Originally posted by Let-Me-In
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Well we are on two major PSLs and if do not perform day in day out we would be dropped on a months notice with no hesitation and have all our contractors taken from us.Let us not forget EU open doors immigration benefits IT contractors more than anyone -
Originally posted by DodgyAgent
How is a client to know that you had 5 excellent CV's but only put the 3 that asked for the lowest rate through?Comment
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He doesnt, but if there are four agencies on the PSL then the chances are that at between the other agents the other 5 will get put forward. I do not understand quite where you are coming from on this. Not even the most stupid of agents would put someone forward who has neither the skills nor the experience just because they could make more margin, unless they are a sole supplier.Originally posted by Let-Me-In
If there are four competing agencies who advertise the job on jobserve their priority is going to be to get the best CVs first and submitted before the others get hold of them. If an agency ignores the best CVs and sends the cheapest/worst then they wont be placing anyone will they?Let us not forget EU open doors immigration benefits IT contractors more than anyoneComment
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i reckon CAD contract work is your best choice, looking at jobserve you shoul dbe able to get 25 per hourComment
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Gentlemen,
Thankyou so much for your responses, though I must admit that some gave me the impression that this forum is full of nothing but ego & arrogance....Though, thankfully, having read all of them I can see that is not true (and by the way I'm not 'very young' - thankyou!!!).
If I had not made myself clear to begin with then allow me to now; I simply want to change career. Yes, mech eng & I have enjoyed one anothers company but its time to move on, I have gleaned as much as I feel I can from this industry. Whilst I have some impressive names on my CV I feel an urge to continue through my life and not get stuck in the same thing.
As I have said before, my intention is to move into something else and IT has caught my eye, of course I am never going to catch up with the 'experts' on here but I just want one sniff of a lead and I will chase it....
I guess my question, to those that might offer me help, as opposed to shooting me down, is what am I best to do to get in on it??? Excuse me but I dont mean 11k per annum help desk jobs. I am willing to self fund courses etc as long as what I get has real cost/benefit. Not 'have you tried resetting it'....
Anyway, for the ego-typical thankyou very much, your input is both appreciated and valued. For the others, well you just revel in your self-perceived glory....Well done you!
MattComment
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What you find with the responses on here, however unhelpful they are, are the same as you will find in the real world.Originally posted by Matchoo
"IT" is an industry that is constantly changing and qualifications are not valued. Unlike other "professions" that you can learn and get qualifications in, "IT" is one where the only thing that will get you a job is experience of doing the same thing before somewhere else.
The only way in is to look for something permanent where they will accept you with vaguely similar qualities and pay to train you up. Now I am typing this I cannot remember from your first post whether you would look at permanent or were looking to contract from day 1.
Experience is everything. The people that get you the contracts (agents) will not touch you unless your CV shows that you have done the same thing elsewhere. Nowhere is this more evident than when they post job adverts asking for "a minumum of four years experience" in a technology, or in my case financial regulations, that has only just been introduced.
How we laugh.
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I agree 100%. Qualifications mean absolutely nothing in the technical IT contractor market - management is a bit different with things like Prince 2 or ITIL certifications but that will be on top of experience.Originally posted by Gonzo
The ONLY way into a technical IT contract role is by doing it as a permie for at least 3 years, preferably up to 5.
So the question is, what do you want to do in IT? If it's system administration, then Board Game Geek's suggestion is about right - you'll probably need to go the helpdesk route.
If it's development, then you'll probably want to do a programming course at your local collage and then get yourself a permie junior development position. This will pay somewhere between £17 and £20k. Then work your way up to senior developer which will take you 3 to 5 years most likely and get your up to around £30k in salary. Once you reach senior level you are probably ready to try your hand at contracting.Comment
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Since this isn't helpful, I didn't butt in with it right at the start, but:Originally posted by MatchooHi Folks,
This is my first day on this forum and my first thread - so a general hello to start with
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I have trawled through the Search feature but not found a suitable answer so here goes....
Basically, I am a chartered mechanical engineer contractor, currently working in Aerospace, who is starting to feel the wanderlust and is tempted by the IT contracting game. How do I get in on it???
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Matt
Why do you want to get into IT? Any specific reason?
If it is just that you reckon you could do it well and it would pay well, you might be a little out of date on the state of the market. It does pay some of us well, but these days that is mostly those of us with skills that happen to be in demand (and they can go out of demand rather quickly), and lots of experience oin these skills. The days of a little bit of knowledge and a lot of daily rate are long gone.God made men. Sam Colt made them equal.Comment
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A lot of the higher paid jobs in IT have a high entry barrier based on experience in specific areas or technologies. Therefore, as said before, you need to be willing to start at the bottom and think carefully about which area to go into. Whatever is currently 'in' may not be in demand by the time you've enough experience or even worse it may be outsourced.
HTHComment
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It's no doubt been said before here (I can't be bothered to read the whole thread!) - determine exactly what you want to do in IT, and then find a permie role that will help get experience.
Tailor your CV as much as you can to what you want to do - e.g. if you want to be a project manager, then highlight areas where you have led from the front, etc. When you get an interview, stress that you have the aptitude, although not necessarily the technical knowledge - I always argued that I could teach someone PL/SQL if they had technical aptitude; I could not teach someone to be a good consultant.
Best of luck, whatever you decide to do.Comment
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