Advice for a noob

[ladymuck]

I've heard this; what makes getting the second gig hard?

It can be a number of things. If the first one was short, that can be viewed as a red flag by some agents. The gig may end at a natural down period for recruitment (summer and just before Christmas tend to see slumps in demand). Depending on how you've written your CV there could be a perceived risk that you're only contracting as a stop-gap before taking the next perm role. There's a lack of delivery experience to evidence because all you've got is perm and one client.

It took me two months to get my second gig when I first started out - summer holidays being the culprit. Then I had a series of short gigs (3 and 6 months) for entirely legit reasons before getting into the swing of it and getting longer term projects of a year or more. It took about 5-6 years for me to build a network that meant I needed to rely less on 'hunting' and became more 'hunted'.

[jamesbrown]

Mate...... This is the kind of low resolution thinking you get when you've lived the same year of your life over and over again. I was in Singapore trying to sell professional services to an energy company and I saw Indian labourers laying bricks in the boiling heat.. they looked far more stressed than any of the academics that lecture my kids.

"Mate", this is the kind of low resolution thinking that is common among low rent thinkers who haven't experienced something they are opining about. In other news, being on death row is also not analogous to UK professional services contracting.

[ConsultingTechArchitect]

That's hardly a fair comparison. Not even the same type of stress.

So what is a fair comparison? He's claiming it's literally the most stressful job you can have right now. If that's not wildly out of touch then I don't know what is.

[jamesbrown]

So what is a fair comparison? He's claiming it's literally the most stressful job you can have right now. If that's not wildly out of touch then I don't know what is.

This is a thread about UK professional services contracting, not your package holidays to Singapore and "poverty I have seen".

[hugebrain]

Not really. You need to learn and understand before you start. Being a contractor isn't about doing the work. Anyone can do that, even the permies. As a contractor your job is running your business, understanding it's accountand and managing it properly. If you see it as just a luctative way to do what you already do then you are a disguised permie not a contractor. If you don't know it before you start then you should consider using an umbrellla for the first 6 months while you get to grips with it.

You just hire an accountant to do the paperwork. Don’t stress about it or use an umbrella voluntarily.

Glance through a book or online tutorial before the interview. If you get the contract then consider reading the book properly.

It doesn’t matter much if you are any good or not since you will often only be in a place for six months or a year.

Good luck!

[ConsultingTechArchitect]

This is a thread about UK professional services contracting, not your package holidays to Singapore and "poverty I have seen".

Two things that aren't true:

1. Being an academic in the UK is the MOST STRESSFUL job
2. Me going on a package holiday

[jamesbrown]

Two things that aren't true:

1. Being an academic in the UK is the MOST STRESSFUL job
2. Me going on a package holiday

3. That you understood the topic of this thread
4. That you have any relevant experience of being an academic in the UK

But feel free to offer the OP some actual advice on the basis of experience you do have, this being a professional forum 'n all.

[mogga71]

You just hire an accountant to do the paperwork. Don’t stress about it or use an umbrella voluntarily.

Glance through a book or online tutorial before the interview. If you get the contract then consider reading the book properly.

It doesn’t matter much if you are any good or not since you will often only be in a place for six months or a year.

Good luck!

Good luck with that one mate. Be careful who you choose. I am not joking when I say that you could sign with an online accountant and blissfully just use its core services paying a monthly fee .... only for the accountant to change its services .... maybe not even related to what you are using .... and in 4 years time you be handed a massive tax bill because you made the unfortunate decision to use that accountant. This is happening right now.

[eek]

Good luck with that one mate. Be careful who you choose. I am not joking when I say that you could sign with an online accountant and blissfully just use its core services paying a monthly fee .... only for the accountant to change its services .... maybe not even related to what you are using .... and in 4 years time you be handed a massive tax bill because you made the unfortunate decision to use that accountant. This is happening right now.

Whilst true it doesn't help. So here is some slightly easier advice for when you've got your first contract

1) Set up your limited company - straight forward
2) Open a Natwest / Mettle bank account for that company
3) because you bank with Natwest / Mettle Freeagent is free
4) find an accountant that will for a fixed fee (definitely not monthly) provide the advice you need and check VAT submissions and do your end of year returns.

[Lance]

Whilst true it doesn't help. So here is some slightly easier advice for when you've got your first contract

1) Set up your limited company - straight forward
2) Open a Natwest / Mettle bank account for that company
3) because you bank with Natwest / Mettle Freeagent is free
4) find an accountant that will for a fixed fee (definitely not monthly) provide the advice you need and check VAT submissions and do your end of year returns.

if you've changed accountant at some point I would think that also reinforces your position as not being part of an MSC. Just a thought..