another permie to contractor situation

[malvolio]

2 years later, still in 3rd line Support. Still thinking about contracting. Just got a lower-than-inflation payrise.

That past post about no market skills hurts.
I am MCSA 2003, MCITP 2008, MCSA 2012 certified, VMware Certified Professional, Citrix Certified Administrator, all with 5+ years experience.
I have decent experience with vSphere, Citrix, Cisco networking and firewalls, Check Point Firewalls, McAffee IPS\IDS, Exchange, SQL server, etc etc.

£30k permie or £200-£220 a day at the current client. Not London-based but national using London rates.

And to make it as a contractor, it's all about what you've done, not what you know and certainly not what certs you have (they only impress the agencies). That is a very difficult thing to demonstrate in pure support role, where the whole point is to maintain the status quo.

[bob the bob]

I do some project work too, e.g purchase, install, configure new VMware hosts and SAN Fibre storage, set up entire client-facing projects on Citrix.

I'm responsible for Backups (strategy and implementation, not just a tape jockey) Disaster Recovery, capacity management, change control, patch management.

[malvolio]

I do some project work too, e.g purchase, install, configure new VMware hosts and SAN Fibre storage, set up entire client-facing projects on Citrix.

I'm responsible for Backups (strategy and implementation, not just a tape jockey) Disaster Recovery, capacity management, change control, patch management.

Now you're getting it.

But as others have said, getting the job won't necessarily get you any more money. Be very clear about why you are looking to move.

[tractor]

Actually I did some paid work today.

Though I'm quite happy to have time off.

You may as well have time off when you are young and healthy. There is no point having it off when you are old and ill/got dementia.

It's still ok when you are old but why bother if you can't remember who it was with or whether it was any good

[fullyautomatix]

I do some project work too, e.g purchase, install, configure new VMware hosts and SAN Fibre storage, set up entire client-facing projects on Citrix.

I'm responsible for Backups (strategy and implementation, not just a tape jockey) Disaster Recovery, capacity management, change control, patch management.

Still, some hard core developers in some latest technologies get about 400 pd if they are lucky. What chance has a 3rd line support contractor have ? Unless there is a demand boom and nobody available which isnt going to happen because such jobs are heavily out sourced these days.

[tractor]

2 years later, still in 3rd line Support. Still thinking about contracting. Just got a lower-than-inflation payrise.

That past post about no market skills hurts.
I am MCSA 2003, MCITP 2008, MCSA 2012 certified, VMware Certified Professional, Citrix Certified Administrator, all with 5+ years experience.
I have decent experience with vSphere, Citrix, Cisco networking and firewalls, Check Point Firewalls, McAffee IPS\IDS, Exchange, SQL server, etc etc.

If the above is true, then it's time you bought a packet of 'Oomph', got off your backside and got into design/implementation/configuration, all the variables in your equation would change considerably then.

[Bluenose]

2 years later, still in 3rd line Support. Still thinking about contracting. Just got a lower-than-inflation payrise.

That past post about no market skills hurts.
I am MCSA 2003, MCITP 2008, MCSA 2012 certified, VMware Certified Professional, Citrix Certified Administrator, all with 5+ years experience.
I have decent experience with vSphere, Citrix, Cisco networking and firewalls, Check Point Firewalls, McAffee IPS\IDS, Exchange, SQL server, etc etc.

Sometimes strangers can give you the most truthful opinion about your skills.

You don't have anything niche there, they are just general skills.

What you need is to build ontop of those with something specific that not as many contractors do. If you give up your perm role now you might get your first contract but what about the second or third?

Look at emerging technologies for inspiration as the entry barriers will not be as high.

If you want to stick with your current path I would do the Architect assesments for VMWare and Citrix and the Cisco Wireless professional track looks like it might be a pot of gold with all the kit refresh that needs to happen in the next 3 years as everyone bins their kit.

[rob s]

Get to point in the link below, or as close as possible, then switch - I wouldn't pay £350 for your skillset (you as an individual could be worth that and more, but not your current skills list & experience). But these guys have to be on a bag of sand easy...


VCDX: The elite certification just 105 people hold ? The Register

[rl4engc]

If I was in OP shoes I'd weigh up the following:

1) How secure is your current job? I'm no expert on 3rd line Permie support, but it seems quite a lot of benefits for the role.. I can imagine the function coming under the spotlight when it comes to 'cost saving', which of course if they did outsource it wouldn't save Co money but the management consultants would have Co believe it would.

2) Work out what techie job you like/see yourself doing, and assess the demand in that area, and around where you live (itjobswatch). Farm your updated* CV out and see what bites, go to a couple of Contractor interviews, just to get a feel for it. You can say 'you've decided to work as a contractor as I feel my skillset lies in xyz and my current role doesn't allow me to develop as a zyx.

*I can't speak for others but when I was updating my CV I kept being told to write it like an advertising brochure; why would they want to take me on based on it's contents. That's largely a load of b011ocks for Tech/Dev work, they want bullet points with skills and achievements (which is normally just 'delivered xyz on time and < budget).

3) When/If Co phones to say you've got the gig, say you'll get back to them as just waiting on something (don't go into detail) have a heart to heart wi missus, then either set up LtdCo and bank account/accountants etc. (takes about a week), or politely decline.

Last bit of advice is you can usually tell if a gig is right for you, I went for one interview that was a 20 minute walk from the railway station across a miserable 'Retail Park', to a company that was young, fresh, and growing exponentionally. I didn't hear back from them, and glad I didn't, a few days later I got a good city gig where the work and people were spot on. So if it doesn't feel right, hold on to your permie job until the gig feels right.