What's my rate???

[IBM Agent]

Hi Tommyc.

To be frank I don't know a great deal about the dev market. What I can say though is that 2.5 years out is a very long time in this business. I fear for some of our people that have been out for only 12 months. Despite what us agents tell our clients, most have an issue with taking people on that have been out for post 12 months (although that may change given the abundance of people out right now). My advice would be to go for the FTE role, esp with a bonus of 75% at stake, even if the agent has got this wrong it can't be that wildly inaccurate. In any case good luck with it. All the best.

[VectraMan]

Is VBA a marketable full-time skill? Other than that, Matlab sounds like the only thing anyone would hire you for and that's kind of niche. A bit of HTML, outdated classic ASP and no real C++ experience are hardly what would be looked for in a contractor, unless you're selling yourself short - that's more like what a fresh university grad might start with?

WHS. I used to work somewhere where there were a load of people using Matlab, but that was very niche and their skills were in more important disciplines. There's probably some legacy systems using VBA, and sad old ASP (I have to do a bit for Plan B co), but that's odd job work, not long term highly paid contract work. And from the sound of it you'd be out of your depth on C++.

If the permie job is offering to let you learn C#/.NET on the job, I'd do that.

[NeverBeenNorthOfTheM25]

Ask for £300 a day. There you go. Jobs a good un!

[Hex]

If you reckon it's worth £500 a day but you're a bit under experienced for it, I'd go in at £400. They can always try to negotiate down.

[Jeebo72]

Is VBA a marketable full-time skill? .

I've got a mate who contracts on Excel VBA skills alone. Of course he can pull data from Access and SQL Server, but that's pretty much it. Gets around £250 a day and never been out of work.

[tommyc]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

I did really want the permie job the most... it would have been better for my CV. But had a call today and the hire has been shelved due to management being unsure which direction they want to expand the business in or some crap.

So looks like I have no real choice. I will have to offer a rate for the contract, hope it gets accepted and then hope for an extension to get the most of it on my CV.

As to how much this trader wants to work with me.. I don't know.. I think he just wants someone cheap, I have a suspicion hiring costs might be taken from his bonus. I had an interview with their quant 2 weeks ago which went pretty bad due to my brain not being switched on, then heard nothing at all untill I got a text from the trader yesterday asking if I had found anything, and then what my rate was.

Touch wood this comes through I need to get back in the game one way or another.

[tommyc]

I went to him saying 250 pd.
He came back saying he "Has clearance" for 200 pd. Which I guess I can live with for a few months.

Then got a message saying he wants me to do a weeks trial. Which if I'm good will turn into a 6 month contract.

Not obviously what I wanted. But beggars can't be choosers. Not happy with the week trial either.

My previous perm role I was employed as a contractor for the first 6 months so had my own ltd company initially which is now wound down. I suppose I'd use an umbrella this time to avoid the hassle initially but it would be a pain for only a weeks work.

[Jeebo72]

[QUOTE=tommyc;1075689]

Not happy with the week trial either.

QUOTE]

Make sure you do a good job, but don't complete anything they need done urgently

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I went to him saying 250 pd.
He came back saying he "Has clearance" for 200 pd. Which I guess I can live with for a few months.

Then got a message saying he wants me to do a weeks trial. Which if I'm good will turn into a 6 month contract.

Not obviously what I wanted. But beggars can't be choosers. Not happy with the week trial either.

My previous perm role I was employed as a contractor for the first 6 months so had my own ltd company initially which is now wound down. I suppose I'd use an umbrella this time to avoid the hassle initially but it would be a pain for only a weeks work.

Considering your situation that isn't such a bad offer.

[tommyc]

So, got down to negotiation on the phone, I'd put in 200pd on <snip> and realised the equivalent perm salary was less (just) than I got when I first started working for the trader in my previous perm role 6 years ago. I told them that I didn't feel what they were offering was fair.
So the next day they came back to me offering 225 for an initial 3 month contract and possibility of an increase when we negotiate an extension, so I decided to accept.
I should be getting a contract e-mailed to me today sometime so assuming I'm happy with it all I start wed.
I guess I stick it out hopefully for at least 6 months, and keep my CV up to date and out there to see if any interesting permie roles pop their heads up, otherwise just try and get my skills back up so that I have a chance of getting another contract in the future.

I have no idea where I will sit on IR35.. my guess is I'm caught so for now I think I'll just sign up with an umbrella and save myself the hassle of finding an accountant and all the paperwork of my own ltd. I can always set up a ltd later if it looks like I'll be contracting longer term