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Where do you meet these kind of people? The last job I interviewed for wanted me to work as a contractor and wanted to pay me $15/hr. When I said that was too
by tialys 17y ago
Where do you meet these kind of people? The last job I interviewed for wanted me to work as a contractor and wanted to pay me $15/hr. When I said that was too low to cover my costs and taxes, and was much less than I usually make, he insisted that he pays people with years more experience just around $20, and that he though $15 seemed fair! I'm glad he was successful, but try to remember that results are not typical.
- bphogan 17y agoThere are plenty of those. But there are also plenty of smart people who are willing to pay more because they understand the value. It's been my experience that the less someone is willing to pay you for your work, the less they value it. Then every detail becomes subject to scrutiny on the invoice. If you're good at what you do, and you can prove it, you'll eventually find jobs that pay you what you're worth. It just takes more effort to find them. And of course, standing firm on your rates helps. You won't get all the gigs, but you probably don't want the headaches that would come with them. Keep in mind that the negotiation on rate is a glimpse into how future negotiations will go. Contracting is all about negotiations. (Deadlines, feature requests, etc.) The employer is looking to keep costs down. You're looking to eat. But neither of you should come away feeling cheated. Don't charge more than you're worth, and don't accept less.
- smcq 17y agoI've had this before, it works pretty well to say "do not contact me again" and go on with your life as if it never happened.
- maigret 17y agoAnd that relates well to the Girl story the author wrote :)
- byrneseyeview 17y agoWhen you say "It's too low to cover my costs," you're not telling him why he should care. "My regular rate is $25; my best clients pay me $20," is probably a better response.
- subwindow 17y agoI agree. It isn't how much you cost, it is how much you're worth.
- anamax 17y ago> The last job I interviewed for wanted me to work as a contractor and wanted to pay me $15/hr. When I said that was too low to cover my costs and taxes, and was much less than I usually make, he insisted that he pays people with years more experience just around $20, and that he though $15 seemed fair! If that's true, you need to start a consultancy with those "people with years more experience " as your subcontractors. You charge $40-50/hr for their time and pass through $25-40/hr to them. You both win.
- lief79 17y agoBut if they are willing to work for that rate, they might only be worth it. At a minimum, I'd give them a few test assignments and be prepared to back them up before sending them to anyone else under your name. Alternately, give a known quality associate a discount rate in order to get a firmer opinion of their work ethic. At least while starting out, I'd emphasize quality over quantity. Alternately, go in as a team, and see how much slack needs to be picked up.
- jdminhbg 17y agoThe problem is that you let him insist what he pays people and continued to listen. It's easier to meet good clients if you don't waste your time with bad ones. Someone who wants to pay the same going rate as Walmart or Target is not worth your time. Even if you negotiate him up, he will try to screw you later. Just move on.
- run4yourlives 17y agoYou always have the option of saying no. $15 seems fair to him only because people have agreed that it actually is.
- enra 17y ago"Work for free or for full price. Never for cheap."
- Sukotto 17y agoThat's when you wish them luck in their endeavor, and break off the conversation.