Q on portfolio's

[CptnJohnson]

Need some advice peeps,

I'm currently working my notice period in preperation for entering the contracting market, and cutting a long story very short, my soon to be ex-employee is interested in thowing some work my way. fair enough, but they want me to submit a portfolio of services and they'll then kinda pick and choose I guess. is this normal? What does this type of portfolio look like?

I know it seems strange, but I was just kinda expecting to hang around the jobsites firing off custom CVs and having phone interviews. I suppose they are expecting me to operate more like a normal bricks and motar business, but I don't really want to turn away what could be a very lucrative arrangement (given my knowledge of their upcoming work loads).

Regarding IR35, I'm training a replacement at the moment, so any work will be above and beyond the permies job role.

Thanks guys (and gals)

[Dante]

What type of work do you do?

A portfolio is obviously normal in any type of creative design role, but a bit odd that a current employer is asking to see it? Surely they know what you're about?

[Sockpuppet]

Surely if they know you they know what you are capable of? I mean do they not know what your skill set it.

Unless the client is massive and you go to another office/division I would be very wary of going back mon-fri as a contractor as its looks dodge as feck imho.

Better take an interim contract in the mean time.

[CptnJohnson]

It is very strange and they do know my skillset and the value of any work I can do for them.

I'm also concerned about leaving and going straight back, but it would be different projects than what I'm usually involved in, and, I'm also nervous about the contractor market in January. It wasn't supposed to take this long, but ther're a small company and I can't, in good consious, leave them floundering. Obviously before we agree anything I'll get some contract laywers to look at the papers and if it's inside IR35 well, up goes the rate! It just seems easy money to walk away from TBH and this way I get to 'propose' what work I do for them. Hello IT security!!

I'll do pretty much anything to do with Networks. I try to stay away from project management stuff as that's not that interesting for me. MS, Unix, it's all the same to me, and if it pays and is interesting to me, I'll probably do it.

Anyway, thanks for the words. It nice to hear what other more experienced (jaded?!?) people think