Question from newbe - the contracting life

[eek]

My personal experience (I'm 49 now and started contracting at 36), is that you may find life tough. It's more competitive now than it was when I was your age, very much so, with increased competition from onshore, nearshore and offshore developers, for fewer opportunities and rates that haven't change much the last decade.

Is it? Granted I'm now niche but for me its back to the olden days where agents ring up desperately hoping I will speak to them...

[DimPrawn]

Is it? Granted I'm now niche but for me its back to the olden days where agents ring up desperately hoping I will speak to them...

I think the market for M$ developers died since M$ went all hippy and open source and then realised it offered nothing special or unique anymore. If you are outside the usual .NET stack there's still life in contracting.

[northernladuk]

Wow, you keep posting exactly what I'm going to say. At this rate, I think I will be able to retire from CUK if you keep this up.

Just need to get him to say 'Buy gold' a couple of times and jobs a good un.

[cntl1]

Many thanks to all who replied. Even though I found your perspective a tough read, it is helpful, refreshing and eye opening. I must agree with most of it.

So I will revive this thread in x months with an update.

I started sending my CV again recently, and again I am getting not just calls but interview offers for perm jobs.

Similar thing happened upon my return to the UK earlier this year. Within 10 days or so I had half a dozen interviews, attended the first 3, got 2 offers. The 3rd one they told me I was "overqualified" for the job. Again, that is all perm jobs.

I am probably being silly, I have rejected the offers and just this morning told another agent I am looking only for contract or temp work.

I realize my chances are slim, and the reasons why, so no need to revisit it at this point. But for me, time is more valuable than money. I see zero chance of me getting up every morning to go to traditional job so that I can count down days to a two week holiday once or twice per yer, living from weekend to weekend. It ain't gonna happen.

Contracting is tough work I am sure, and no different to a demanding perm job while the work lasts. But at the end of a contract I can bugger off to Hawaii or such for a few months, drive Route 66, or rent an RV in Japan and sleep in the car while enjoying new culture until money run out (All things I did by the way recently, which probably contributed to my somewhat non-orthodox perspective on life).

I guess I have a different philosophical outlook on things, maybe that's why my choices may seem irrational to many.

Haha, yeah, no need to comment on the above.

[DimPrawn]

Many thanks to all who replied. Even though I found your perspective a tough read, it is helpful, refreshing and eye opening. I must agree with most of it.

So I will revive this thread in x months with an update.

I started sending my CV again recently, and again I am getting not just calls but interview offers for perm jobs.

Similar thing happened upon my return to the UK earlier this year. Within 10 days or so I had half a dozen interviews, attended the first 3, got 2 offers. The 3rd one they told me I was "overqualified" for the job. Again, that is all perm jobs.

I am probably being silly, I have rejected the offers and just this morning told another agent I am looking only for contract or temp work.

I realize my chances are slim, and the reasons why, so no need to revisit it at this point. But for me, time is more valuable than money. I see zero chance of me getting up every morning to go to traditional job so that I can count down days to a two week holiday once or twice per yer, living from weekend to weekend. It ain't gonna happen.

Contracting is tough work I am sure, and no different to a demanding perm job while the work lasts. But at the end of a contract I can bugger off to Hawaii or such for a few months, drive Route 66, or rent an RV in Japan and sleep in the car while enjoying new culture until money run out (All things I did by the way recently, which probably contributed to my somewhat non-orthodox perspective on life).

I guess I have a different philosophical outlook on things, maybe that's why my choices may seem irrational to many.

I'd rather stay at home than live the groundhog day. At least I can go for a run in the middle of the day, get up when I want to, work on my side projects in spare time, etc.

Haha, yeah, no need to comment on the above.

Given what you've said, and what you want out of life, I'd give myself a 3 month window to secure a contract. It sounds like you'd be happy to live away from home for a contract and that would actually add to the experience for you.

So stop looking for perm jobs, go all out for contract work. Maybe try and secure a contract overseas?

If after 3 months you haven't bagged anything go perm.

[LondonManc]

With that gap, I'd take a perm role, grab the latest skills available without having to deal with the current crap market and get two years under your belt before going contracting.

[b0redom]

I did the whole traveling for 18 months thing and managed to bag a contract when I got back. It was, however, for someone I'd worked with previously who wanted someone who could be an onsite consultant/PS for a tiny startup in a large organisation, so it was more about the way I conducted myself and ability to think on my feet than an established skill set.

If you have an existing network you can tap, then great. If you have a niche skill set you can exploit then great. If you have a commodity skill set then you have to ask yourself why someone would hire you over someone who's not got a 2 year gap.

You may as well forget about starting up a company doing local IT support. You'll be competing against loads of established businesses at the top end, and kids who are living at home at the bottom end. Even if you manage to get it off the ground, maintenance contracts mean you won't be able to just go off on holiday at the drop of a hat.

[Jim Spector]

I think the market for M$ developers died since M$ went all hippy and open source and then realised it offered nothing special or unique anymore. If you are outside the usual .NET stack there's still life in contracting.

Citation needed

[LondonManc]

Citation needed

You want citation for DP's thoughts?

[Jim Spector]

You want citation for DP's thoughts?

It was more of a rhetorical statement as opposed to a request for the hard evidence backing up DP's wild assertions.