Job dilemma

[Antthe]

posted in the wrong topic so reposting here. Sorry!

A consensus would be very welcome (without sarcasm please 😃 - I know you can be brutal on here). For context I’m late 50s with a mix of kids from 7-19.

wwyd?

currently a year into a contract. Well paid for here (inside but a decent rate). Had a period out of work last year which was not fun for many reasons but mainly lots of kids/large mortgage/tumbleweed market/unsuccessful perm interviews that were demoralising. Bored and underutilised but it’s fully remote so lots of time to spend with family. Very slow pipeline but talk of it picking up - contract up in dec - uncertain on extension. Big bank. Skills dwindling and stagnating in old tech - not learning much. Worried about the future of contracting (work in QA/testing)

just successfully interviewed for a similar perm role in a growing well known company based in my city. Hybrid, decent perks but pretty depressing perm salary (think 300 quid less a week take-home and nearly 30k a year less available for my pension). Glassdoor says it’s a great place to work and reports very happy employees. Would like job security and training opportunities.

any thoughts gratefully received.

[TheDude]

posted in the wrong topic so reposting here. Sorry!

A consensus would be very welcome (without sarcasm please 😃 - I know you can be brutal on here). For context I’m late 50s with a mix of kids from 7-19.

wwyd?

currently a year into a contract. Well paid for here (inside but a decent rate). Had a period out of work last year which was not fun for many reasons but mainly lots of kids/large mortgage/tumbleweed market/unsuccessful perm interviews that were demoralising. Bored and underutilised but it’s fully remote so lots of time to spend with family. Very slow pipeline but talk of it picking up - contract up in dec - uncertain on extension. Big bank. Skills dwindling and stagnating in old tech - not learning much. Worried about the future of contracting (work in QA/testing)

just successfully interviewed for a similar perm role in a growing well known company based in my city. Hybrid, decent perks but pretty depressing perm salary (think 300 quid less a week take-home and nearly 30k a year less available for my pension). Glassdoor says it’s a great place to work and reports very happy employees. Would like job security and training opportunities.

any thoughts gratefully received.

If that was me I would take the local perm gig. Not sure what your day rate is but you could easily find next time you are looking for a gig you have to take a similar cut.

I have worked for big banks for 15 years and contract roles are disappearing rapidly.

Anyone who has worked for big banks also knows that 40+ guys on decent salaries are the first people to be shown the door when there is a headcount reduction.

[DodgyAccountant]

For context I’m late 50s...

I would take it.
Decent perm positions for over 50s ex contractors are thin on the ground.

I'm >60 and took a perm job 2 years ago after >20 years contracting.
Wasn't sure it was the right thing but it definitely was.

[Antthe]

Update - I took the perm role. Thanks v much for your advice. The loss of ££ is a bitter pill but it seemed like the sensible thing to do in this market.

[SussexSeagull]

Update - I took the perm role. Thanks v much for your advice. The loss of ££ is a bitter pill but it seemed like the sensible thing to do in this market.

Probably the best move. A gentle exit from conrtracting is something a lot of us would like at the moment.

[NotAllThere]

Update - I took the perm role. Thanks v much for your advice. The loss of ££ is a bitter pill but it seemed like the sensible thing to do in this market.

When I went perm, I was 51. It is with a company where I've know the directors and shareholder for years, and two of them are personal friends. However, to join meant a 50% decrease in my income. Sounds bad - but the fact was, my long contract had ended and the chances are I'd have had a large pay decrease anyway. Given current rates, I'd probably only have an income 10% more than now? But with all the uncertainty of finding new contracts. With this job I'll be able to stays - so long as my mind and fingers are nimble - to beyond retirement. They're perfectly amenable to this.

Five years after I joined, I've no regrets.

[sadkingbilly]

When I went perm, I was 51. It is with a company where I've know the directors and shareholder for years, and two of them are personal friends. However, to join meant a 50% decrease in my income. Sounds bad - but the fact was, my long contract had ended and the chances are I'd have had a large pay decrease anyway. Given current rates, I'd probably only have an income 10% more than now? But with all the uncertainty of finding new contracts. With this job I'll be able to stays - so long as my mind and fingers are nimble - to beyond retirement. They're perfectly amenable to this.

Five years after I joined, I've no regrets.

you were always perm, anyway. 20 years in the same contract is the swiss way.

[NotAllThere]

you were always perm, anyway. 20 years in the same contract is the swiss way.

During the 17 years I contracted in Switzerland, I had multiple contracts, often running in parallel, with different companies. The longest of those was 15 years. It was my sole contract just for the last two years, ending in 2020; even then it was 50%.

Prior to that, I contracted in the UK between 1995 and 2000 for various organisations, with a 1 year dip into permiedom to gain SAP skills.

So no. I've not always been perm. But hey, don't let little things like facts get in the way of prejudices.

[sadkingbilly]

During the 17 years I contracted in Switzerland, I had multiple contracts, often running in parallel, with different companies. The longest of those was 15 years. It was my sole contract just for the last two years, ending in 2020; even then it was 50%.

Prior to that, I contracted in the UK between 1995 and 2000 for various organisations, with a 1 year dip into permiedom to gain SAP skills.

So no. I've not always been perm. But hey, don't let little things like facts get in the way of prejudices.

1995? - started late, then

[Dorkeaux]

1995? - started late, then

There's good reasons why I dropped my old-assed mainframe and other antiquated experiences from my CV.
They just aren't very relevant any more.

Getting into memory contests with other old crusties can be fun, but if you haven't been keeping up with current technologies and patterns you are becoming less useful as you age, not more.

Some of the youngsters I work with might be smarter than me, unlikely as that sounds.