Re: WAY OFF TOPIC: Premadonna Day

[Elna Tymes <etymes -at- LTS -dot- COM>]

Andrew -

You've observed many on this list trying to figure out what to charge for
their
services, and you've seen a number of others counsel that it's important for
service-providers like tech writers to insist on market rates. What you're
seeing
is the awkward ways that some insist on their definition of "market rates."
Unfortunately, the good ones tend to be booked up months at a time, so you
don't
see them very often when you do a cattle-call interview session.

Yes, finding the truly talented at affordable rates is difficult and
frustrating.
Been there, done that. It's one of the reasons there are so many job
agencies out
there these days.  (Don't get me started on THAT topic!)  However there
really is
talent out there, and at "market rates," which vary from locale to locale.
Keep
looking - you may yet find what you need at rates you can afford.

Nothing beats back a "market rate" someone wants to charge like weeks and
weeks of
no employment. You may find that one or more of these prima donnas come back
to
you, eventually, with a more reasonable rate structure.  If they had
attitude
problems as well, consider it NOT YOUR PROBLEM to teach them some lessons
about
civility.

People who charge - and get - high rates tend to know from experience that
playing
nice is part of what gets them high rates.  People who are arrogant about
their
rates going in tend to be hiding some degree of incompetence behind the
bluster, in
my experience, so you're probably better off without them.

And yes, there are fools and damfools out there - but you don't need to work
with
them.

Elna Tymes
Los Trancos Systems

Andrew Plato wrote:

> Today was Premadonna Day at my company.  I am still in tears thinking
about the
> collection of smug jerks we talked with today.  I have no idea why I am
telling
> TECHWR-L this other than it is more interesting than a debate about
bullets in
> Word.
>
> The day started off easy enough.  Checks showed up, our servers were
working,
> clients seemed happy.  Life was good. I even managed to bounce some hacker
scum
> off one of our client's mail servers with a delightful little reverse DNS
> lookup. It was looking like their was justice in the world for a few
moments.
>
> Then I began interviewing for tech writers and web developers. Wow!  The
loony
> bin opened up this weekend and let the nuts out.  Thankfully none of the
nuts
> came from this list so it is safe to rant here (I hope). If I stop posting
for
> a while somebody call my Mom and Dad in Phoenix to pick up my corpse.
>
> The first was a real doozy.  This guy would not work on-site.  Apparently,
his
> 5 years of experience won him the "Comfy Chair Exclusionary Contract."  In
his
> words "I am been doing this for too long to have to work in a cubicle."
Okay -
> stay at home and make $4.00 an hour folding washcloths.
>
> The second was equally entertaining.  This writer managed to score $85.00
an
> hour from her last client - so naturally she thinks EVERYONE should pay
her
> $85.00 an hour (remember this is Portland, OR, wages are lower here than
> elsewhere).  This person actually became irate with me when I told her
that our
> client could not pay that much.  I her words "Well, that is simply what my
> skills are worth and you would do good to learn about tech writing Mr.
Plato."
> I didn't have the heart to tell her what I did before I became a
premadonna
> sheep dog. I figure she'll fry out all the local companies in a few months
and
> be back looking for something more reasonable. Heck, our pre-margin
billing
> rate is never $85.00 an hour! If it was I'd drop my company and go back to
> independent consulting.
>
> The third twerp of the day came in the form of a web-designer.  Apparently
this
> guy learned ASP recently and now thinks he is worth $90.00 an hour.  I
told him
> that we did not have a position that fit his skill set and rate.  He said
"then
> why are you advertising for a web developer."  I responded "well, we have
a
> position but it does not pay $90.00 hour, it is more like $40 an hour."
His
> response, "well, that is just a rip-off.  You people clearly don't
understand
> this business because people like me bill for $90.00 an hour."  I
responded, "I
> am sorry but that is our rate and we have many other candidates who are
willing
> to work for that rate."  His response, "You don't want those people.  They
> can't do the job.  Otherwise they would realize that they should get
$90.00 an
> hour for their skills."
>
> Oh brother.
>
> The last jerk of the day did not show up for his scheduled interview.  He
> called 2 hours after the scheduled time and said "Sorry, I had some work
to
> finish up, but I am free now can we meet."  When I told him we were not
> interested in interviewing him any longer he actually asked "why?"  I was
a
> little stunned for a moment.  I said "we don't hire people who fail to
show up
> for interviews."  "I told you I was busy." He responded.  "Sir you called
2
> hours after your interview.  You wasted our time and that is totally
> unacceptable for someone who is a professional," I responded. "Yeah, well
f*ck
> you.  I am an experienced technical writer and I won't..."  I hung up on
him at
> that point.
>
> Here's a wee hint for all you new to technical writing - don't tell the
person
> interviewing you to "f*ck off"  It is not a good career move.
>
> I find premaddonas fascinating.  They are so convinced of their superior
> knowledge that they are their own worst enemy.  My favorite to this day is
the
> infamous Pinhead Boy.  This consultant who I worked with at Microsoft who
> claimed himself to be "one of the foremost database designers in the
world."
> and who did not understand the concept of NORMAL FORM.  Sheesh. We started
> calling him Pinhead Boy because he had a really narrow head.
>
> I don't know what to say.  The instant I think I have all the answers I am
the
> biggest moron in the universe. I guess some people just were not given
that
> upgrade in their youth.
>
> However, I must admit finding perverse pleasure watching self-absorbed
writers
> self-destruct.  Slowly their smug attitude implodes and their career goes
into
> a death spiral.  Like matter blasting out x-rays as it spirals into a
black
> hole, premadonnas usually yelp about how Microsoft and his/her manager
ruined
> their life.
>
> Sigh.
>
> Okay. Back to the salt lick.
>
> Andrew Plato
> Premadonna Sheep Dog
> Anitian Consulting, Inc.
>
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