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View Full Version : Things to watch out for when approached for contract work



diablo75
December 19th, 2008, 01:41 AM
I got an email today from an IT recruiter asking if I might be interested in either one of a couple of field tech positions. Both involved doing work on home PCs for people who had purchased service plans from retailers (Office Depot was mentioned). Sounds innocent enough. But the bottom line to me these days is: What does it pay?

So I shot a quick reply back from my phone: "What's the pay range?"

Most everybody I've ever gotten a job offer from or who have posted job listings say what the job is going to pay, usually like this: "Pay rate is $11 to $14 an hour, based upon experience," or, "Pay is exactly $17 an hour, 8 hours a day." So you can at least get a ball park idea of what you might get if you pursue it.

His reply back to me: "Can you give me a call or do you have a number I can reach you at."

This set a red flag off. For one... his original email said he found my website... apparently he overlooked the phone number that's plastered all over it. Two: What's wrong with putting a pay rate down in written reply? A lot from where I'm sitting. An email (printed text in general) can be thought of as part of the contract agreement. But an unrecorded phone call? Who knows what kind of BS they'd throw at me. I could just imagine it, "Yes the pay will probably be X dollars. But it's not even up to me."

I replied: "I appreciate your interest, but must respectfully decline. I am quite busy with other contracts as well as my own freelance work and feel that there would be a potential conflict of interest down the road. I am also suspicious about ********'s policy of not quoting pay ranges is writing."

I'm pretty sure it was the right thing to do.

Anybody else ever been approached by a contractor that just rubbed you the wrong way right off the bat?

aysiu
December 19th, 2008, 01:46 AM
Smart move on your part, and a very appropriately phrased reply (a good balance of no-nonsense and polite).

derekr44
December 19th, 2008, 06:07 PM
I've come across that many times. Whenever someone is hesitant to give out any information, simple as pay range/hours/etc, it's a flag.

jonabyte
December 20th, 2008, 02:14 PM
I have stopped using recruiters or employment agencies. They just want me to modify my resume to suit them and then I never hear back from them.
This summer I had three interviews for a short term contract position all in one day and never got a clear answer to my question regarding pay and hours.

That did it for me, now I find my own contracts.:P