Info for a newbie in contracting

[o0nix]

A good grasp of English is a must. Poor grammar indicates a lack of attention to detail to many people. Depending on the role, good interpersonal skills. A well-written CV that indicates what you have done and can deliver to the client immediately. An indication that you have delivered repeatedly for a range of clients helps. Depending on the role, the ability to dazzle with bull rather than being able to baffle them with genuine brilliance. Detailed analytical thinking.

It depends on what the client is expecting and what you are offering - the range of skills is wide.



Find a client that needs you, find the right rate that your skills demand, market yourself correctly, interview well and be better / cheaper than everyone else going for the same role as you.

Thank you for your reply.

Considering my years of experience (5) and location (London) what would you recommend as a daily rate to enter the market?

[greenlake]

What skills you need to be a successful contractor?

People skills.
Communication skills.
Marketing skills.
Sales skills.
Organisation skills.

[TykeMerc]

I'm arrogant because I can write code in more then one programming language. And you're arrogant for writing such off topic comments to waste my time reading them.

Oh look, yet another thread created by a new poster with a grating personality, asking the same old question and then getting hostile with the replies, where have we seen that before? Oh I know, about every other thread created by "new" ID's.

I'm not a coder (I can still write programmes in Cobol, Pascal and Fortran as I was taught those and a few others at Uni), but at least 50% of the real posters on CUK are coders and I'm willing to bet the vast majority can code well in more than 1 language. They manage to avoid the attitude.
One key to getting contracts is to immediately make a good impression as you don't have time for people to learn to like you. From your behaviour in this thread you will fail abjectly as most that read the first post will think you're a pillock.

[diseasex]

Dont listen to these morons on this forum.
I was looking for first contract for 1.5 week in .net whereas my friend for 3 months.... its random and dependant on experience, but best if you have really good experience i guess. Just send your CV to offers and query agents "if you have strong CV" compared to other candidates.

[eek]

Dont listen to these morons on this forum.
I was looking for first contract for 1.5 week in .net whereas my friend for 3 months.... its random and dependant on experience, but best if you have really good experience i guess. Just send your CV to offers and query agents "if you have strong CV" compared to other candidates.

No it isn't. To get a contract you:-


1) need to get past the gate keeper / agent. He needs and must trust you enough to put you through to the end client. If you are a jerk, not clear or polite you ain't getting past that point

2) you cv needs to be good enough for the end client for them to want to interview you.

Oh and it's not the first contract that is important but the second. Anyone can get a first contract when they have their permanent job to fall back on, it's harder to get the next one as the money runs out and panic sets in.

Ps have you told your current employer that you want to leave early in breach of your permanent jobs terms and conditions?

[diseasex]

No it isn't. To get a contract you:-


1) need to get past the gate keeper / agent. He needs and must trust you enough to put you through to the end client. If you are a jerk, not clear or polite you ain't getting past that point

2) you cv needs to be good enough for the end client for them to want to interview you.

Oh and it's not the first contract that is important but the second. Anyone can get a first contract when they have their permanent job to fall back on, it's harder to get the next one as the money runs out and panic sets in.

Ps have you told your current employer that you want to leave early in breach of your permanent jobs terms and conditions?

I'm still waiting for the written contract as they didn't deliver it on Friday and without reading it I'm not taking any action. My friend recommends this agent because he worked with him before, so that should be fine. As for 2 weeks notice, I will ask them politely and offer some overtime to deliver current project before I go, and say I was going to hand the notice on 6th of June anyway (that's what i had planned before that offer on Friday)

[eek]

I'm still waiting for the written contract as they didn't deliver it on Friday and without reading it I'm not taking any action. My friend recommends this agent because he worked with him before, so that should be fine. As for 2 weeks notice, I will ask them politely and offer some overtime to deliver current project before I go, and say, I was going to hand the notice on 6th of June anyway (that's what i had planned before that offer on Friday)

Oh well. That gives you a leaving date of July 3rd. Good luck starting on June 15th

[diseasex]

Oh well. That gives you a leaving date of July 3rd. Good luck starting on June 15th

Yeah , crap. Worst case scenario i will try to renegotiate the start date. Apparently they were looking for a contractor for long so *maybe* they will be willing to wait a little longer.
I had a chat with other agent regarding the notice and he said it wont affect my references if i'd left early, as reference process is regulated in some way and they'd be affraid to break some law

[Avalonia]

Print your CV on cardboard for a "strong CV" HTH

[meridian]

Info for a newbie in contracting

I had a chat with other agent regarding the notice and he said it wont affect my references if i'd left early, as reference process is regulated in some way and they'd be affraid to break some law

And you believed him/her? Never trust an agent on anything they say regarding anything regulatory or legal, most of them simply don't know. They're salesmen first and foremost and will tell you what you want to hear to make the sale. Whenever anyone says something like that, call their bluff and ask them which law and section they are talking about, 99 times out of 100 you won't get an answer.

It's likely that it won't affect your reference if the only reference you are expecting is a "diseasex worked here from xx.xx.xx to xx.xx.xx". Unless you have a more personal relationship with your contact in the business then that's all you can expect. If they're annoyed at you for leaving, there's no law that says they have to write good things about you, there's no law that says they need to provide you with any sort of reference at all.

EDIT: 2 seconds on Google, do you work in financial services?, https://www.gov.uk/work-reference