"client is seeking someone slightly more junior for this role"

[northernladuk]

I agree with that idea in principle. Although I tend to be a bit blinkered by the fact that all of the contract roles I've had over the past twelve years have been fixed deliverables that lasted 3-6 months max. I think the possibility of a contractor leaving when a better opportunity came along might be more of an issue for the sort of permietractor roles that some contractors seem to be involved in, that involve working for years at a time for one client with many deliverables that aren't well defined at the start of the engagement.

For the type of shorter duration contracts that I do, it'd need to be a truly spectacular opportunity for me to consider failing to complete a job in hand before moving on to my next project. There's also the fact that I wouldn't have the time to bid/interview for new work whilst I was spending my days delivering an existing project. If any prospective client ever came to me with a concern that I'd fail to finish their project because I'm just too damn good for them and am in that much of a demand elsewhere, those are the realities I'd be using to allay their unfounded fears.

Indeed but ask NWperm2contract about his contract history and you will see what I mean. He has given notice on more contracts than he has finished so it happens. He has listed them all in the long journey thread and we get a hell of a lot of questions about people having 2 on the table, accepting the first and then wanting the 2nd one a few weeks later or moving to another gig cause it is closer to home. I see what you are saying about the few months thing but a 10 mile closer to home is enough to have some people ready to leave. Can happen the day before you start your gig and any day throughout.

Would be interesting if any of our resident agents could give us an idea how many people do jump ship as a best guess type thing.

[Gentile]

Agree with this. If they put a highly skilled guy in a junior role he is just gonna bugger off when he gets something his level or a better rate. We have enough contractors willing to ditch their client at their level and rate let alone lesser. Makes him a big risk so pass him over.

I agree with that idea in principle. Although I tend to be a bit blinkered by the fact that all of the contract roles I've had over the past twelve years have been fixed deliverables that lasted 3-6 months max. I think the possibility of a contractor leaving when a better opportunity came along might be more of an issue for the sort of permietractor roles that some contractors seem to be involved in, that involve working for years at a time for one client with many deliverables that aren't well defined at the start of the engagement.

For the type of shorter duration contracts that I do, it'd need to be a truly spectacular opportunity for me to consider failing to complete a job in hand before moving on to my next project. There's also the fact that I wouldn't have the time to bid/interview for new work whilst I was spending my days delivering an existing project. If any prospective client ever came to me with a concern that I'd fail to finish their project because I'm just too damn good for them and am in that much of a demand elsewhere, those are the realities I'd be using to allay their unfounded fears.

[northernladuk]

I disagree with what others have said about rate. If you went in at a low rate (based on extent of cv), they'd just have said you would walk if \ when the market picks up due to your experience.

IMO, this is not about rate per se. It's the client knowing you have too much experience (probably more than the manager you'd be working for) and they want a junior who they can tell what to do, when and how to do it without being challenged.

I've had this before and the best way is to forget it and continue looking. Lowering your rate wont get you this job, simple as.

Agree with this. If they put a highly skilled guy in a junior role he is just gonna bugger off when he gets something his level or a better rate. We have enough contractors willing to ditch their client at their level and rate let alone lesser. Makes him a big risk so pass him over.

[cojak]

Oh, I wouldn't do it myself, but if the OP wanted another stab at it.

[escapeUK]

I think gentile made some good points here, people dont value things which are cheap or free.

[GB9]

They don't want you. Their loss. Next job please.

[BolshieBastard]

I guess they are just polite, but any idea about how client thinks is appreciated.

(This is a role resurfacing).

Thanks

I disagree with what others have said about rate. If you went in at a low rate (based on extent of cv), they'd just have said you would walk if \ when the market picks up due to your experience.

IMO, this is not about rate per se. It's the client knowing you have too much experience (probably more than the manager you'd be working for) and they want a junior who they can tell what to do, when and how to do it without being challenged.

I've had this before and the best way is to forget it and continue looking. Lowering your rate wont get you this job, simple as.

[Gentile]

Agent speak for you're too expensive.

Offer to drop your rate and see what they say.

^^^ WSS. Although in my experience I've found that people have a remarkable ability to hypnotise themselves into believing their own BS. I've never found it to be advantageous to drop my prices once I've quoted for a given job. Part of the reason is that people don't want to admit to themselves that the real reason they chose someone else over you or have decided to try and muddle along themselves with technologies they know nothing about is because they don't have the budget to do things properly.

When you offer to drop your prices you force them to confront a reality that they had been in denial about and hoped you didn't notice. Generally speaking, they still decide to go the way they'd decided upon originally, because doing so avoids the cognitive dissonance that would be involved in admitting to themselves that it was you they wanted all along but they just couldn't afford you. If you drop your prices after they've already decided that you're "too experienced", all that happens is that they rationalise to themselves that your services couldn't have been worth as much as they thought they were in the first place. You end up not just losing the job, but also the ability to appear credible in their eyes should the client in question ever find the budget to do the job properly.

If your prices are genuinely too high for the present market, therefore, my advice is to just make a decision about whether you can afford to work for less on your next bid. Use the information you've gleaned on this occasion about what the market can bear right now to your advantage, by being more competitive on future bids.

[cojak]

I guess they are just polite, but any idea about how client thinks is appreciated.

(This is a role resurfacing).

Thanks

Agent speak for you're too expensive.

Offer to drop your rate and see what they say.

[JavaBrussels]

I guess they are just polite, but any idea about how client thinks is appreciated.

(This is a role resurfacing).

Thanks