HELP! I hate these dilemmas!

[fatrockstar]

I got an offer for a short-term contract and accepted it. Once I accepted it, the agency tried to talk me down from my asking rate. I said no, it's short and you don't offer benefits. If your client doesn't want to pay, they can hire someone else. I'm not hurting for job offers, I told them, although I am waiting to hear back from a phone interview done recently for a fulltime position downtown. My logic was that the downtown company was taking their time and might not need me right away, and I didn't know whether or not I'd be called back to show up in person.

This turned into a two-to-three day process with the temp agency. 1) They didn't want to pay, and 2) they didn't want to agree to pay what I asked and then have me bail on the project. After assuring them that I was worth it and didn't bail midway on projects (what I should have said was "deal with it. I'm Rick James, bitch!"), they finally agreed. I figured that good things didn't happen to me very often and not to count on the 4thpass thing panning out. Besides, it's guaranteed four weeks that won't go on longer than six.

I don't know why they waited until I accepted to argue about the rate. That seems backwards to me.

The day after all this got figured out -- Friday, actually -- with the agency I got an email from 4thpass wanting an in-person interview. Holy crap they want to meet me! See, I convinced myself that if 4thpass fell in love with me they'd understand I had a previous commitment and accept my delayed availability date. I didn't expect them to come back with any decisions until this week. So now I will attend a three-hour in-person interview with the 4thpass QA/Dev team on Wednesday...

...the day before I start the agency contract.

Now I'm thinking I have a better shot at the 4thpass thing than I did originally, AND that they'll need to bring me on right away -- even to the point of passing me over if I tell them my availability is delayed by 4-6 weeks. I told the agency I wouldn't bail and now I'm regretting it. Should I...

A) Call the agency on Monday and withdraw from the assignment, or

B) Go to the interview, start work on the assignment anyway, and if 4thpass wants me tell them they'll have to wait, or

C) Plan to start work on the assignment and go to the interview, making sure to tell 4thpass of my delayed availability?

I know there's another option there, but I am at a loss to think of it. Help me, Obi-wan, you're my only hope. What should I do?

Comments

[waning-estrogen.livejournal.com]

start the assignment.
go for the interview.
take it from there.

[warmpinkglow.livejournal.com]

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

If the people love you and want to hire you, they'll wait the extra week or two. I mean, realistically, even if they interview you this week they will not make a final decision until at the MINIMUM the end of next week, getting you a week into your assignment anyways. It is professional courtesy to give two weeks, so really, you're only asking for another week. Which, if they ask for any sort of background or drug test should not be a big deal, if it's a full-time direct hire position.

I would tell them at this interview that you have committed to a four-week assignment because that way they are not surprised. I would also tell them, "If this is a deal breaker, I can start with a two-week notice, but I would like to follow through on my commitment, if possible." This gives them the choice. If they really want you but NEED you to start after two weeks (if they say they can't give you two weeks, something is wrong), they'll tell you. But be sure to let them know that you do not want it to be a deal breaker, if this is something you'd really like to do.

(I am a recruiter, by the way, in case I hadn't told you...)

They shouldn't have waited until you were hired to argue about your rate. If you were up front with them in the first place, and told them without wavering what your rate was, they should honor that. However, a lot of the time recently, clients will come back and lower the rate. If this client has a tendancy to do that, the agency should have told you. "Look, there is a chance that they may lower the hourly rate, what would be your bottom line?" or something like that.

Every time I talk to my candidates about a position, I tell them the rate again. "This is for a six-month gig with an option to hire at the end, and your salary will be 75k..." etc.

a recruiter! :-D

[winifred.livejournal.com]

I think the dilemma comes from me not wanting to break a promise to work the full term of the contract after all the crap the agency put me through just to get the rate I was asking for. In order to fulfill my promise I would need to delay the offer from 4thpass by a month or more. Things moved a little quicker than I anticipated, otherwise I wouldn't sweat just a couple of weeks. In the future I will know better than to commit to that degree.

Come to think of it... yeah, the process after the in-person interview should take longer than the phone-screen-to-in-person-interview did. Maybe this will all work out anyway.

When I spoke to my father this morning he said not to mention the delayed availability unless they made an offer. I can see why, but I can't help feeling that's a little deceptive. Maybe I'm just a goody-goody.