Why did you get into contracting

[R6steve]

Hi,

I'm fairly new in my job (marketing consultant, automotive industry NOT a recruiter, I'm also a permie and not a contractor) and I've been asked to write a guide about the roles of contractors throughout the business and how contractors will more than likely play a larger part on the company (end of the permanent job for life type thing).

I've read lots of posts and seem to have a good handle on what contractors do, how they operate etc however the only bit I'm struggling with is how/why people choose to become a contractor/freelancer in the first place?

I'm guessing it's mainly because of:
1. necessity - couldn't find permie work?
2. design - the allure of more money and potential life style choice
3. hate their boss, culture of the company or combo of both

Is this about right?

Also (on a more personal interest note, this isn't for the report) how many started as a contractor and used it as a stepping stone to starting their own business?

Cheers

[jmo21]

I'm guessing for the vast majority, 1 had nothing to do with it.

For me, 3 was the main reason, well more specifically office politics and corporate BS

[Ruse]

Hi,

I'm fairly new in my job (marketing consultant, automotive industry NOT a recruiter, I'm also a permie and not a contractor) and I've been asked to write a guide about the roles of contractors throughout the business and how contractors will more than likely play a larger part on the company (end of the permanent job for life type thing).

I've read lots of posts and seem to have a good handle on what contractors do, how they operate etc however the only bit I'm struggling with is how/why people choose to become a contractor/freelancer in the first place?

I'm guessing it's mainly because of:
1. necessity - couldn't find permie work?
2. design - the allure of more money and potential life style choice
3. hate their boss, culture of the company or combo of both

Is this about right?

Also (on a more personal interest note, this isn't for the report) how many started as a contractor and used it as a stepping stone to starting their own business?

Cheers

None of the above.

4) Sick of working long hours at the weekends for nothing.

[conned tractor]

Mostly 3) with a very small pinch of 2)

[EddieNambulous]

Money was (perhaps surprisingly) a secondary issue.

Am just not built to be a corporate drone, and like the freedom to work on other money-making ideas in between contracts.

[nomadd]

I've been asked to write a guide about the roles of contractors throughout the business and how contractors will more than likely play a larger part on the company (end of the permanent job for life type thing).

Then take that as your starting point, as the rest of your post was entire nonsense you seem to have made up yourself. Also, the rest of your post seems to contradict the statement you're are making above: How can contractors best benefit your company?

So, what is it you want exactly? A reply to the above part of your post, or 1,000,000 posts on why individual contractors got into contracting - which is completely irrelevant to your question above (and leaves me with the deep suspicion that you are nothing like what you claim to be, and are in fact writing a guide to preclude contractors from ever being used in your company: i.e. they "couldn't find permie work", "will hate our company culture", "will hate our bosses", "only in it for the allure of money", etc., etc., as you have written in your post above.)

Nomadd

[PM-Junkie]

For me it was being fed up with making money for other people, and the desire to start my own company and be master of my own destiny.

The old "if you don't want to be the victim of change, be the master of it".

[expat]

... leaves me with the deep suspicion that you are nothing like what you claim to be, and are in fact writing a guide to preclude contractors from ever being used in your company: i.e. they "couldn't find permie work", "will hate our company culture", "will hate our bosses", "only in it for the allure of money", etc., etc., as you have written in your post above.

Smells about right.

[malvolio]

Taking the original question at face value, perhaps you should start here...

http://www.pcg.org.uk/cms/index.php?...50&Itemid=1243

and if you want some interesting numbers, have a read through the surveys here:

http://www.pcg.org.uk/cms/index.php?...85&Itemid=1003

However, for myself, I went contract because I'd run out of options as a permie and was fed up working for fools less qualified that I was. I still do, of course, but now I charge them a lot more for putting up with them!

[expat]

Nice one! Whatever the question, the answer is "PCG"