Permie Pressure.....

[Wilmslow]

In summary, client pretty much saying, either go permie or we will get a perm replacement. Fair enough. I may get one last 3 month extension if I am lucky.

Client 55 miles away.

Offering a very good perm salary (£45K) which I think is a good perm rate for my skill set.

With the doom and gloom in the financial forecast, and given that they are allowing me to worh 7-3 to miss out the motorway trouble and therefore a one hour commute each way, I am tempted.

Someone talk sense into me and stop me from turning to the dark side... Or, convince me I am right!!

[ferret]

What are your skills? What does a quick search of contracts on the usual sites throw up for jobs in your area? Hour commute sounds like a bitch to me but depends on where you live I guess.

Chuck your CV on the main job boards now and see what turns up. Ask the client for a few days to "consider the proposal" while you see what bites you get from agents.

In times of financial turmoil permie jobs are as quickly shelved as contractor roles. You would be last in and most likely first out should anything happen at this place...

There is a skill shortage in the UK still so while the client says, bend over for us or we will get a permie in, the reality may not be as simple. Costs for recruitment agencies etc, time to hire, newbie to work out notice at old place more than likely. The three months you expect could easily be six! Or, on the flipside, you could be out in a couple.

My first move would be see what interest is out there and take it from there.

[Ardesco]

After Tax/NI/etc you will probably be bringing in under £2000 a month. I don't know what you are earning right now, but i'm betting you could probably earn that sort of money in 1.5-2 weeks right now.

Will that cover your mortgage/rent/bills and leave money over for gadgets/beer/food/etc?

[GCR99]

After Tax/NI/etc you will probably be bringing in under £2000 a month.

it's £2685.43 after tax\NI if you're on 522 tax code

[ChimpMaster]

£45k is still a reasonably good salary, and that would be his basic so he'd get holidays, sick pay, pension etc.

The market is looking like it will weaken over the next few years so going permie isn't a bad option. Ferret is right though in saying that permie jobs can also be made redundant in hard times. A permie job in a safe sector/company would be your best bet if you want to go down that route.

I would recommend looking around before you take this job. Find out what else the market has to offer, including permie jobs. Wouldn't you rather have a local job paying a bit less, rather than travel so much (and spend loads on petrol)?

Good luck.

[VectraMan]

Permie aint so permenant. It'll be a long while before you get any kind of security (i.e. redundancy); up to then they'll be able to get rid of you at any time. You might be more secure with a 6 month contract.

What's better: 6 months of work at £4K per month then unemployment, or 6 months of work at £2K per month then unemployment?

[SueEllen]

If you take a permie job they can get rid of you with ease with under a year of service.

And don't forget the politics, HR assessments to tell you how you can "improve" and them trying to force unpaid overtime on you especially if the headcount reduces.

I don't know what sector you are in or where you live but after I got this contract I've have been phoned up and emailed constantly by agents. In fact while there was a slight lull in late November, December seemed like a boom month to annoy me.

[backgetyou]

Permie aint so permenant. It'll be a long while before you get any kind of security (i.e. redundancy); up to then they'll be able to get rid of you at any time. You might be more secure with a 6 month contract.

What's better: 6 months of work at £4K per month then unemployment, or 6 months of work at £2K per month then unemployment?

This point is correct and also applied to contractors if you earn more you can work less, if you hold out on rate you will ususally get what you want from someone.

However, I think you have made up your mind or else you would not ask the question. If you can afford it then why not go permie? 45k is a good basic to start from, working 7-3 is good for the summer. The tax situation is the downer but being free of the hassle is a plus. Its all down to your circumstances, as a permie you might get time off for courses, gain new skills develop your CV. I would also add that I do not see things bleak mid-term for contractors quite the opposite but if I had a mortgage or debts and was unsure and like the security of perm, and I really enjoyed the job I would take it.

[moorfield]

If they can throw in any training as part of the package that can extend your CV in future it might be worth going for. I did a brief perm role in the grim days of 2001-02 and managed to come out of it 9 months later with all Sun certification and some MCSD modules. Oh and some discounted shares too.

But for me personally the deciding factor would be whether the client makes you do those carppy objective setting / appraisals / school report things, which as we all know readers are utter tosh and just designed to give your boss an excuse not to give you a bonus at the end of the year.

[Ardesco]

Also worth getting any training written into your contract (e.g. Wilmslow will get a £2000 training budget every year) to make sure that they don't promise you the world, then convenianty run out of cash for training when you start.