Going back to contracting?

[malvolio]

My reason is financial only. Well, there has to be some leap of faith. Hoping always for the best, right? Otherwise you guys contractors won't be around, right?

Yeah, right... Well, best of luck. Let us know how you get on.

[SueEllen]

My reason is financial only. Well, there has to be some leap of faith. Hoping always for the best, right? Otherwise you guys contractors won't be around, right?

Whatever....

[loden]

Whatever....

When I think about it more, it's not financial reasons only. Contracting will give me the flexibility to change projects, clients, etc. With my current perm job, once I go past the 6 month probation period, I'll be then bound by a 3 month notice period. This is what actually bothers me most. It's like closing my door to contracting forever.

The notice period..is it someting I can renegotiate with the employer, to say 1 month?

[malvolio]

When I think about it more, it's not financial reasons only. Contracting will give me the flexibility to change projects, clients, etc. With my current perm job, once I go past the 6 month probation period, I'll be then bound by a 3 month notice period. This is what actually bothers me most. It's like closing my door to contracting forever.

The notice period..is it someting I can renegotiate with the employer, to say 1 month?

Contractors don't have notice periods: it can be argued that they are a bad idea for a contractor anyway. You're there to deliver something but you're also there as a resource to be dumped as soon as you're no longer needed. A lot of contracts don't allow the contractor to give notice anyway.

The one thing you have to do is lose the ideas behind permanent employment. None of them apply: no help, no HR support, no paid time off, no loyalty, no training and no career progression. You can safely bet on not working more than seven months a year on average - which is five months with no income. You are in competition with very good people who have been doing your job for years and are a proven asset. Be very clear about what that means to both you and whatever family you have.

[css_jay99]

it seems you are all discouraging him from going contracting!

It is always going to be a leap of faith going from perm to contracting after all most of us have bills to pay.

And for most it is always about money (well at least for all the contractors that I know) ...... though after a while that changes

You just have to man/woman up to your decisions

No risk No reward

[SueEllen]

it seems you are all discouraging him from going contracting!

Yes because people need to be realistic.

There has been an attack both purposely and unpurposely by different Chancellors on contractors.

It is always going to be a leap of faith going from perm to contracting after all most of us have bills to pay.

Lots of contractors I know started either when they were made redundant or when they didn't have kids and a mortgage.

And for most it is always about money (well at least for all the contractors that I know) ...... though after a while that changes

You just have to man/woman up to your decisions

No risk No reward

Yep but people need to be aware of the risks and also need to understand when companies are taking the p*ss.

[ShandyDrinker]

it seems you are all discouraging him from going contracting!

It is always going to be a leap of faith going from perm to contracting after all most of us have bills to pay.

And for most it is always about money (well at least for all the contractors that I know) ...... though after a while that changes

You just have to man/woman up to your decisions

No risk No reward

I wouldn't view it as discouraging from going contracting, it's about having your eyes wide open to the potential risks that go with the headline figure.

Fundamentally I agree with the no risk no reward comment and is one of the reasons I went contracting in the first place. However, with the rhetoric over recent years and attacks on the contracting sector (just look at IR35 in the Public Sector) means that the risk/reward ratio now needs to be reconsidered.

Given the recent NI budget debacle the government will be looking for other source of tax and our sector is an easy one to attempt to milk.

Only the OP can make the decision to go contracting but for the figures being suggested I think you'd be nuts to chop in a permanent role for the offer on the table. Contracting is only going to get harder for those of us left in the sector as it is now until the perceived advantage we are getting has been well and truly neutralised. I for one am expecting yet another attack in the Autumn budget which will make our lives just that bit more difficult.

[skysies]

When I think about it more, it's not financial reasons only. Contracting will give me the flexibility to change projects, clients, etc. With my current perm job, once I go past the 6 month probation period, I'll be then bound by a 3 month notice period. This is what actually bothers me most. It's like closing my door to contracting forever.

The notice period..is it someting I can renegotiate with the employer, to say 1 month?

Read this before going for contracting. It seems IT contracting will be affected sooner than most of us anticipated. June-17 can be the D-Day. I don't trust these *diots telling me that "no deal is better than a bad deal". So expect the worst from them when the reality of Brexit starts biting on the gvt finances.

Theresa May to Abolish Contracting Profession in June

[malvolio]

Read this before going for contracting. It seems IT contracting will be affected sooner than most of us anticipated. June-17 can be the D-Day. I don't trust these *diots telling me that "no deal is better than a bad deal". So expect the worst from them when the reality of Brexit starts biting on the gvt finances.

Theresa May to Abolish Contracting Profession in June

More Mc Laugh In nonsense. Ignore him and his clickbait site. The r real situation is way more complicated but does not include killing off contracting.

[SueEllen]

More Mc Laugh In nonsense. Ignore him and his clickbait site. The r real situation is way more complicated but does not include killing off contracting.

He's stared two other threads on it. Interesting...