Reply to: Does daily rate have anything to do with the job?

[Cenobite]

crap contracts pay crap rates.

You've totally hit the nail on the head!

[alreadypacked]

In my own experience (engineering) there tends to be a "going rate" mentality. As long as you ask for up to the current going rate, that's what you get.

But then you ask for more, once you have been offered the role

[alreadypacked]

When I search on jobserv I filter out the low rates I don't even look at them. As others have said the crap contracts pay crap rates. Life is too short for either.

[Cenobite]

Indeed - a couple of weeks ago I was getting calls about great sounding roles at good rates. Now there seems to be jack all of that about and just rock bottom tulipe.

I've had the same thing lately: I've never been put forward for so many contracts simultaneously and at such good rates. However, I'm yet to have an interview for any of them. That was back in Aug but Sep is looking pretty dead.

[Fred Bloggs]

In my own experience (engineering) there tends to be a "going rate" mentality. As long as you ask for up to the current going rate, that's what you get.

[vwdan]

That's the thing with contracting: I never know what rate I'm going to get next. I suppose the trend had broadly been upwards but with a lot of peaks and troughs along the way.

Indeed - a couple of weeks ago I was getting calls about great sounding roles at good rates. Now there seems to be jack all of that about and just rock bottom tulipe.

I suppose it's a case of being both disciplined and prepared enough to avoid tulipe, but realistic enough to know when to take something.

[Cenobite]

You can also see very similar roles with similar responsibilities being advertised from £250 per day (or even less) to £600 per day

That's the thing with contracting: I never know what rate I'm going to get next. I suppose the trend had broadly been upwards but with a lot of peaks and troughs along the way.

[ChimpMaster]

You're thinking like an employee.

You rate is based on how much you think your client is willing to pay.

If the job is difficult you've got a qualification problem. If the job is stressful, you've got too much on, ride it out. If the job needs to be delivered yesterday, charge them a bucket load.

Perfectly explained.

Business is business. You're not an employee who has kudos to gain from going 'above and beyond' but rather a supplier that can deliver beyond expectations at a cost that is acceptable to the client.

[SueEllen]

So far I've seen no relation between rate and role
I've had very easy contracts, good rate doing, almost nothing and average rate ones working my arse off.
You can also see very similar roles with similar responsibilities being advertised from £250 per day (or even less) to £600 per day

WES

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

So far I've seen no relation between rate and role
I've had very easy contracts, good rate doing, almost nothing and average rate ones working my arse off.
You can also see very similar roles with similar responsibilities being advertised from £250 per day (or even less) to £600 per day

Have seen rates between 150 to 675 for my skillset.... That's some descrepenxy

[Eirikur]

So far I've seen no relation between rate and role
I've had very easy contracts, good rate doing, almost nothing and average rate ones working my arse off.
You can also see very similar roles with similar responsibilities being advertised from £250 per day (or even less) to £600 per day

[northernladuk]

You're thinking like an employee.

You rate is based on how much you think your client is willing to pay.

If the job is difficult you've got a qualification problem. If the job is stressful, you've got too much on, ride it out. If the job needs to be delivered yesterday, charge them a bucket load.

+1 Can also vary greatly between clients based on their politics and attitude to contractors as well. I've been at 3 gig's in a 10 mile radius and the rates varied by nearly 100 quid for exactly the same role. Those rates were just what was standard in their organisations. Nothing to do with role or what they do.

[eek]

It's not cutting the nose off. Being offered a six month no notice clause extension on a crap rate for a high stress rate? Give it to some other sucker. It's no nose off my face.

+1. Certain places have reputations which mean I won't even entertain an agent discussing them (Barclays are a prime example)..

And I can cope with crap contracts I spent 18 months at Caudwell....

[Avalonia]

It's not cutting the nose off. Being offered a six month no notice clause extension on a crap rate for a high stress rate? Give it to some other sucker. It's no nose off my face.

[jmo21]

There are always "digital agency" contracts in my area, who pay peanuts and I have heard on the grapevine they want their {local_currency} of flesh and then some for those peanuts.

All my gigs so far have been relatively stress free in terms of work/timescales, and at what I class as good rates for where I live.