Well, after a rather unsettled 2018-2020 I have closed my limited company and taken a permie role. Pay is a bit crap, but I can work from home three days a week and I am learning some new skills too.
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Can I ask an impertinent question?Originally posted by tvr450 View Post
Will the tax you pay from your perm role equate to the tax you paid while as a contractor?Comment
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Most likely I will just go permie now. Been out of work a couple of months. The market is dire. I have a bit of money set aside but have never seen the market this bad in over 20 years of contracting. None of my contacts have anything and most are in the same boat. Most of my previous contracts have been renewals or referrals. The decent jobs that come up have a deluge of people apply. Had a few interviews for roles but they are being picky or driving down rates.
I've become sick of trying to deal with a government policy trying to bend things to suit them and the worry and expense of running a company in the UK. I've had to lay off others whose wages were subsidised by my earnings. Any chance of growing a business here is dead. I've found with permie jobs advertised that at my age (late 40's) and despite experience and skills which are up to date and marketable, there is a distrust of contractors going permie, they are ageist and want younger career minded people and the salaries are worse than I was being offered over 15 years ago. This is the reality. Too many people available on the market and it's getting worse by the week.
For most of us, contracting gave us the drive to get a variety of work and do better. It made us work hard to keep clients happy and get repeat work. It helped us get on the housing ladder and to support having family but we can't all retire to the south of France on a pot of cash now contracting is pretty much finished. I need to find work and although not yet desperate the options to continue contracting are very few unless you have niche skills which are in high demand and you want to continue to play HMRC's game. It's not worth it for my health or my families.
If nothing comes up in the next couple of months then it will be an entire career change to do something else which pays a few quid which is a pity as I think I'm very good at what I do. If anyone has anything positive to say about the state of the market then I'm all ears.Comment
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It could get a lot worse if aside from Italy there will be another one or two countries that develop COV cases.Originally posted by OntheBenchin2020 View Post
It will be a full market panic, quarantine, borders closed, layoffs. This week is crucial to see if the initial panic from yesterday extends.
The upside being that market situation will become the least of our concerns.
It is true, managers do not see contractors with good eyes when they try to go perm. It is my impression as well that everyone is looking for a superstar at a discount atm. What they are probably thinking that anyone that is aware of their worth will jump ship with first opportunity. Probably the reason they do not consider contractors in the first place and only the corporate numpties brainwashed into submission.
Silver lining is that the contractor lifestyle has developed better survival skills in us. Stronger analytical skills and awareness during critical times. We are more likely to land on our feet whatever happens further. We’ll get over this.Comment
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for what it's worth I have taken a fixed term contract as it's close to home to ride out the next few months. Market looks terrible. It was bad back in Sept when I started looking when I was in contract, Dec was dead, it perked up a bit after Brexit, but now it's dead again, in fact it's worse!Originally posted by tvr450 View Post
Am glad to have something to tide me over until the summer! Then can have summer off if I can't find anything, hopefully nail something in autumnComment
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Feels like 2008 again
Permietractor (probably)Comment
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More like late 2000/01...Originally posted by Mephisto View PostFeels like 2008 againmerely at clientco for the entertainmentComment
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I politely disagree.Originally posted by eek View Post
Umbrella - change in market attitudes given roll out of IR35 to private, then back to "normal" 18 months later after the whole fuss dies down and private sector learn more about IR35.The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn't existComment
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It's alright lads. We're going to be quids-in with all these bods leaving the market.Comment
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Originally posted by eek View Post
Let put into dr who perspective
2000/20001 was Colin Baker
2008 was Sylvester McCoy
Now is Jodie Whittaker
Sent from my iPhone using Contractor UK ForumComment
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