Some advice please...

[Bruvva]

Hi All,

First time poster so please be kind!

I am coming to the end of my first contract after eight months. I'd previously only ever worked permie.

I've done well on the contract and they want me to stay permie and are looking to offer a 50k+ package. The dilemma I have is to plough on with the path I started down when I previously left permie after setting up my Ltd company or with the current climate, accept the offer and dip back in to permie.

By the time I leave in early July I will have saved just over 4 months worth of income in the business account so I can afford to be out of work for a bit. However I want to get a feel for demand for someone with my skillset. My skills are quite spread as I have a mixed background as a Cisco network engineer and then mainly Windows 2000/2003, IIS etc.

I'm based in Bedfordshire, so London, Herts, Beds, Bucks etc are the areas where I'd be looking.

What do you guys think?

Cheers in advance

Steve

[Wilmslow]

Hi All,

First time poster so please be kind!

I am coming to the end of my first contract after eight months. I'd previously only ever worked permie.

I've done well on the contract and they want me to stay permie and are looking to offer a 50k+ package. The dilemma I have is to plough on with the path I started down when I previously left permie after setting up my Ltd company or with the current climate, accept the offer and dip back in to permie.

By the time I leave in early July I will have saved just over 4 months worth of income in the business account so I can afford to be out of work for a bit. However I want to get a feel for demand for someone with my skillset. My skills are quite spread as I have a mixed background as a Cisco network engineer and then mainly Windows 2000/2003, IIS etc.

I'm based in Bedfordshire, so London, Herts, Beds, Bucks etc are the areas where I'd be looking.

What do you guys think?

Cheers in advance

Steve

I was offered similar deal after 8 months contracting.

Current climate, plus, seeing through the one 'client' longer term won me over.

I am looking at it as a very long slightly lower paid contract, which should put me in good stead for when I am contracting again in a couple of years or so.

I am getting great training (HP course fest) and lots of responsibility, hence happy financially, and in terms of the work I am doing.

Think carefully about all options before deciding.

[BrilloPad]

I was offered similar deal after 8 months contracting.

Current climate, plus, seeing through the one 'client' longer term won me over.

I am looking at it as a very long slightly lower paid contract, which should put me in good stead for when I am contracting again in a couple of years or so.

I am getting great training (HP course fest) and lots of responsibility, hence happy financially, and in terms of the work I am doing.

Think carefully about all options before deciding.

I was offered similar deal after 8 months contracting.

Company polyester tie won me over.

I am looking at it as a very much lower paid job, which should put me in the loony bin in a couple of years or so.

I am getting really bored and lots of wee on my shoes.

Think carefully about all options before deciding to end up like me.

[SueEllen]

What do you guys think?

It's cheaper to hire you as a permie than a contractor.

If you can go pretty much anywhere then you need to question why you became a contractor rather than stay a permie.

[AZZIK]

I was offered similar deal after 8 months contracting.

Company polyester tie won me over.

I am looking at it as a very much lower paid job, which should put me in the loony bin in a couple of years or so.

I am getting really bored and lots of wee on my shoes.

Think carefully about all options before deciding to end up like me.

Excellent!

[MrMark]

Why not tell your company you're going to take a 2-3 week holiday. Ask them to keep the offer open for that time...
In the meantime apply for contracts that offer you the financial advantage you're seeking. You can then judge on whether anyone is biting, whether you'd be able to land a lucrative contract or not. If your opinion is not, then snap the permie offer up. You can always go back to contracting a year or 2 later if you get sick of permiedom.

[Bruvva]

Thanks everybody for the feedback... even Brillo Pad's!

I certainly would only see dipping back in to permie work as a short(ish) term measure. I think my days of sitting with the same employer for 10+ years which I've done in the past are well behind me.

It doesn't help that there seems to be such conflicting signals coming out of the market - depending on what site you read. Some indicate it's all on the verge of going tits up with companies offloading contractors. Others say that contractors are more in demand, while companies look to apply short term measures for resource while they see what happens with the economic climate.

[Wilmslow]

Why not tell your company you're going to take a 2-3 week holiday. Ask them to keep the offer open for that time...
In the meantime apply for contracts that offer you the financial advantage you're seeking. You can then judge on whether anyone is biting, whether you'd be able to land a lucrative contract or not. If your opinion is not, then snap the permie offer up. You can always go back to contracting a year or 2 later if you get sick of permiedom.

Pretty much my game plan to be honest - and my boss knows it!

[NickFitz]

Pretty much my game plan to be honest - and my boss knows it!

slavemaster

[Andy2]

It doesn't help that there seems to be such conflicting signals coming out of the market - depending on what site you read. Some indicate it's all on the verge of going tits up with companies offloading contractors. Others say that contractors are more in demand, while companies look to apply short term measures for resource while they see what happens with the economic climate.

I agree with you .I am getting loads of call but it seems companies are adopting a wait and watch policy in terms of hiring.