Skills in Demand

[Sundance]

What are the perceived 'Top 5' skills/roles to have as a contractor and which pay the best rates?

My reasons for asking this are that I'm considering the re-training of myself in another area of expertise. Currently I'm a Project Manager, but have also been a Quality Manager on many contracts in the past.

Thoughts anyone??

[FarmerPalmer]

http://www.jobstats.co.uk/

and

http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/

[scooterscot]

Yeah don't work in IT the rates suck...

[Sundance]

Yeah don't work in IT the rates suck...

And the alternative(s) to this would be....?

[Muttley08]

Learn soccer skills...very good rates...

Gazza had a video out a few years ago - suggest you watch it every day for about a week and try the market...

[ChimpMaster]

Actually it appears that gun crime would be the way to go. It's on the rise in the UK and the police aren't really interested in controlling it - so you have a number of good opportunities in the sector. Perhaps consider becoming a VAR for one of the regional gun peddlers, or take up training in how to operate the machinery yourself.

[richard-af]

Juggling and making balloon animals. Perennial crowd pleasers.

[Meerkat]

If your not wanting to go techie then Service Delivery (itil stuff) seems to be in demand - at least mates of mine who are SDM's are getting a lot of calls.

[_V_]

What are the perceived 'Top 5' skills/roles to have as a contractor and which pay the best rates?

My reasons for asking this are that I'm considering the re-training of myself in another area of expertise. Currently I'm a Project Manager, but have also been a Quality Manager on many contracts in the past.

Thoughts anyone??

Top 5 skills to have

Superb communication skills
Ability to get on with everyone from the office cleaner to the MD/CEO
Ability to bulltulip convincingly under pressure
Ability to market yourself and get constant rate rises and exensions
Ability to make the complex simple and the simple appear complex
Capable of counting to 5