Some ppl are just crazy with job offers.

I just finished a computer programming contract. I live in Tampa, and I just got this email.

I came across your resume through Dice.com. We are looking for a C programmer. It’s a 2 week project. C experience must be current (2-3 years). The project is based in Atlanta.



If you are interested please do not hesitate to contact me.

So, Ok I will do a two weeker in Atlanta if the price is right and I emailed her back saying that.

Her reply.


Thank you for taking the time to reply back to me. The job position has to be filled ASAP. The best rates that we can offer are $27 on W2. If you are comfortable with the situation and the rates please do not hesitate to contact me

Gee, I drive from Tampa to Atlanta and get a hotel for two weeks and make the great rate of $27 per hour. Gee what a deal....

Are they paying expenses?

all expenses are mine.

I'm looking around for another career. Being a web developer won't pay the mortgage once my Clinton-era wages in this job end.

That is pathetic. I was Dir of SW Eng. at a dot com and in 2000 we were paying $150/hr for VB programmers never mind C.

We just lost a programmer from our GIS group and need to hire.

Thanks for the thought.

I have been toying with the idea of moving to someplace cheaper and doing consulting and/or website development, but I am a not big on financial risk.

but I was out of work for a couple years under Bush. The market is now changing and jobs and showing up. I would not sugguest it at the current time.

Wouldn't recommend it either.

and being broke after expenses. I've worked for several firms that are getting tired of Indian programmers - but can't find decent U.S. programmers anymore for dirt cheap wages. I think a lot of people are leaving the field. When you add it all up - not paid for holidays, sick time, vacation, and even lately no health insurance and all these travel expenses - you could make more selling produce from your garden.

A friend of mine works contract and the only job he could find was with Tata (Indian consulting company) who was contracting to a local company. The job was 40% of what he was making on contracts before.

Tata is just about fricking everywhere, cut rating the labor rates...

spend months and months trying to get someone to work for less than
a bench tech makes assembling boards


doesn't matter they can't find anyone to do it.

Does matter it's only 2 weeks and they will spend months trying to get someone for nothing...

so what if the project slips and so forth.

Bear in mind she's going to make 50/hr off of your head...

so one way is to say "no thanks" and find the same contract
@ 60/hr.

If we posted every headhunter/contract and so forth ripping people
off and presenting slave labor wages we'd fill these boards.

normally two week contracts pay more than a 6 month contract.

when you're finding a funky thing like that odds are the company is
paying 80 and that headhunter is pocketing the difference.

For example, engineers in India maybe making $10/hr but believe me
US clients are still being charged 60-150/hr anyway.

so if you use google and other job boards to locate the actual
client you might be able to go direct.

Also, clients fire off requests to multiple headhunters so while
one jerk is a complete bloodsucker someone else might be trying to
fill it for only 20% off the top.

I personally blow all of these characters off...they can kiss my ass
wanting some high level architecture job done for $30/hr, I come
on my own dime to some Midwest hell hole according to them...
after all is said and done I'd be making more money as a janitor
than many of these bloodsucking vampires want to offer.

With that attitude it's no small suprise American cars suck(Ford,
GM, etc. are constantly trying to get top notch skills through these headhunters for no money).

If you do not know the real rate when you start you will find it out over the course of the contract.

My last job was good paying to me, but I could have made $20 more but it was a double contracting firm thing.

Oh the name of the person emailing me "Aola Imcha" I think Indian but do not know for sure.

.. of software development, the last 12 working contract out of my house - I'm done.

There is no more contract work that pays anything and I did not want to take a 8-5 job again after the long luxury of working at home.

So I'm off to a new line of work. I suspect that the golden age of cowboy coding is over.