Agencies or Personal contacts / networking ?

[Badger27]

What percentage of contracts do most people on here get thru agents and what percentage thru their own contacts or endeavours ? I'll start the ball rolling by saying that after 12 years contracting with 5 contracts only one has come thru an agency so that's a 20% / 80% split for me - is this usual ?

How do others compare ?

[RSoles]

I've been contracting for nine years now and 11 contracts.
To start with it was 100% agency.
Last three years it's been 20% agency 80% networking, three contracts.
Last two years 100% networking, two contracts.

[northernladuk]

What percentage of contracts do most people on here get thru agents and what percentage thru their own contacts or endeavours ? I'll start the ball rolling by saying that after 12 years contracting with 5 contracts only one has come thru an agency so that's a 20% / 80% split for me - is this usual ?

How do others compare ?

Only 5 contracts in 12 years seems a tad out of the norm though. A stat I would love to be able to flaunt I may add but still maybe not a benchmark. Sounds like you go yourself on a good crack there.

Not sure I understand the definition though. Does your own endeavours mean you managed to bag yourself a slot at the same clientco that would have had to go through the agent anyway or is this brand new work direct to client co identified and secured by yourself with direct billing to client co?

I managed to get myself a gig at a client I was with before it went public so moved to new role but continued to bill via agent. Is that my endeavours or is that agency?

I guess if not then I am 4 gigs in 3 years 100% agent.

[BolshieBastard]

I firmly believe a lot depends on your specialism as to how often you can go 'direct.' Obviously that's not hard and fast all the times but some specialism clearly are able to do this.

In my 12 year contracting career, my longest contract has been three and a half years (and I was ready to leave when the client said no more budget and let us all go).

All my contracts except one have been found via agents. I've a good (I hope) chance of a couple of roles which were referred to me via LinkedIn.

By far and away Id say the norm is that most contractors get most of their work via agents.

[Badger27]

Clarification....

Just thought I'd give a breakdown to clarify my 6 contracts in 12 years !

1st contract - I was approached by client who knew me to go direct - this lasted 3 years with six 6-monthly renewals.

2nd contract - I called around ex-colleagues and business contacts and was offered 6 month contract by ex-colleague.

3rd contract - as a result of previous job search I was contacted by potential client who offered 6 month contract - turned into 5 years with 10
6-monthly renewals.

4th contract - I 'cold-called' potential clients and landed 6 month contract with one.

5th contract - applied thru agency for permie job although I had no ontention of being permie if offered - told client at interview I would prefer contract - offered initial 6 month contract with another 6 month extension - agency never took any part in my dealings after initial interview (how they took any cut I never knew)

6th contract - 'cold-called' potential clients and landed 6 month contract with one.

Currently - working between clients from 4th and 6th contracts on 3 monthly and 6 monthly projects - obviously all negotiated between myself and clients.

I'm often suprised at how passive other contractors are in seeking work. I saw the other day an article on how consultants (in general) generate 70% of the work themselves - seems like this is not the case for the IT arena.

[Tarquin Farquhar]

I've been contracting for nine years now and 11 contracts.
To start with it was 100% agency.
Last three years it's been 20% agency 80% networking, three contracts.
Last two years 100% networking, two contracts.

What, three contracts, 20% of which came through an agency and 80% through networking?

[BolshieBastard]

Just thought I'd give a breakdown to clarify my 6 contracts in 12 years !

1st contract - I was approached by client who knew me to go direct - this lasted 3 years with six 6-monthly renewals.

2nd contract - I called around ex-colleagues and business contacts and was offered 6 month contract by ex-colleague.

3rd contract - as a result of previous job search I was contacted by potential client who offered 6 month contract - turned into 5 years with 10
6-monthly renewals.

4th contract - I 'cold-called' potential clients and landed 6 month contract with one.

5th contract - applied thru agency for permie job although I had no ontention of being permie if offered - told client at interview I would prefer contract - offered initial 6 month contract with another 6 month extension - agency never took any part in my dealings after initial interview (how they took any cut I never knew)

6th contract - 'cold-called' potential clients and landed 6 month contract with one.

Currently - working between clients from 4th and 6th contracts on 3 monthly and 6 monthly projects - obviously all negotiated between myself and clients.

I'm often suprised at how passive other contractors are in seeking work. I saw the other day an article on how consultants (in general) generate 70% of the work themselves - seems like this is not the case for the IT arena.

Cold calling is a technique that has a notoriously low success rate. If anyone no matter what line of business gets a response rate of 2%, that is considered very high.

So if you cold called 50 businesses to pick up one success you did well. To do that on more than one occasion is exceptional and I'd say may be more to do with your specialism.

[northernladuk]

I'm often suprised at how passive other contractors are in seeking work. I saw the other day an article on how consultants (in general) generate 70% of the work themselves - seems like this is not the case for the IT arena.

I would risk incurring the wrath of fellow posters and take a stab at the fact that a majority of IT contractors are not consultants and work in a totally different way, many filling permie spots etc so this cold calling approach is just not feasible. If PM's developers etc start ringing every single large client they will close the door and forward you to an agent... Oh hang on, they already do.

I would say your situation is the minority comapred to the rest of the IT community.

[rootsnall]

Cold calling is a technique that has a notoriously low success rate. If anyone no matter what line of business gets a response rate of 2%, that is considered very high.

So if you cold called 50 businesses to pick up one success you did well. To do that on more than one occasion is exceptional and I'd say may be more to do with your specialism.

How about cold emailing ? I've got a couple of gigs via that route. It would probably be luke warm emailing though as I was given the name of the person to email.

I got my current gig through a personal contact but was forced down the agency route anyway

[nomadd]

What percentage of contracts do most people on here get thru agents and what percentage thru their own contacts or endeavours ? I'll start the ball rolling by saying that after 12 years contracting with 5 contracts only one has come thru an agency so that's a 20% / 80% split for me - is this usual ?

How do others compare ?

21 years contracting. All via agencies. Clearly people who know me don't like me.