Current UK contract market?

[expat]

Do you still need the money at 51?

I would have thought it would make more sense to do something you enjoy as you near retirement (lets face it, who wants to work in the traditional sense in your fifties).

If the answer to the first question is Yes, that sort of covers the second paragraph too....

Expat, in "55, bank balance negative, no house, no pension, and don't tell me I shouldn't be in that position in the first place because I can only change the future" mode.

[DodgyAgent]

Hi,

I left contracting in 2000, just as IR35 arrived and Jobserve was the "great new thing".

I have just joined this forum and so I am very out-of-touch.

I have been a dreaded permie since (senior techie & very well paid, thank goodness).

My skillset is mainly real-time embedded especially in high security areas such as encryption, anti-hacker systems, bank currency machines etc.

My security clearance was foreign and lapsed several years ago.

The bummer is my age ... 51 ... and the fact that my permie job has been mainly high-level design for the last 3 years ... little hands-on ... mainly CEO/CTO level design/marketing/approvals meetings etc.

So ... is there still a vibrant UK contracting market?

Or has most of it gone to Bangalore?

And how about ageism?

Is it even vaguely worthwhile about thinking of returning to contracting?

Any feedback most appreciated!

Thanks!

You are better off going for interim management. The skills you have require your dedication and motivation rather than anything else, and these things comes from within you. There is no room for a CEO or even a CTO unless they breathe, sleep, and die for the business. No fool is going to pay you £100,000 to mind the chickens. If you are 51 and have not achieved success in the areas that you are involved in you are unlikely to do so now.
So go for interim where you can maybe use your admin skills combined with some industry knowledge. Contractors who have tried and tested hands on skills will always have work provided they dont come out with the (and I know plenty of idiots who have said this) "there is nothing I have to learn about this" bulls***.

[christhedon]

To me the skills you mention I would have thought would be applicable to any large orgnisation that has a large IT infrastructure.

If I were in your position I might take the following approach

1) Look at what industries are particularly interested in those skills at the moment and will pay whatever you want to earn.
2) If you don't know the above then send you CV out to agents specifying in no uncertain terms what you are looking for.
3) See what the agents come back with - That will get you a reasonable feel for the pay and demand for your skills...
4) Secure interviews and go to find out more.
5) Constantly try to get feedback on the above

I've heard of people from security consultancy in the banking industry with maybe 5-6 years exp getting around the same as your perm salary in a contract. I feel sure there will be people earning more and less than that...

Whats your motivation for going back into contracting?

Sorry I can't be of any more help...

Cheers,

Chris