Finding contracts without agencies

[quackhandle]

I didn't get my first direct gig until after 10 years of contracting. Much of it takes time and the right contacts, some of it is blind luck, as I had gained one gig through a v small rec agency however before the start they announcing they were moving on, so I was direct with the client.

I am direct now, but again I got it through a guy I'd worked with and his mate from way back wanted someone in my field.

I do prefer going direct however it isn't always a party when getting paid as you are just another creditor who is way down the list. Saying that the (now deceased) owner of current gig actually had a policy of paying the little guy first as he remembered what it was like when he first started up and how hard it is for smaller companies for cash flow.

TL;DR. Time and luck. Lots of both.

qh

[TheDude]

Hi everyone.

Been a software contractor for a couple of years now, always finding work through recruitment agencies.

Since my ideal clients are larger companies, how would I go about reaching out directly on LinkedIn looking for work?
What's the best function inside the company to contact?

I'm guessing it's harder to get a call with a decision maker that doesn't know you, as agencies have established relationships etc.
Would applying for a perm role that they directly advertise and take the conversation from there bear fruit?

Any tips, stories greatly appreciated.

Forget it. Large firms don't want to deal with hundreds of one man bands.

[DrewG]

On average, I get 2 direct contracts per year. After implementation, I have kept all of them on retainer (currently 5) which I serve using offshore resources (never India) and sometimes my own involvement.

1. You're on the wrong forum for the work you want to do; the people here are stuck in their..... dying ways.
2. It will be tough to target large clients that want to put all contractors through an agent, although this can be done if they want you badly enough for something very specific (unlikely that you have that sort of profile).

There are lots of ways to 'go to market' and it's hard to give advice because I don't know you.

Things that worked for me:

1. Being super niche in a lucrative area, I spent years doing this work at a tier 2 management consultancy then a big 4 firm first though.
2. Getting very close to the account execs at an ERP vendor, they invite me to their networking events and often push clients to me where I have expertise beyond their partner network (and I'm cheaper than Bain et al but with the same pedigree).
3. Going deep on an industry vertical, you can't just be a Java guy, you need to be a Java guy that knows listed derivatives like the back of your hand or consumer goods demand forecasting (pick any lucrative niche).
4. Wrote a book with a respected publisher in my niche area.
5. Reading periodicals and other material in your vertical area.
6. Speaking at industry events.
7. Reading about problems (in industry periodicals) then putting together a pitch deck (yes PowerPoint despite the hate) with a solution to the problems you read about.

In summary, you're looking to build the same skillet as a consulting firm partner, you need to be high profile in your specific line of work. Read this: The Go-To Expert: How to Grow Your Reputation, Differentiate Yourself From the Competition and Win New Business: Amazon.co.uk: Townsend, Heather: 9781292014913: Books

You're about to read replies to this post from people who have never done what you want to do, calling me an idiot. I'm swimming against the tide so it's not uncommon.

[northernladuk]

You're about to read replies to this post from people who have never done what you want to do, calling me an idiot. I'm swimming against the tide so it's not uncommon.

When everyone around you is an idiot......

[DrewG]

When everyone around you is an idiot......

Anything beyond a tulip public sector inside role is considered crazy around here.

If you want advice on how to be a grizzled and grumpy staff aug contractor in a dying industry, the man above is the one to watch.

[northernladuk]

Anything beyond a tulip public sector inside role is considered crazy around here.

If you want advice on how to be a grizzled and grumpy staff aug contractor in a dying industry, the man above is the one to watch.

You say you are niche. 99% of people in contracting are not niche. You can see why your advice is no good in those cases?

[DrewG]

You say you are niche. 99% of people in contracting are not niche. You can see why your advice is no good in those cases?

Useless comment, doesn't help the OP, doesn't inform me of anything I didn't already know.

This guy is probably a generic Java (no pun intended) dev, I've pointed at what he could do to elevate his game, it's up to him if he wants to do it or not.

[KinooOrKinog]

Wrote a book with a respected publisher in my niche area.

I'm assuming you're not one of the authors of the book you linked. What's the name of your book?

[vwdan]

You say you are niche. 99% of people in contracting are not niche. You can see why your advice is no good in those cases?

Even niche it's absolute bollocks - I'm very niche and fortunate enough that I haven't really had to look for work for years (Except COVID which was a bad time), but I still end up in the agency model 99.9% of the time. The closest I get to "Direct" is direct with consultancies but aside from one foreign consultancy, even that has usually come off the back of being there via agency initially and then going back direct.

My current gig is very as-described earlier in the thread - senior guy in a bank wanted me, so instructed an agency to take me on. They get a cut, but it's the only way I'm going to turn up as 1 man to an org with 50,000 people.

Oh, I did once go in direct to an aerospace/defence firm. It was a total hassle, took forever, required insane amounts of paperwork and frankly I wish I'd just let an agency take a cut. Fun to say I'm on the PSL for such a firm, though

Lets face it, even if DrewG was telling the truth, and not just LARPing his pathetic little fantasy, he'd more than understand how unique his situation is and why it doesn't apply to most people and would temper his advice accordingly. But of course, it's far more important to pretend to pretend to exist on a special plane of existence than to be helpful.

Oh Drew, just for context

"I spent years doing this work at a tier 2 management consultancy then a big 4 firm first though."

I'm the guy the Big 4 come to when they need help (Well okay, it happened once but I couldn't resist.)

[northernladuk]

"I spent years doing this work at a tier 2 management consultancy then a big 4 firm first though."

I'm the guy the Big 4 come to when they need help (Well okay, it happened once but I couldn't resist.)

Did they tell you not to put their name on your CV presentations?