Job security

My faithful recruiter Vic (I'll call him that because it's his name) told me yesterday that he'd tried to press his client for some actual figures, dates, and maybe even a contract for me to sign. He explained that they'd been having some organisational issues trying to fit me into the team; apparently, the original role called for someone "just a web monkey" but they wanted to take advantage of my diverse background skills, so they've been playing the responsibility shuffling game.

They had, however, committed to having a proper written offer ready in the next 24 hours. Vic told me to give them 48, but asked if I had a wife he could use as emotional leverage to make them hurry up. We discussed starting dates, and provisionallly set the Monday after next as a good balance.

Imagine my suprise, then, when I looked in my mailbox this morning and saw this:

I have managed to speak to [the mystery employer] this morning and the news isn't quite what I had expected. They have made one offer to another developer and therefore explored the possibility of whether there is now room to accomodate both of you. The problem appears whether they can provide you with sufficiently challenging work to keep you interested and secondly whether they can justify your salary requirement for the work involved. They have discussed the matter internally at a meeting and regrettably they couldn't work it out even though you are a strong candidate by their own admission.

He went on to explain that he was angry at the situation and that they had apologised, but he suggested I start following up other opportunities in the mean time.

Good advice, I'm sure.