State of the Market

[PlanB]

Alternatively, you could view this as exactly the sort of situation that a warchest is for.

I think the lifeboat/wave analogy is a good one. A lifeboat is useful when you had to abandon ship and are in choppy seas until you can get picked up by a passing ship. If a 90 foot rogue wave hits you it is just an expensive coffin.

If this isn't "the big one" for contracting I don't know what is...

[Peoplesoft bloke]

.... If a 90 foot rouge wave hits you

...

Is this a sea of blood?

[LondonManc]

In terms of warchest talk, do you really want to burn 18 months down?

I'd rather (if possible) take a really easy, close to home Inside gig and accept a reduction in day rate but also reduce challenge and boost family time.

Instead of that, I got out two years ago, now on my second perm job in that time, getting a 20% pay rise on the first. Happy days so far, working as a consultant. Can't beat being home each night after living out of a suitcase for so long.

[PlanB]

Is this a sea of blood?

Corrected, but I think the sea of blood works pretty well.

[BigDataPro]

One thing is for sure. Soon the contractors are going to get that look from the ones who have thrown in the towel early!

[GhostofTarbera]

One thing is for sure. Soon the contractors are going to get that look from the ones who have thrown in the towel early!

I think we need a term for the

Turncoats
White featherers
Permie tractors
????


Sent from my iPhone using Contractor UK Forum

[wattaj]

I think we need a term for the

Turncoats
White featherers
Permie tractors
????


Sent from my iPhone using Contractor UK Forum

Benefactors? For when they flip 50p into one's empty coffee cup in passing by?

[FIERCE TANK BATTLE]

"Don't worry too much about IR35 you're outside"

"Don't worry too much about IR35, we think you're outside"

"Don't worry too much about IR35, we're not sure if you're outside, but it'll probably be fine"

"Don't worry too much about IR35, but what if we were to assess you as inside?"

"Don't worry too much about IR35, but we need to know what rate you'd want to stay with us because we'll probably assess you as inside"

"<placeholder>"

Wonder what happens next. Don't phone, it's just for fun.

[silverlight1]

It could also mean;

1. There are fewer contract jobs in the market
2. There are people who still have mortgages to pay
3. Those same people want a stress free life and so take the least contentious way out. Or through...
4. That not All those going perm are necessarily going into a perm version of their previously contract job. Although I accept a number will.
5. Irrespective of whether one was or was not a permietractor, the blanket assessments or culling of PSCs will Never be a conclusive assessment of the existence of permietractors. Just that the clients want a stress free life. One has nothing to do with the other, as evidenced by permietractors and real contractors alike getting caught up in the fun.

I agree some of the above but a lot of people never looked at diversifying or using their LTdCo as an opportunity to explore other revenue areas and now that market is changing / gone for good and have to revert back to PERM.

Being a contractor to me was always far more than using it for my main consulting job, it was an opportunity to look at entrepreneurship, learn new skills, take on sidelines and other additional contracts. For me some failed but others provide me with alternative revenue streams as you would expect any other company to do - not rely on a single client all of the time.

IMO far too may people only ever used their LTdCo as a PSC not as a consulting company in the wider sense.

[oliverson]

In terms of warchest talk, do you really want to burn 18 months down?

I'd rather (if possible) take a really easy, close to home Inside gig and accept a reduction in day rate but also reduce challenge and boost family time.

Instead of that, I got out two years ago, now on my second perm job in that time, getting a 20% pay rise on the first. Happy days so far, working as a consultant. Can't beat being home each night after living out of a suitcase for so long.

I love the way people who can no longer hack it in the contractor world, post about how happy they are back in permie land, citing examples of advantages as if to try and convince themselves. See loads of this on LinkedIn as well. YOU'RE FOOLING NOBODY! Lol.