Trouble getting a new contract

[diseasex]

Not difficult, especially if you're switching within financial services.

The best time to go from perm to contract is when you have been made redundant.

some might say "dead easy"

[SussexSeagull]

I tend to find if you can get to an interview you are more often than not there.

[dwater]

me too

Not difficult, especially if you're switching within financial services.

The best time to go from perm to contract is when you have been made redundant.

That's reassuring. I am in this situation now. It was voluntary redundancy, but still...no notice, can interview on the same day, and can start immediately.

This is my first post on ContractorUK, so 'er, hello', as, I think, Mel Smith put it I've been lurking a little to get a feel for this forum.

I'm (also) feeling like there is less interest than I had anticipated and than when I was considering my options a couple of months ago. I can afford to wait though, so I guess something will come along.

How often are there tests in interviews? I know they are prevalent in perm interviews, but I was thinking contract interviews were somewhat different, relying on previous experience more than the ability to regurgitate it in a high pressure situation. What about white-board work?

I've not set up my company yet even, and will wait until I've a contract lined up - I read that it only takes a few hours, so that shouldn't be a problem, iinm. I'm still reading though. At least this time I don't need someone else to be a secretary (I did contracting about 20 years ago and it was necessary then), so that's something that is improved. I guess I need an accountant to help me avoid IR35 problems. Actually, I "signed on" this morning - I figured I might as well, even if I just +1 to the jobless stats (it seems like they will actually pay me something though, so that's cool)....but they have some facility to help people set up a business, so I'm wondering if that is worth anything for IT contractors, or if it is all about "real" businesses.

Anyway, hello.

[LondonManc]

That's reassuring. I am in this situation now. It was voluntary redundancy, but still...no notice, can interview on the same day, and can start immediately.

This is my first post on ContractorUK, so 'er, hello', as, I think, Mel Smith put it I've been lurking a little to get a feel for this forum.

I'm (also) feeling like there is less interest than I had anticipated and than when I was considering my options a couple of months ago. I can afford to wait though, so I guess something will come along.

How often are there tests in interviews? I know they are prevalent in perm interviews, but I was thinking contract interviews were somewhat different, relying on previous experience more than the ability to regurgitate it in a high pressure situation. What about white-board work?

I've not set up my company yet even, and will wait until I've a contract lined up - I read that it only takes a few hours, so that shouldn't be a problem, iinm. I'm still reading though. At least this time I don't need someone else to be a secretary (I did contracting about 20 years ago and it was necessary then), so that's something that is improved. I guess I need an accountant to help me avoid IR35 problems. Actually, I "signed on" this morning - I figured I might as well, even if I just +1 to the jobless stats (it seems like they will actually pay me something though, so that's cool)....but they have some facility to help people set up a business, so I'm wondering if that is worth anything for IT contractors, or if it is all about "real" businesses.

Anyway, hello.

The key thing about signing on is getting your various insurances covered - NI contributions, mortgage protection, etc.

At the moment you're neither a contractor nor perm. You may find a good perm offer next week and take it. Don't bother engaging an accountant/creating a company - you many even want to go umbrella first to see whether contracting is for you without the hassle of setting up a company. Take home is less but it'll still be far more than permie pay. There's nothing to then stop you switching to limited company at your next extension or next new contract.

[northernladuk]

Your accountant doesn't help you avoid IR35 problems. The clue is in the title. If you don't have a company setup and already engaged and accountant it will be too late anyway.

[LondonManc]

The reality is that 95% of the job posts by agencies are fake - there was never an explicit end client asking for that contract to be sourced. (- e.g. many of them engage in fraud - and would have a hard time if someone would have enough of it and they ended up in court).

So, it is probably not you...

Do tell, what have they defrauded you of?

[Lance]

How often are there tests in interviews?

Never had one for contract position. Even got one contract without being interviewed by the client. That lasted 2.5 years at a decent rate.

[dwater]

Never had one for contract position. Even got one contract without being interviewed by the client. That lasted 2.5 years at a decent rate.

That's reassuring (too)...I did have an agent say that one contract's "process" involved a test of some sort. I've done them before and they can be hit or miss (I prefer the project type - they do take effort, but they more accurately reflect my capability than can be gleaned from any interview).

[dwater]

The key thing about signing on is getting your various insurances covered - NI contributions, mortgage protection, etc.

At the moment you're neither a contractor nor perm. You may find a good perm offer next week and take it. Don't bother engaging an accountant/creating a company - you many even want to go umbrella first to see whether contracting is for you without the hassle of setting up a company. Take home is less but it'll still be far more than permie pay. There's nothing to then stop you switching to limited company at your next extension or next new contract.

I'm set on contracting now. I've done before, even though it was a while ago, so I'm not going in completely blind. I suppose I could change my mind, but in my mind that is one advantage of contracting - you get to see inside the company before you decide to work there. So often, companies look good on the outside and are complete trash inside.

[dwater]

Your accountant doesn't help you avoid IR35 problems. The clue is in the title. If you don't have a company setup and already engaged and accountant it will be too late anyway.

Perhaps I misspoke, but from what I read, the IR35 issues are a lot to do with the contracts you sign, so I would like to have one available to check the contract doesn't cause issues wrt IR35; eg it doesn't refer to me by name and is about completing a specific project/job rather than simply doing what I am told...or something like that.

I read there is a 'tool' coming out that might help...I don't quite see how that can work, but I have a lot to learn yet.

Well, that's what I was getting at anyway