First, the market for skilled labor, especially technical professions, is perhaps the best example of what is called by economists an "in-efficient market". It's the exact opposite of the stock market or retail stores setting prices for the same brand X widget.
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/efficient-market.htmlEven if you are an exceptional DBA, you may find it impossible to sell yourself as such to many prospective (or current) employers because they're simply not interested in an exceptional DBA. What they really need (or think they need) is someone to maintain the status quo or at least improve things to the point where users (at least the users they care about) are not complaining. It's like a restaurant trying to sell upscale $10 burgers to a customer base where the median household income is $32,000, and you're struggling to compete with the local McDonald's dollar menu. It's not that your burger isn't worth $10, it's just that you're in the wrong market.
I hadn't thought of that, Eric. Very good points! And since I wasn't in NYC, it was impossible for me to have learned through local groups or contacts why negotiations suddenly ended. They may have lost someone who did average or even below average work, but were good enough to keep the lights on, so to speak. So I may have priced myself out of that job opportunity because of that. Thanks for the input.
Just like the DBA market, there certainly is a bell curve for IT recruiters and hiring managers too. In the past, I've had some inexplicable experiences while job hunting as well, and sometimes it can seem if the job seeker has stepped into an episode of the Twilight Zone or become the subject to a "gaslighting" campaign.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslighting
However, I always tried to maintain perspective, never allowing myself to extrapolate from one experience, because we really don't know what the hell is going on behind the scenes at the other end. Fortunately, I've never been out of the market for more than a few weeks. I think it has a lot to do with shrugging off the disappointments, staying positive, and knowing how to spot and work a good lead.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho