Conversion to perm?

[Sockpuppet]

Current ClientCo picked me up as they wanted the Programme built from indy contractors as they'ed been burnt using big consultancies - twice...

Do they expect you go grow long hair and travel to work on a skateboard?

[HermanDune]

I turned permie in June.

I was enjoying the job that I was doing and could only see it continuing in a permanent capacity.

I now earn £10 per hour less but get a part-final salary pension (only 1/100th) the rest is money purchase, 25 days holiday, 2 days flexi per month, share scheme with free matching and bonus shares, 3 weeks of training in the next six months, close to 5% bonus, JOB SECURITY and an enormous sense of well-being.

The downside is getting paid monthly, for a lot less cash in hand and having to lick corporate ass.

I guess I'll be back contracting in a few years!

[ChimpMaster]

I turned permie in June.

............

JOB SECURITY and an enormous sense of well-being.

I take it you're being sarcastic cuz otherwise that statement just doesn't make sense.

[SteveMcadden1]

I took a permie job in April, after 10 years of contracting. The main reasons were

- I had been out of contract for 6 months - although had been considering making the move for a couple of years.
- Security - similar to you, I started contracting with no ties. I now have two small kids to think of and a regular, reliable income is more important to me than it used to be.
- Career progression - I had gone about as far as I was going to go as a contractor. Director & VP level roles are pretty much a permie-only space and that's where I'm aiming.
- Financial - perhaps a surprising one this, but with the current downswing in rates I make more as a permie than I would have done out of the contracts I was applying for this year. Even when compared to my last contract, on decent enough London rates, the difference is not large particularly taking pension, healthcare etc. into account
- And hell, it was time for a change. 10 years of dealing with agency crap, HMRC crap, accountancy crap - I fancied a bit of permie crap just for variety's sake.

can I just ask what your day rate was and what perm salary was?

That would make the comparison a lot fairer

[MPwannadecentincome]

I turned permie in June.

I was enjoying the job that I was doing and could only see it continuing in a permanent capacity.

I now earn £10 per hour less but get a part-final salary pension (only 1/100th) the rest is money purchase, 25 days holiday, 2 days flexi per month, share scheme with free matching and bonus shares, 3 weeks of training in the next six months, close to 5% bonus, JOB SECURITY and an enormous sense of well-being.

The downside is getting paid monthly, for a lot less cash in hand and having to lick corporate ass.

I guess I'll be back contracting in a few years!

but you still have your 5% bonus to look forward to on top

[pin00ch]

Im going perm too.....so in two minds about it tho

Hi all,

I finished a contract 5 weeks ago and am very worried by the state of the market. I work in the commodities sector as a developer and have typically got 500-600 a day rate. I have only been contracting for 18 months or so but have loved the take home pay at these rates. I looked forward to a month or two off before taking another position up.

Then things got scary. I applied for several London contracts every day, never receiving a response from the agency. It soon became apparent that I was applying for the same positions!! different agencies word things differently but it was obvious.

So after a few bad weeks, I stopped looking and out of the blue was offered a well paid permie job in the city. They offered me 75K basic + 5% pension + medical and dental + up to 50% bonuses at the end of each year.

This all sound ok, until I did the math and saw that my 8K monthly take home would be cut in half!

Dont get me wrong, Im not greedy and it's a great offer (I think) but Im so scared of getting caught in the permie trap and cant seem to make up my mind.

My reasons for considering it are:
1./ The market is TERRIBLE.
2./ I could be on the bench for months ...or worse!
3./ The job will allow me to step up to more senior contracts in a couple of years.

Am I crazy to feel so cautious? Shouldnt a good contractor just sit tight until something comes up and not panic into a permie job?

Help

[BA to the Stars]

pin00ch
Ask yourself the following:

Can you live on £4k per month?

You used to earn £8k per month - you currently earn £0

How confident do you feel of securing a new role?

How long can you afford not to be earning?

Do not forget - if you took the permie role, you may receive training (paid for) which always looks good on the CV. When the market picks up, you could resign and go back to contracting. Banks cut staff numbers when it suits them, they are making a business decision, you would be doing the same.

We cannot decide for you but hopefully give you a few things to consider so that you can make the decision which is the right oe for you.

Good luck

[Paddy]

My wife is a permie and earns £150K salary, year in year out, plus final salary pension scheme.

You try matching that as a contractor for the next 20 years.

No doubt she works for the city council as a benefits advisor or similar.

[Brussels Slumdog]

First Perm interview

Went for my first Perm interview since leaving school. I was surprised they
interviewed me in the first place. It seems its never too old to go Perm.
I don't think I will get the job due to the fact that I am not 100% bilingual
(French,Dutch).
Since meeting Mrs BS the only time I have worked near home was when I worked for a US company that allowed me to work remotely using the local branch.
I enjoy contracting ,but always having to work away from home ,returning at the weekend,year after year , is not an ideal situation.
The current fall in the daily rate has made the situation worse as I cannot
afford to pay accomodation+ flight and still make a reasonable profit.

A Perm job near home would solve my short term problems.

[norrahe]

I really don't understand this job security lark!!!!

If you are any good as a contractor you either bag yourself a renewal or a couple of months before end of said contract you speak to your regular pimps and get them on the case.

I got asked to go permie in this contract, said no as there would be no way they'd paid anything decent.

Despite the fact I said no to permie, they're looking at renewing me anyway...

I was on the bench for 8 months last year, it hasn't put me off.