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> Just over a week ago, I was asked whether I'd be
> interested in a 2- to 3-week
> job 3.5 hours away (which they called "commuting
> distance"!) at a whopping $600 per week.
Goober responded:
>Change that to $600/day, where day is defined as 6
>working hours, and pay all my expenses while on the
>road ($0.32 per mile, plus tolls, gas, and meals), and
>THEN I'll think about it.
Possibly phrased SOMEWHAT differently if you actually wanted the job (which
I wouldn't: a 7 hour commute PER DAY is just not even worth thinking about,
and even 600 GBP a week wouldn't pay enough to cover temporary living
expenses and make a living wage (which is always the other option for a temp
job).
On the other hand, in my limited experience <g> of being headhunted, if they
want you more than you want them, and if they want you ENOUGH, a
politely-phrased but sincerely felt refusal is a wonderful bargaining tool.
"The project is estimated for approximately 100 hours." (I'm guessing this
is what 2-3 weeks means.) "My rate is XXX per day based on 2 5-day work
weeks, plus you cover my hotel costs assuming a 2-week stay at a reasonable
hotel close to your site, to include breakfast/evening meal daily." (Either
that or check hotel costs and charge accordingly: but IME a big company
handles expenses a lot more easily than a one-person company.) "Otherwise,
sorry, it would cost me more to work for you than I can afford."]
Of course, that depends on being ABLE to leave home for two weeks and do
nothing but work 10 hours a day... and assuming they've estimated the amount
of work correctly and this isn't the kind of project where 2-3 weeks elides
into 2-3 months.
I've never tried this, mind you, but I did once push a 30K offer up to 35K
with 2 days of polite refusals. The trouble was, I actually *meant* the
refusals...
Jane Carnall
The writers all stand around a cauldron chanting and occasionally tossing in
a small headhunter. Unless stated otherwise, these opinions are mine, and
mine alone. Apologies for the long additional sig: it is added automatically
and outwith my control.
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