TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: FWD: Advice on contract vs. captive From:John Posada <posada -at- FAXSAV -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 4 Sep 1998 17:49:06 -0400
>There is also the issue of training. As a sub-contractor, the
companies to
>which the agency sends you are not going to want to fork out the
dough for
>you to get training. How willing to pay for training is the agency
for which
>you'll work? And by "pay" for I mean both pay you a wage and give
you the
Contractors usualy make about 30%-40% more than their employee conterparts
(at least around here). For me, that comes to about $40,000 more per year.
For that difference, I'll take a week off. Besides...the cost of my training
is a tax deduction for me at the end of the year.
In addition, I can train for what -I- want at the level I want. When you
leave your training in someone else's hands, you train at what -THEY- want.
Besides...you ARE paying for the training...along with a number of other
things you may have no control over. Why do you think a captive takes home
less pay?
>time, say a week in Chicago for example? Also be aware that you may
be
>earning less than half of what the agency gets for your labor. How
do you
>feel about that?
...and if you are an employee and you create a set of documents at the
company and the company sells the documents for $1,500 per set and sells
20,000 sets, should you expect more money than if the document sells for
$100 and only sells 20 sets?
I know that I'm in the minority about this on the list, (we've had this
discussion before), but I determine the rate that I'll work for, then locate
the job to give me that rate. If I accept an assignment for a rate that I'm
happy with, what does it matter what they are able to get on top of it. I
hope they get as much as they can. I am.
John Posada, Technical Writer (and starting the next contract in a week)
The world's premier Internet fax service company: The FaxSav Global Network
-work http://www.faxsav.com -personal http://www.tdandw.com
-work mailto:posada -at- faxsav -dot- com -personal mailto:john -at- tdandw -dot- com
-work phone: 732-906-2000 X2296 -personal phone:732-2910-7811
-pager: 800-864-8444 pin 1857522 -pager via email:1857522 -at- pagemart -dot- net
My opinions are mine, and neither you nor my company can take credit for
them.
"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem,
see a fine
picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.", Goethe
"Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words, or your reader will
be sure to skip
them; and in the plainest possible words or he will certainly misunderstand
them.", John
Ruskin
"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and
he will sit in a
boat and smoke cigars all day."