Re: [Consult400] First consulting job

[Alan C <steelville@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi folks,

There are plenty of great suggestions here, and lists of things to watch 
out for, and it's hard to add to them.

Someone made indirect allusion to one ubiquitous gotcha that you need to 
watch out for right at the outset is this question that every potential 
primary contractor and agency will make:

   "What other companies have you spoken to, so we don't have to 
duplicate our efforts?"

If you answer this with a list, then you've just given them places that 
are likely to be considering contracting somebody, and a potential 
client for themselves.  Early on somehow it occurred to me that this was 
competing against myself, so I always told them straight up I don't 
compete against myself. 

I think it's sometimes a difficult ethical situation for a recruiter or 
an agency, and they have my sympathies, with some unscrupulous 
exceptions (along with the examples of some programmers who should be 
taken out back and shot).  I have worked with subcontracting agencies, 
and there is much mutual benefit to be had.

-- Alan