Reply to: "What is your rate?"

[Another Dodgy Agent]

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.

In our office this question is asked and the answer when given goes against the candidate's info on the db, so for example if a candidate is looking for £600 per day, we won't keep pestering them with £400 per day roles.

[TykeMerc]

Ok it seems like I am learning the tricks of the trade in the last few days. Just had a half hour conversation with some moron from a pimps office looking for clarification on CV info, basically I dont understand you CV so talk me through it. They also said about getting references from managers and colleagues before job apps, thought was weird so never gave them the details but now I am sure they were fishing. The company was XE recruitment, anyone know if they are likely to be doing this?

That's perfectly typical behaviour from many agents without an actual role to fill.

Whenever I get one of these "update" calls I ask if they actually have a real role to resource for and if not I cut the conversation short with a polite excuse like I'm going out. They never call back so they're just filling their time by wasting mine.

[elmo]

Ok it seems like I am learning the tricks of the trade in the last few days. Just had a half hour conversation with some moron from a pimps office looking for clarification on CV info, basically I dont understand you CV so talk me through it. They also said about getting references from managers and colleagues before job apps, thought was weird so never gave them the details but now I am sure they were fishing. The company was XE recruitment, anyone know if they are likely to be doing this?

[Ashwin2007]

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 :-/

The market really appears to be down. I too was trying for three weeks now for .NET roles, no luck yet.

[Ruprect]

an agent called me thisam and asked me my rate. i said it depends on location and jobspec and was about to say a number when she jumped in and said 700 would be ok which was nice considering i was going to say 650.

Precisely why you should NEVER give your own number. Get them to give you the range for the contract in question, then put yourself at the top end of the range (if its enough).

[DS23]

an agent called me thisam and asked me my rate. i said it depends on location and jobspec and was about to say a number when she jumped in and said 700 would be ok which was nice considering i was going to say 650.

[expat]

Some other typical questions :

(1) How is your job hunt going?

(2) How many interviews you had? (If you answer that you had some interviews, then he would insist naming the clients, if you answer that there were no interviews, then he would comment, "No success so far?")

(3) What is the ideal role you would like to have? What is your preferred location?

(4) What is your rate? (if you say you can discuss this with respect to the job he has, then he would ask what was your rate in the last contract)

Please, learn not to answer those questions. By flat refusal if need be, but by diversion if you prefer.

e.g. in reply to "what's your current rate?" , if you are currently discussing a prospective contract, say "I'd be looking for xxx". It's none of his business what your current rate is.

If he asks you this and you are not currently discussing a prospective contract, it is certainly none of his business!

Or, to be precise, it is his business, and yours, that's why you shouldn't give him this information for free. He'll only misuse it, to drive rates down.

[NotAllThere]

I usually reply "market rate".

"Above market rate" would be better, surely?

[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 :-/

[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.

[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".

[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!"

[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]

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

[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"