To be fair, when I was looking through resumes at tech firms during the peak of the last two booms, I was astonished at how many people were shooting for jobs they simply weren’t qualified for, and asking for way too much money. And I’m sure, when techies were scarce, some of them got it. There are weasels on both sides.

When I was freelancing as an editor, I remember crunching the numbers and realizing that, for the most part, if I were to charge less than $40 an hour as an independent contractor doing my own business development and paying my own benefits, expenses, insurance, etc., I would be losing money, and would be better off working minimum wage. So I charged $50 an hour to start, and moved up from there as I got more experience.

…our economy is in the out house for some damn good reasons. One) People in Charge Are Idiots. It’s a hard lesson to learn. We’re told we live in a meritocratic universe. Where all energy serves those that are, at base, competent at what they do. Yeah well somehow the idiots win. And the reason they win? Cunning, guile, shrewdness, duplicity – the life skills that get them by and get them ahead in a parallel universe of their own making. You wouldn’t mind so much if accompanying these qualities were behaviours – though annoying – that might indicate some level of competence in/on area/topic or an ability to be conversant about fundamentals, parameters, concepts – at least – on a given subject. But no. We are fooled. I’d draw an analogy to nature here but I can’t think of one. The hyena comes closest.

So you are the great lioness…you get the picture.

As a fellow contractor, i feel you, baby.

I am undercut all the time. More than anything I am saddened. I see a cheap incompetent hired by a tenured hyena. And you know things are just going to be bad. And that’s what bugs you most. Or me. You just say why are you people even bothering. And some piece of garbage is created for the world to ignore. Or be aggravated by. Crap.

Feh.

BUT, what you do realize is that there are good clients out there that need your skills. People smart enough to know and admit that they don’t know anything in your area of expertise. They will see you not as a hire but as the contractor you are with your own set of expectations and conditions.

The angst that overwhelms as each contract nears an end never goes away. You never get use to it.

BTW, you didn’t mention the best part of that $15/hour job: in addition to experience they also require you to be fluent in Japanese.

That’s mostly because I know that any job where they aren’t going to pay you a reasonable salary you aren’t going to be treated well. I’m pretty sure that at a $15/hr MySQL admin, you’d be treated fairly badly.

Keep your chin up though, although lots of big companies may be going down, there may be a startup or four that are still going strong.

Much good karma and well wishing your way!

Happy New Year to you.