Taking the bull by the horns...

**singhr** · 7 April 2010, 10:57

I was benched when we had our first child and so I started to cross train to something new while at home but quickly got into the catch 22 of 'no experience - no contract, no contract - no experience'. I jumped back into perm at next opportunity and then bided my time until next opportunity to get back on the bandwagon (well it was a long time ago!). Good luck and count yourself lucky to be around your child more than most men.

**peterc2609** · 7 April 2010, 10:59

Don't get me wrong, its nice to be at home... but how long will home be home for? Money only lasts so long ans mortgages need paying!

**MarillionFan** · 7 April 2010, 11:03

I took a few months off and then started looking, it took another few months to get back into it.

I had a number of interviews and a few offers but eventually took a contract I didnt want. But it allows me to work at home a couple of days a week and manage my own time, so just using it as a resting stop.

Drop your rates for a local role for a while, get back into the swing and then try for something else.

Good luck

**gingerjedi** · 7 April 2010, 11:40

Originally posted by peterc2609 View Post

This morning I've had, suppose what you could call a 'Lightbulb moment' - I need to wake up and smell the coffee!

Two quotes to say how I'm feeling:

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door!"

"This is my only shot at life, so I'm not going to go down without a fight. I'd rather live with the consequences of my actions rather than the regrets of my inactions."

I finished my last contract only 2 weeks ago... I've only had 2 contracts. The first one lasted 4 years and paid really well... the next one was only 4 months, and meant me taking a 40% cut.

I got used to living on the higher money and suffered with the drop in pay.

My background is tech support, project implementations etc and I now know that this will no longer pay as much as it used to. I have my PRINCE2 but know that its nigh on impossible to get into Project Management without experience. I also have never certified my knowledge as I felt they were useless.

I now feel that I need to make a change, and go out and get what I want. Maybe learn something else in IT, or at least get my knowledge certified (Microsoft, VMWare, Citrix, HP etc)... I notice a lot of people on here seem to work on JAVA, are they all developers etc?

I also think that I'll have to work away from home (Merseyside) which will be incredibly difficult as I have a 1 year old.

Has anyone else been in this position before, what did you do? Did it work?

Thanks for your advice in advance.

I could have posted that except mine is 2 and I don't live on Merseyside.

I've been racking my brains over this for the last few months and I've came to the conclusion that going down the niche skills route to earn big bucks is not for me, this essentially means contracting isn't for me.

I got lucky and had some good contracts but the past couple of years have been rubbish, looking at my books I would have been better off as a perm and had a whole lot less stress.

So in answer my plan is to get used to having less money.

**peterc2609** · 7 April 2010, 11:52

ha ha, I don't think that was the answer I was looking for!!

**gingerjedi** · 7 April 2010, 12:11

Originally posted by peterc2609 View Post

ha ha, I don't think that was the answer I was looking for!!

The truth hurts but deep down you know it's never going to be as good as it was, having a young family leaves you with few options I'm afraid.

In hindsight I'd have paid the mortgage of in the good times instead of going on expensive holidays and buying cars, if only I could have those few years again...

I bet like me you'd like just a couple more years on a good rate to sort yourself out... I sound like a drug addict.

**peterc2609** · 7 April 2010, 12:28

Mate... you are me.... just in a different place with an extra sprog!

The expensive trips to Dubai, New York etc, the X5s, and convertibles...

They were all fantastic, but wish I'd saved a bit now!!

I dont regret them but ... well.... there are always if's and but's!

**expat** · 7 April 2010, 12:53

I sympathise. Just having a partner and a house in somewhere other than where the work is can be a strain, at least I'm not missing out on my child's growing up. Though perhaps I am missing out on my own life and my partner's.

Again, if I include last year in the reckoning, contracting has not served me well recently. When I was young and stayed in a bed-sit near wherever I worked, it was great. If I factor in the travel costs that I have now, and the bench time, it's not a great career.

**Worzel** · 7 April 2010, 20:58

I can only agree with the general tone of this thread. If I think how much time I've wasted trawling job boards, rewriting and tweaking my C.V. and the tedious, pointless conversations with agencies over the last few months it makes me question this game completely.

Things have been bad before but not this bad. Unbelievably I still kid myself that any day now a contract will turn up with my name on it like it always has done in the past 15 years. I know that it only takes one contract to take me away from this nightmare for maybe a year or 2 and by then everything will be back to normal! I think the chances of this happening are diminishing with every week that passes so I've decided to start applying for perm jobs. The application process is painfully slow compared to contracts but i'm actually seeing some signs of hope and the 1 permie interview I've had so far was so easy compared to the typical contract grillings.

Fortunateley I have had a few good years and rather than blow it on expensive cars I decided to buy an expensive house instead! That's probably the best thing that contracting has done for me.

Taking the bull by the horns...