Not sure contracting beats permie anymore

[contractor79]

Hi

I'm not sure contracting beats permie anymore.

Is it just me or are contracting rates going down?

Also permie salaries look good now, although it's been years since I thought in terms of permie salary.

I think the downsides of contracting bug you more the more you do contracting.

If you land a series of contracts with 2-3 happy years at each site then contracting is good. Especially if you get in there at start of 2-3 year project. Let's face it, any job gets dull after 18-24 months- including permie. It's natural to want to move on after that.

However a series of unfriendly 3-6 month contracts at random locations? Not so good. Especially if you arrive in the middle or at end of project, as you'll be the newbie and rely on others who are too impatient to explain things to you. And you have to get to know people all the time and pretend to be interested. Plus they'll get rid of you before the more experienced people on the project.

I think permie beats a string of 3-6 months contracting, but maybe not 2-3 years contracting at each site.

To summarise my argument:-

Permitractor (2-3 years per site)
beats
permie
beats
contracting (3-6 months per site)

is my opinion.

Discuss.

[Clippy]

Discuss

No thanks.

[TykeMerc]

No thanks.

Please don't feed the troll sockie.

[Zippy]

I don't believe I want to touch that one either

[herman_g]

Some have it, some don't.

Good luck with your new career as a permie.

[opc]

I think the benefits of contracting for me personally are much more than financial. I much prefer the philosophy of just being there to provide a service for the client (i.e. purely do the job) and the freedom of being entirely my own entity with control over my own plans, training, progression, holidays etc.

I'm not sure if I could go back to the politics, pseudo-"career progression", staff development reviews, company-selected training once in a blue moon that live in the permie world.

[jim2406]

i think the thing about contracting that really appeals to me is: it's what you make of it. you truly do 'make your own luck'. people good at that mindset seem to do really well out of it, since they spot an opportunity and turn it into a new project, extension, etc..

that said, i am now in a permanent position.. but it's for my own company, doing 'plan b' things. so that's not really permie, or contracting - it's something else, and i'm enjoying it more than both - but it feels a lot closer to contracting, and should i go back to contracting in a traditional sense, i'll have a much better appreciation for the business and negotiation side of things.

i know the money is nice but i geniunely dont think contracting is something that should be just done for the money.

[contractor79]

ok thanks
but I'm worried about lack of prestige in contracting
sure, it ,pays good when you're working to get a good car so society can look at you and say "wow, he looks a success"
however in the workplace we don't necessarily get treated with respect. They can fire you immediately if they needed to. They can throw trashy work at you. They can be nasty to you.

[contractor79]

I think the benefits of contracting for me personally are much more than financial. I much prefer the philosophy of just being there to provide a service for the client (i.e. purely do the job) and the freedom of being entirely my own entity with control over my own plans, training, progression, holidays etc.

I'm not sure if I could go back to the politics, pseudo-"career progression", staff development reviews, company-selected training once in a blue moon that live in the permie world.

yes I agree actually
but do you need to go back to permie sometime for 2-3 years to get up-to-date then back out contracting?

[jim2406]

ok thanks
but I'm worried about lack of prestige in contracting
sure, it ,pays good when you're working to get a good car so society can look at you and say "wow, he looks a success"
however in the workplace we don't necessarily get treated with respect. They can fire you immediately if they needed to. They can throw trashy work at you. They can be nasty to you.

all of these things can also apply to permanent employment.