Help me make some decisions...

**stek** · 12 January 2015, 21:41

1. Experience counts, certs are nice but without underlying real-world on the job from day one experience worthless. Enterprise is best....

2. Depends on a lot of factors - I'd say £250-300/day?

3. Mostly its working away but depends on your location, whilst away its what you make of it - sone enjoy bettering themselves, some enjoy wanking, some get in a clique and enjoy good company and fines ales every night, while some sit in their sordid little grief holes crying themselves to sleep. I'm mostly in the wanking and ales category.

Contracting doesn't really sound like your bag to me I'm afraid...

**SueEllen** · 12 January 2015, 22:22

Originally posted by qwaz01 View Post

3) What is IT contracting really like? Is it lots of travelling and lonely nights in hotel rooms or much more enjoyable? Any other advice would be appreciated?

Thanks in advance

Depends.

There is no really set rules.

Some people have to work away a lot as their skillset and commercial knowledge means they can only work in specific places for certain types of companies. Others can work near or at home for the same reason.

Some people stay in hotels while others lodge with people who may or may not be there Monday to Friday.

Some people are friendly so find other contractors/random people to make friends' with to entertain themselves in the evenings, while others are loners.

**qwaz01** · 12 January 2015, 22:25

Ok thanks for the reply.

I understand that experience counts for everything but I was hoping certs would get me in the door to start earning some experience.

A friend who does contracting in another industry said that most contractors calculate rough salary based on a 40 week year, is this also true for IT?

I appreciate your advice, I'm currently single with no kids and live near Guildford so can get to Central London in under an hour, I'm hoping these will make be more suited to contracting. I'm a chat to anyone kind of guy so have no issues with going down the local and talking to people at a bar.

**SueEllen** · 12 January 2015, 22:40

Originally posted by qwaz01 View Post

Ok thanks for the reply.

I understand that experience counts for everything but I was hoping certs would get me in the door to start earning some experience.

Clients take you on because you are an expert in your field. Some are happy for you to be able to pick up new minor technical skills quickly while others want you to have 99% of the skills already and some experience in them.

You need to research the market for your skills. Start by looking at ads for contractors to see what businesses want. Also remember skills get old and you have to pay for training yourself as a contractor. This needs to be ongoing so you don't suddenly find yourself without a marketable skillset.

Also remember as everything can be outsourced one thing you are being taken on for is your people skills.

Originally posted by qwaz01 View Post

A friend who does contracting in another industry said that most contractors calculate rough salary based on a 40 week year, is this also true for IT?

It actually depends on your speciality. Some people here calculate working 7 months a year others do 10. However some contractors end up getting back to back contracts.

Even then be prepared to have anything from a month to over a year not being able to work for various reasons e.g. illness, bad market so don't go on a spending spree with any money you earn.

Originally posted by qwaz01 View Post

I appreciate your advice, I'm currently single with no kids and live near Guildford so can get to Central London in under an hour, I'm hoping these will make be more suited to contracting.

Then you have Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire and Sussex commutable to your location. There are lots of businesses in the South and South East and a lot of them aren't in Central London as they don't need to be there. So make sure you have a car and have business insurance on it.

Originally posted by qwaz01 View Post

I'm a chat to anyone kind of guy so have no issues with going down the local and talking to people at a bar.

To be honest you only need to be prepared to travel if the market gets tough for your skillset or you find an interest contract not on your doorstep.

**sal** · 13 January 2015, 09:12

My 2p - If you have 12 years of experience and managing a small team in addition to sales, purchasing, finance and high level support & project work, but put up with a 32(38)k salary you might find the world of contracting where you have to sell yourself and negotiate your way all the time a bit challenging. Negotiating a better salary in the 50-60k range and maybe a small share in the company or jumping ship for a better paid permie role might be a better decision. The idea of asking the current owners to transfer 100% ownership of the company to you is rather daft, why would they do that?

Also it appears that you don't have experience in large/enterprise type environments, where 80%+ of the Wintel type contracts are. Certificates and training are one thing, actual hands on experience is what most clients (not to mention agents) are looking in a contractor.

**TheFaQQer** · 13 January 2015, 09:40

Originally posted by stek View Post

3. Mostly its working away but depends on your location, whilst away its what you make of it - sone enjoy bettering themselves, some enjoy wanking, some get in a clique and enjoy good company and fines ales every night, while some sit in their sordid little grief holes crying themselves to sleep. I'm mostly in the wanking and ales category.

This (apart from the ale).

I think I've done all of those - one project I did we did something "cultural" each week to better ourselves (musicals, theatre, comedy, ballet, opera) which was good fun. I used to try to make it to CUK drinks when they were going on and I was in London, which was good as well.

**unixman** · 13 January 2015, 13:30

Originally posted by TheFaQQer View Post

This (apart from the ale).

I think I've done all of those - one project I did we did something "cultural" each week to better ourselves (musicals, theatre, comedy, ballet, opera) which was good fun. I used to try to make it to CUK drinks when they were going on and I was in London, which was good as well.

Keeping fit is one way of bettering yourself. Payasyougym is your friend. On a contract I try to visit the local gym twide a week and do 20 mins on the rower each time.

**GlenW** · 13 January 2015, 13:45

Everywhere I've been socialising hasn't been a problem, decent pubs and friendly people can be found close to most places. Tadley in Hampshire is the exception to this, being so close to Aldermaston has turned all the locals into weirdos.

**PurpleGorilla** · 13 January 2015, 14:17

Originally posted by sal View Post

My 2p - If you have 12 years of experience and managing a small team in addition to sales, purchasing, finance and high level support & project work, but put up with a 32(38)k salary you might find the world of contracting where you have to sell yourself and negotiate your way all the time a bit challenging. Negotiating a better salary in the 50-60k range and maybe a small share in the company or jumping ship for a better paid permie role might be a better decision. The idea of asking the current owners to transfer 100% ownership of the company to you is rather daft, why would they do that?.

This +1

Sounds like you are getting rinsed in your current role. You do all the hard work running around etc and the owners sit back and milk the profit. Nice for them - not so great for you.* You could put the effort in, and try to get stock and profit sharing etc, or put the effort into a NEW ROLE. Another premie role on much more cash would be the best next step IMHO.

PG

* Seen this many times with small firms - which puts me off ever working for one.

Help me make some decisions...