Sexy contract that pays less?

[TheFaQQer]

Hey chaps, when it comes to choosing between a contract that pays 25% less but would look good on a CV and the other one, what's your reasoning?

Take the one that I want to do and that interests me. I'd be surprised if that's the one paying so much less, though, since they tend to be less challenging and therefore less interesting for me.

I've never considered a contract paying 25% less than my typical day rate, though, because normally I've shot it out of the water when they reveal the rate.

[craig1]

Mates tell me it's going to be difficult to up the rate after such a drop, and I tend to believe.

Why? It's none of other agents' business what you earned in your last role and even then you're not committing a crime if you told them informally that it was higher than you actually earned. My day rate has gone from £270p/d to £2000p/d depending on how much I actually want the role, where it is, how it'll help me and so on. In 2007 I went from one role earning £350p/d to the next one earning £800p/d and no-one batted an eyelid because it was none of their business what I earned before. I'm currently doing a longer-term contract that's about 1/2 my normal rate but it's 30 minutes commute from home and is a good friendly environment with a nice bit of stretch in the role to keep me learning, I've no worries at all that when the contract finishes that I'll be back to London again earning far more.

If you're bringing in enough money to live nicely while still putting away enough to have a very comfortable nest egg then surely the primary motivator is how much you'll enjoy the role. Why go to a role that's the mental equivalent of a punt to the nuts every 10 minutes just for a few extra pounds a day?

[mickey]

C, glad that works for you, but this is not what we are talking about. A comfortable job that pays more, but doesn't look sexy on CV vs another one that is expected to look sexy and pays 25% less. I don't have a feeling of what the team and the hours are like at the sexy place.

[tomtomagain]

C, glad that works for you, but this is not what we are talking about. A comfortable job that pays more, but doesn't look sexy on CV vs another one that is expected to look sexy and pays 25% less. I don't have a feeling of what the team and the hours are like at the sexy place.

What is so special about this role that you would do it for 25% less? Is it really that good an opportunity?

I would have reservations, you are not doing the job yet and the reality might turn out to be very different from what is being sold to you at the moment.

I am dubious that contractors are ever offered "sexy" roles.

[mickey]

Thanks, that's my concern as well.

[sal]

I recently made the mistake of accepting "sexy" role over a boring one. The rates where on par with each other so it was not that hard decision. Imagine my horror when the "sexy" role actually started and it turned out to be as "sexy" as a 90 year old nun. Needless to say the other role was no longer available so i had to endure the "sexy" one.

Long story-short don't count on the role being what the ad says it is.

[tomtomagain]

I am dubious that contractors are ever offered "sexy" roles.

On consideration ... I am dubious that there are any "sexy" roles at all!

So what makes this role special? New skills? step up in responsibility? Big name? New industry?

[perplexed]

On consideration ... I am dubious that there are any "sexy" roles at all!

So what makes this role special? New skills? step up in responsibility? Big name? New industry?

For me no role is sexy; IT is especially mind numbingly boring, but it's one of the few things I'm decent(ish) at.

If a role offered me less ( and I mean slightly less, not extracting the urine less ) for a role using a specific new technology, even at the periphery, then my view is that expands my skill set, longer term increases the available roles which in turn bolsters rate requests due to provable ability and experience.

[stek]

The only driver for is me the dosh.

Also every contract I've ever had turned out not as advertised on the tin so I take any words with a large pinch of crack-cocaine.

[mickey]

Lucky me! Still find exciting bits in IT, unlike some other stuff I have done in my early years