IT contractors are going to have to hone their negotiation skills if they are to avoid agencies taking up an unreasonable amount of their fees.

This is the view of Contractor Calculator chief executive office Dave Chaplin, who says that the recruitment industry has called for agencies to take more of the available margin for themselves.

Recruitment expert David Spencer-Percival told senior recruiters recently that agencies must start pushing margins back up or their will be stuck at recession levels, Mr Chaplin claims.

He goes on to say that this is valuable information for any IT contractor looking to negotiate a contract.

"Contractors should train themselves to enter into contract negotiations prepared with all the skills they need to fight their corner over margins," Mr Chaplin explains.

Jobsite.co.uk's chief executive Keith Potts recently urged IT contractors to tailor their CV to suit the specific job role when applying for vacancies.