Upgrade your LCAT

When the government structures contracts for personnel, they will use Labor Categories or LCATs to more easily bucket the types of personnel they bring on and the relevant price points.

For example, you could be an Analyst - Junior, Analyst - Mid, or Analyst - Senior, etc. and the would be billed at $100/hour, $125/hour, $160/hour,

These usually come with education and experience requirements.

Depending on the contracting officer, the government can be fairly strict about enforcing these or pretty loose about it.

You want to be in a higher LCAT because the bill rates will be higher.

BUT, sometimes your education and years of experience don't add up even though you can do the job at the higher level.

If that's the case, here's what you should emphasize to the prime

• Make sure you account for ALL the years of experience you have. Think volunteer jobs in high school or in college where you did any work or even part time jobs.
• List bullet points on your resume that details higher level technical skills or more senior level projects.
• Ask to see what other LCATs there are in a different category that may offer higher rates for less experience

I've been put in LCATs that were above my experience level because I used the above tactics.

It doesn't always work, in which case you can find another project, negotiate a better rate on the designated LCAT, or take it and plan to get another higher paying gig later.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.