Looking to make the jump!

[GCR99]

Timing is important, knowing when to get in, and more importantly when to get out of contracting.


I got my first contract in May 1996, after being away for a year travelling with my then girlfriend (now the wife). Before JobServe, it was ads in trade mags and newspapers. I answered an ad for an engineer for a 5 week role, I was skint so was willing to take anything to get back into the world of work. That ended up being over 3 years and I was finally canned Dec 30th 1999, after Y2K.

Seeing the carnage on the markets post 2000, I was offered a permie role and took that as I couldn’t see it improving for a while. I rode that for 5 years and travelled to Japan, US, all over Europe, great time all round. I wanted to get back to earning decent dough though, as I had a child by then, so back to Jobserve it was, and in 2005 took another contract and haven’t looked back. Several more since then, and back to back mainly but I’m a network engineer\design guy so there’s always something about, and I can usually do well at interviews\technical tests etc.

Things are not easy though, and the rates haven’t really moved much over time, but I’m not complaining, as I have all but paid off the mortgage and have no debt, so at 49 I’m thinking of scaling back a bit next year. The industry is not as much fun as it was, or maybe I’m a miserable S0d now, I dunno or care.

Anyway good luck, whatever you decide, if you are keen, reliable, upright and sober (most of the time), you can wing it like me for years and get away with it.

[NibblyPig]

Once you get to a senior position as a developer and you're half-decent you should be getting hammered by recruiters for perm roles. Safe with the knowledge if it goes wrong you can go back to perm, and enough money to survive completely unemployed for a few months, and you're sure there are contracts matching your skill set, then hand in your notice, pay an accountant, open a business account, buy all of your insurances, join IPSE or whatever, and then follow your accountant's instructions to set up an LTD (or go the umbrella route which is easier but less money).

Then hope for the best.

[wantacontract]

don't do it chap......the market is tougher then ever, and the competition due to the supply of candidates is crazy!! Every permie I speak to is telling me, they are going contracting!!

as for me, I'm changing my mind and going back to permie land for a few years until the contracting landscape settles down a bit...too much uncertainty at the minute for me to stomach, (thats with a years war chest as well!)

[SueEllen]

If you wish to be a contractor then after you have done your research then just do it. People who ask when they will be ready are not ready.

[WorkShy]

Hi guys,

Thank you for all the feedback, lots of different takes on it!

@quackhandle - No not married. I only have my home as real solid commitment. That's good advice though, a long period with no money coming in would be really tough if you had a family. Fortunately, I'm fairly free in that respect.

I'm not into my 30's yet, and I have a bit of money saved up for rainy days. I've taken a few risks in my life and they have mostly done me credit so far. So I think this is one of those moves I hope I'll never look back on!

I'm going to sit down with an accountant friend of mine and run through the numbers. Hopefully it will work out .

Thanks for the advice guys

[SueEllen]

While you should use your accountant friend for advice use someone else to do your books. Things can and do go wrong with accountants and you don't want to screw up a friendship.