things best to me.
For the job you want, if you get it offered, say you have been offered £x more somewhere else which you are thinking about taking, say it's a shame as the job they are offering looks really good (they will likely try to squeeze more out of the client or their own %)
As for letting others down, just say you have had a better offer (e.g.tell them 100 notes more a day, what would they do !), location, working conditions whatever. They might get shirty but bear in mind if you hadn't got their job, you wouldn't even get a phone call to tell you !!!!!

[XperTest]

OK, so the way forward is:

a) ask for a rate rise - "hopefully" this will make a few options obsolete and going by what you guys are saying next time there's money to be made or a position to be filled the agents and customers will have long since forgotten;
b) try to arrange telephone interviews to get as much information as possible without wasting my own and other people's time;
c) do not accept any contract until I've heard everybody out even when put under pressure; again, I may lose the contract now but it was probably not worth it anyway;
d) be honest with the agents and by doing so try to determine which ones are flexible enough and therefore worth working with in the future.

Anything else?

PS Strange how I am finding it difficult to get used to being the party with the power to pull the strings rather than having to accept any old offer that may come my way.. The good times are back!

[triboix]

That makes two of you suggesting a rate increase. I am happy with the rates offered otherwise I wouldn't have given permission to put forward. Don't I risk getting blacklisted if I renegotiate an already agreed rate?

Since you clearly stated your situation to the agencies, you can raise your rate. More than that: they will expect you to raise it.
I advise you to do so, or you will look like an easy target for them.

The telephone interview strategy might be an option.. I'll look into it!

That's a good idea. To be honest, 90% of the information you need can be obtain through a telephone interview. You can then have a better idea of what is the best contract for you and focus on that one.
But it may be the case that the client will ask you to make a decision at the end of the phone interview!