Moving from permanent to contract

**northernladuk** · 18 February 2015, 19:47

You aren't a proven contractor. They don't know if you can adjust and deliver from day one and whether or not you will bail at the drop of the hat. They don't know if you fully understand your new relationship as a supplier to a client and all the stuff that goes on around it. You are potentially a risk to him and his revenue stream.

The fact you think you will have an arrangement with an employer kinda proves it.

It's advice... Not advise as well.

**vwdan** · 18 February 2015, 20:31

Contracting is something of a very specific mindset far more akin to consultancy, but without a safety net. It's not for everyone and it's VERY different to being a 9 - 5er at a company. This place does pile it on a bit hard, but you really do need to go in with your eyes open. There's a huge amount of preparation to be aware of it and it's genuinely scary how some people operate.

With that said, I didn't really encounter any major resistance to making my move - but, I came from a consultancy background with a track record of delivering the same projects. Depends on what you do now and what kind of things you're applying for.

**ChimpMaster** · 19 February 2015, 08:16

The pimp is simply interested in keeping the client paying up. If you aren't up to the job then it makes the pimp look bad and potential lose a client and revenue.

Moving from permie to contractor is not an easy decision for many and perhaps agents have experienced instances where long-standing permies change the mind at the last minute (perhaps due to cold feet or counter-offers from employer), which again means lost time/effort/income for aforementioned pimp.

**jmo21** · 19 February 2015, 10:31

What they all said.

Plus, when an agent is putting people forward for roles, they often get hundreds of applications to contract adverts.

They need to whittle that down.

Often, they might take the first 50 emails that come in, and completely ignore the second 50. So you need to be lucky and get into that first lot.

Then they look to whittle it down.

Want too high a day rate - bin.
You don't pick up the phone when they ring the first time - bin
Newbie contractor - bin

etc...

**BolshieBastard** · 19 February 2015, 10:42

Originally posted by jmo21 View Post

Then they look to whittle it down.

Want too high a day rate - bin.

Correct

You don't pick up the phone when they ring the first time - bin

Correct

Newbie contractor - bin

Not quite correct. With a newbie they can increase their margin considerably if the newbie measures up.

Probably the biggest stumbling block to a newbie is needing anything from a month to 3 months notice to leave their employment when clients are looking for immediately available.

**Mattski** · 19 February 2015, 11:24

Originally posted by BolshieBastard View Post

Probably the biggest stumbling block to a newbie is needing anything from a month to 3 months notice to leave their employment when clients are looking for immediately available.

This. I got *really* lucky and managed to get a contract where the client would wait out my notice. As I understand it the chances of this happening are about as good as Scarlett Johansson throwing herself on me and pledging undying, eternal lust. Ok, maybe slightly better than that but you get the point.

**jmo21** · 19 February 2015, 13:29

Originally posted by BolshieBastard View Post

Not quite correct. With a newbie they can increase their margin considerably if the newbie measures up.

true, true - wasn't meaning it as an absolute of course, but that can happen! And they want to be sure of the newbie contractor securing the role, and seeing it through (not jumping at the first permie role to come along)

**Willapp** · 19 February 2015, 13:57

Originally posted by Mattski View Post

This. I got *really* lucky and managed to get a contract where the client would wait out my notice. As I understand it the chances of this happening are about as good as Scarlett Johansson throwing herself on me and pledging undying, eternal lust. Ok, maybe slightly better than that but you get the point.

It does happen if you time it right (= get lucky). I went back to contracting at the start of the year after interviewing for a role late-November. Client was one of those places that mandate 2 week "holidays" for their contractors over xmas anyway which meant that they were happy for me to start Jan 5th. Ended up finishing my perm role early so had a nice 2.5 week break for Christmas, half of which was still paid in lieu of holiday days not taken

**BlasterBates** · 19 February 2015, 14:04

Originally posted by amrhady View Post

Hi all,

I have been asked by several recruiters if this will be my first contract, and although it doesn't make sense to me it seems that they find this a bit discouraging.

Well they are talking to you. In a bouyant market you would have not much problem.

The contractor market is difficult. Most contractors are now actually offshore, therefore there is a lot more competition than in the past.

For example 50% of our team are contractors and all of them work remotely in Eastern Europe. They are very good, so they're not going to be onshoring soon.

There is a contractor market out there, there always will be, but it is going to get increasingly difficult. It's like musical chairs, where the music keeps stopping and the chairs slowly disappear.

Moving from permanent to contract