Hey Nerd Girls I was just wondering if anyone else noticed any double standards in regards to getting payment for services rendered or drawing up contracts for yourselves.  I am not sure, but I think I’ve been noticing a bit of a double standard about payments for certain projects I’ve done.  Sometimes it feels like the guys I work with don’t think I am going to be just as serious as they are about getting paid, like they are surprised and put off that I am really serious about that stuff and until I get payment worked out, like how much I am getting and when I am getting it, I don’t let it go.  Should I be more relaxed about this or is it good to be this way?

Part of it is because I am so nervous about not being taken seriously.  My field (like everyone else’s on this site) is a man’s field, but I’ve seen other guys get more respect for being super hard about the fees they charge.  I’ve also seen guys AND girls get screwed for being too lenient.  Is there a happy medium?  I think I really need to learn some finesse in this area, but I don’t want it to be so relaxed that I NEVER get paid.  I am really professional about it and try to be nice, but it’s my livelihood.  Could it really be that I am just a girl?  I don’t know… But I need some experienced advice.  If any of you have done any consulting work or anything like that, could you drop me some know-how?

Is this for linguist services? How long are your consulting jobs typically? You should keep the payment amounts and periods outlined in the contract before work starts. You should also outline what happens when payment is not received.

Negotiating that contract is on you.

I pulled teeth getting my medical and dental coverage paid for by my contract company. The company I am currently placed at is paying my contracting firm almost twice as much as my annual wage, but I can’t get my teeth cleaned? Puhlease. When my next contract came up, I insisted on it or I would find independent work. They finally gave in after I told them 4 times what they needed to do for me to resign the contract. Another guy I know was always getting called on off-hours. He put in contract stipulations for double-time for evening/weekend work and triple time for holidays. That way if they REALLY REALLY needed him they could call, but were otherwise deterred.

Yeah, I do linguistic analysis, statistical analysis, translation, grammatical congruency, target-audience specs, you name it, but it’s for linguistic services.  And I get contracted out with different companies to do these types of analyses/translations on a consultant basis.  Some of the companies have their own contracts, but some don’t.  I guess I am asking if I am allowed to lobby for myself and generally speaking, how tough can I be? 

It sounds like you are serious about it too, and I didn’t think about the consequences if I am not paid.  That’s a good thought.  Did it take you a while to get comfortable in expecting payment and should I expect it to be annoying that I expect to be paid in a timely fashion the amount I am quoted or is it a bit less stringent in the consulting world?  I hope this makes sense because I need some confirmation on some things.  Thank you so much for the discussion!!!!

Forgot to tell you, the consulting projects typically last some months (3-4 months).  Thanks!

You should quote them a total price for the project, then split it up into even monthly payments. As if you were receiving a paycheck from them. You ABSOLUTELY should start writing your own quotes and contracts. If, after the contract is written, they want to add on to it, you will need to make a contract amendment. The first contract should state that anything they want above the first contract will require an update to the contract and signatures from all parties. They get a copy, you get a copy.

If you call a HVAC guy to install air conditioning you expect a quote first right?
If you take your car in for repairs, you sign an agreement of what’s being worked on before they begin work right?

If you don’t do this, here’s what’s going to happen, someone is going to think you owe them more than they originally bargained for. Then they’re gonna take you to court. If you don’t have that contract, your ass is going down.

Yeah, this is what I’ve been doing, writing my own and reading everything and making sure the payment schedules are to my specifications and if anything goes over and above, the contract will be ammended, etc.  I’m pretty anal about it all, and I think I could even be a bit more anal, which is nice.  It’s good to get that confirmed.  Plus you gave me some good keys, that ‘if I don’t get paid’ advice was great.  Thank you!  I love this site, I get REAL feedback when I really need it!