OT: Contract Rates in New Jersey?

Although I can't speak directly to the rate question I would point out that most rack mount telecom equipment is typically QUITE expensive, and is often sold in fairly large numbers because one unit will typically only cover a fairly small number of customers (to keep problems from affecting large areas) and also because of the need for redundancy. In other words, the work you will do is likely to make very large profits for the company. That's not to say that they're not (typically) cheap-ass idiots who would rather save a penny now and sacrifice a dollar later. If you know ANYONE on the inside it will help you get an idea of whether they're unyieldingly "frugal" or willing to ante-up for the right player.

BTW, structural analysis is unlikely, but thermal analysis is HIGHLY likely.

Mark 'Sporky' Stapleton Watermark Design, LLC

: > The job is electronics packaging engineering for rack mounted electronics : > for a telecom equipment maker for a 3 to 6 month assignment. I am looking : > for a heads-up on the rates before I go to the interview. I don't have all : > the details yet, but there is Proe modeling, detailing and I would assume : > there is some structural and thermal analysis. I've got about 9 yrs Proe : > experience and about 20 yrs in engineering. : >

: > TIA : : Although I can't speak directly to the rate question I would point out : that most rack mount telecom equipment is typically QUITE expensive, and : is often sold in fairly large numbers because one unit will typically : only cover a fairly small number of customers (to keep problems from : affecting large areas) and also because of the need for redundancy. In : other words, the work you will do is likely to make very large profits : for the company. That's not to say that they're not (typically) : cheap-ass idiots who would rather save a penny now and sacrifice a : dollar later. If you know ANYONE on the inside it will help you get an : idea of whether they're unyieldingly "frugal" or willing to ante-up for : the right player. : I agree with Sporky. Finding out what they're like from someone inside is absolutely the most important and absolutely the hardest to achieve. But, it doesn't matter how cheap they are, they're still part of an economy. So look into some things that anyone who lives and works in the neighborhood of NYC has to consider.

• It's the most expensive place in the U.S. to live and for a 100 mile radius around NYC, from Boston down to Baltimore/DC. (New Jersey is, after all, just a suburb of NYC.) And there's just no getting around the effect this has in driving up salaries for all the professions. If you're from around there, you know. If you're coming from the SW, Midwest or South, add 50 to 100 percent to the salaries you're used to to come up with the yearly/quarterly breakdown. Especially if you are going to be living out of a suitcase and will qualify for 1099 deductions, you should check the GSA published per diem rates. They give you an idea of what it costs to live and what you can claim.
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*Another thing that'll go into the calculation is whether this is a Pentagon contractor. They are held to certain standards. But, speaking of the economy, you may have noticed that the government's applauding of the outsourcing binge hasn't hit the Pentagon. Boeing/Lockheed/Martin-Marietta, etc are not making fighter jets and missles in Brazil or Korea. You are competing with home grown talent (or whoever managed to get in before the doors slammed shut). They may be pickier about whom they let in the door, but they pay very well, those who make it in. If you have even fewer competitors because you're doing a highly specialized job, salaries jump up another 10%. That means that you should be able to check the sites of professional recruiters and find out what some of hte advertised rates are. The more they need someone to sit in the hot seat, the less shy they get about dangling carrots. Remember the mid to late 90s when places that were having a hard time recruiting people because of a shortage of talent? They were advertising perks like nap rooms and people to drop off your dry cleaning for you.

*Also, as Mark pointed out, consider how big they are, what they make and what they charge for their product, who they sell to (i.e., is it a consumer product or capital equipment ~ sounds like the latter which also ought to drive up the compensation) and what their financial position looks like. If they're hurting, if they've been already well bled, you're not getting blood from a turnip. On the other hand...

*So the last point I consider for contract work: is it straight cash compensation (which some people prefer) or is a goodly chunk in benefits which means you might be able to relax some of the monetary demands. I had a guy lend me one of the company cars for a couple months which is a nice benefit. You may be weighing this kind of stuff a couple different ways but it's an important piece of the economic puzzle and a serious part of the price calculation. If you've never done contract work like this before, immediately make an appointment with a tax advisor/lawyer. There are angles to consider.

David Janes

There's a word for that in German that I'd have to take half a paragraph to equal in English. WAHNSINN