# Begged to work for $100 an hour **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 26, 2000, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875 "2000-07-26T05:51:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lswote](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lswote/32/5737_2.png) [@lswote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lswote)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/1 "2000-07-26T05:51:57Z")
Well I have been in Fort Lauderdale for 3 1/2 weeks now. I have been looking for work as a computer programmer. I have had over a dozen job interviews so far including phone interviews and second interviews. I am trying to get at least $75k per year for fulltime or $50 an hour for contract work. These rates are low compared to what I have gotten in the past living elsewhere but they seem to be about all the market can bear here. One company that I have gone through 2 sets of interviews with finally made me a fulltime offer but it was less than we had originally talked about. I am tired of not working and my move here from New Jersey cost me a couple grand plus it cost me $2400 to break my lease so I am tempted to take the low offer just to get working. But I decide to hold out a little longer and see if they raise their offer or I can find something else. I continue to field inquires and go on interviews. Today I interviewed at Motorola for a contract job that sounded like they might make me an offer but it hasn’t happened yet either. Meanwhile last week this guy called me and begged me to help him out with a short 2 week contract that I had the skills for and he deperately need to fill. I didn’t want to interrupt my job hunting cycle by not being available for interviews or phone calls for such a short term job so I declined. Well today as I am in the parking lot leaving my Motorola interview the guy calls me again. This time he is begging. He pleads with me to take this job telling me I am the only person he knows with the skillset he needs. He says he will pay me $100 an hour if I can work just for the rest of the week. It just so happens that I don’t have anymore interviews scheduled for this week. Also if I get offered a job at either of those other places I can set my start date for next Monday. So this afternoon, 4 hours after he called me, I started working for $100 an hour. I may get in 30 to 35 hours this week. And if I am available next week he wants me to work then too. I have made this hourly rate before but this is the first time I was begged to take it. This is way cool. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/2 "2000-07-26T06:11:11Z")
Kick Ass!! BTW, if you need an assistant, I am only a few hours away… ---
**Author:** ![Michi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@Michi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michi)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/3 "2000-07-26T06:19:11Z")
Next Florida gathering is on YOU! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dpr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dpr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dpr)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/4 "2000-07-26T06:21:47Z")
Heck at this rate he can fly some of us non-US dopers out for the next florida gathering… Enjoy it mate. ---
**Author:** ![lswote](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lswote/32/5737_2.png) [@lswote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lswote)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/5 "2000-07-26T06:24:23Z")
Well **Michi** I am willing, but after **GolfWidow** ’s gesture today, I will just look like a wannabe. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Michi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@Michi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michi)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/6 "2000-07-26T06:28:40Z")
Heh. Nice try Wanderer…but aren’t going to get out of giving me a free meal that quickly! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/7 "2000-07-26T07:15:32Z")
No more excuses. Michi’s right, next gathering’s on you. Don’t make me come over there! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jebus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@Jebus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jebus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/8 "2000-07-26T09:14:48Z")
This is way bullshit ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/9 "2000-07-26T14:10:07Z")
No, it isn’t b.s. Someone near and dear to me is trying to weigh an offer of $70 an hour (no benefits, tho) which if he works a full week each week, is about $140K a year. But it’s not work he loves, it’s something he was thinking about not doing anymore. It’s a very hard decision, because it’s good money. It’s in the computer field. Boy did I blow it, going into education. LOL ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/10 "2000-07-26T15:10:55Z")
My SO landed one of those dream jobs. Not $100/hour, but something like $70/hour. It’s a forever job - he seriously can do it until he wants to retire. Works his own hours, in his own office, by himself. I’m so jealous I have a hard time not clawing his eyes out, especially when he starts complaining about the job. Some people just don’t know how lucky they are. ---
**Author:** ![KimKatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@KimKatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KimKatt)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/11 "2000-07-26T16:06:28Z")
That’s fabulous, Wanderer - Good for you! Now I’m jealous. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/12 "2000-07-26T16:20:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jebus \* > \*\*This is way bullshit \*\* Nope, I charge from $800 to 1200 per day plus expenses (of course, MY days can be as much as 16 hours, so in /hour it’s not as much. But one time it was only 8 hours/day) when I work on-site. It can happen if a client needs you badly enough. ---
**Author:** ![lswote](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lswote/32/5737_2.png) [@lswote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lswote)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/13 "2000-07-26T19:51:39Z")
Well I got a long term contract job starting next Monday. 6 months+. Only $50 an hour, but that is more in line with the usual pay for this area. Too bad this current job doesn’t last past the end of this week as not only are they paying so well, but they have little perks like free breakfast foods and snacks and you can order lunch and dinner online and it will be delivered and is also completely free. Unfortunately what they do is not really what I do, they just needed someone with my skills for a few days. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/begged-to-work-for-100-an-hour/26875/14 "2000-07-26T22:47:06Z")
I once asked a psychiatrist with many years experience why he was working for the county since they paid so little. He said that he didn’t mind taking less because they did all the work scheduling clients & it was a nice steady client base.