Should I go contracting ?

**dynamicsaxcontractor** · 7 October 2010, 10:48

Originally posted by aneng View Post

Hi,

I'm sure you must get this question all the time, but.... I'm trying to work out whether it's worth taking the plunge into the world of contracting and leaving my full-time job. As a permanent employee, I've seen a few colleagues leave to go contracting over the years with stories of untold riches etc. Now, I'm sure a lot of that is bull, but I'm slowly realising that my current position isn't going to improve and my salary isn't going to increase by the level I need it to, hence my post on here.

In a nutshell, I've been a field engineer (windows server builds, Raid, networks, switches, PC installs, fault calls etc) for umpteen years. The only vocational qualifications I have are HP APS in Workstation & Server (absolute joke of a certification), and I've put myself through evening classes to do a Cisco CCNA, though I've yet to actually sit the exam. I've been with my current employers for 8 years now and I'm on £27k + car but no other benefits - not even a pension. Also in a fair bit of debt. Being in my mid 40's, that's not a great place to be. I also don't have complete confidence that my job will still be here in 5 years time due to the direction the company is heading.

In short, I need more money. Is it possible / easy ? for someone of my status to earn more than I am at the moment by going contracting ? I often get told I'm an idiot for staying in a crap salaried job and ought to get out there - but, the only contractors I ever speak to are the ones my company employs on short-term contracts and they always seem to be asking me if there are any permanent jobs going ! So, I'm kinda getting conflicting signals !

What's the score guys ? Are the roads paved with gold, or should I just accept my lot and stay on crap money but be grateful it's 'permanent' ?

Many thanks in advance !

Cheers !

First of all you need to search the job boards to see if there are any contracts for your skillset out there. If there are lots of them you need to decide for yourself if you are prepared to hand your notice in and start going for them. You won't get them if you can't start within a maximum of 2 weeks, unless you have a specialist skill set.

**Old Greg** · 7 October 2010, 10:54

Originally posted by dynamicsaxcontractor View Post

First of all you need to search the job boards to see if there are any contracts for your skillset out there. If there are lots of them you need to decide for yourself if you are prepared to hand your notice in and start going for them. You won't get them if you can't start within a maximum of 2 weeks, unless you have a specialist skill set.

WH/SS

I think the 'jump' is the hardest bit, particularly if you have debt.

What is your notice period? If 1 month, can you save up your leave and when you find a contract, book a load of leave in a week's time, and then hand your notice in?

**northernladuk** · 7 October 2010, 11:05

Originally posted by dynamicsaxcontractor View Post

First of all you need to search the job boards to see if there are any contracts for your skillset out there. If there are lots of them you need to decide for yourself if you are prepared to hand your notice in and start going for them. You won't get them if you can't start within a maximum of 2 weeks, unless you have a specialist skill set.

WHS but just to add a few comments...

When you look for a role do not be taken in by ones you 'could do'. Contracting is different to permie world, in permie they can be a little flexible on the role if the person is right as the company is going to be investing in that person. Knowledge can be learnt, a good approach to your work to be an asset often can't.

You have to look for a role you you match perfectly and one that you can demonstrate you have been doing for years. The client is looking for a specialist to jump in and get going, not someone they have to educate. There will be 100's of applicants for each role, some of which have been doing the exact same one for years. 'I have done a bit of that and could get by if I got the gig' will not cut it.

I made this mistake when I first started and applied for everything that had some skillsets I recognised but could not demostrate to the level required and got very frustrated when I got no responses to my applications.

Not having any qualifications to back up your claims is going to hurt like hell. Work on the basis that everyone else infront of you will have CCNA on their CV and the agents who don't know one end of a network cable from the other will use this as a key point.

Camp on the jobsites and have a look around. I don't remember seeing too many roles for field engineers but then I wasn't looking.

Have a think about your aversion to risk as well. Can you last a few months out of work at the moment? Are you willing to travel, do you panic alot when you are end of contract and have to go get another and so on.

Many people will come on and say yes go for it, they did it and no regrets. I would say take a more pragmatic view, no point going for it if you have nothing to offer and there is no work.

**Saddo** · 7 October 2010, 11:16

Becoming a contractor after being a permanent employee for years is a leap of faith. In my case I was made redundant and a friendly agent said he might find it difficult to find me another permanent job, but he had a contract job. I said no, I had a young family and contracting was too risky. He said okay, but it would be paying X pounds per hour. His argument was persuasive. And I never looked back.

The way I look on contracting is that I am more secure as a contractor than I would be as a permanent member of staff. You sign a contract which has an end date, and it is quite unusual for that contract not to reach that point. Often but not always you get renewals on that contract. But in any event you plan your finances around that point in time where you might be out of work for a while.

As noted in previous responses, for an agency to consider you it is necessary to be available to start within a short timescale. You are actually worth most to an agent when you can start tomorrow (though in all probability you wouldn't actually start tomorrow). The agent gets paid from placing people, and they aren't looking long term.

In your position I would suggest caution. You've got a job with an income, and as you've been there a while your employer wouldn't be choosing you as the first candidate to chop (redundancy payments would be higher than if they got rid of someone who had only been there less than 2 years). These are tough times in the job market which could get worse over the next year or two.

Don't get too taken in with dreams about money. Many contractors do make shedloads of money. But not everyone does. And you've got all the other expenses which permanent employees don't have.

**Clippy** · 7 October 2010, 12:22

I would urge caution as, I believe, contracting work in your arena (field engineer) pays peanuts.

Think I saw an ad not too long ago, for a Dell engineer, paying per closed job ticket so you would really have to graft to earn an income every day.

If I was in your position, and I nearly was at the beginning of my career as my permie employer was pushing me to join the field engineers, I'd look at office based support roles whether they are contract or permie.

With your skills, I reckon you could easily pull in a salary of £30k but you'd lose the car.

Medium term, I'd suggest you look to move away from technical support as there really is no long term future in it due to all the offshoring - something which has been well covered on these forums and can be found with a quick search.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

**cojak** · 7 October 2010, 12:31

If you go intro contracting only for the money you could be bitterly disappointed.

It's harder to get work out there unless you have a particular skillset that every company needs. So you could be out of work (benched) for weeks or months at a time - that will hit whatever extra capital you made (I suspect that you're not the type to save).

Then there are the costs associated with contracting - taxes (yes, there are some), travel, living accomodation etc. and the fact that you may have to work away from home during the week to be where the contracts are.

I was reminded why I was a contractor when I contemplated going permie earlier in the year - I deeply dreaded the thought of having to ask for holidays and being stuck in a dead-end job with no means of escape and being told to perform tasks that I didn't think were worthwhile...

The list went on and on.

**Svalbaard** · 7 October 2010, 13:45

I saw an ad on TV where if you do their PC management course you can guarantee yourself a job in an industry where the average salary is over £30,000 PA.

Imagine having to live on that little.

**NorthWestPerm2Contr** · 7 October 2010, 21:03

I went into contracting at the start of this year which according to all was a dangerous move and I certainly agree it was dangerous. But I can't see myself going back to permie land. I am already thinking up plans B, C, D and E to avoid such an eventuality with plan E being suicide.

Life is really tough as a permie if you are on less than 40k. Even then it aint easy. However you are already in your mid 40's and i realised it is not easy competing in the contract world. You need to have all the latest skills and knowledge and be ready to compete with 25 - 65 year olds. With the cuts that are coming I can see things getting really bad next year.

Best thing you can do is apply and see if you get any interviews. If you do then you can probably find the next one after that.

**gingerjedi** · 7 October 2010, 21:46

The OP has a very similar skill set to me though I have MS certs, I'd be well happy on £27k + car right now considering the near zero contracting opportunities about at the moment.

Anything you gain contracting you will lose in the months where you do sod all apart from hit the refresh button on jobserve, it's not a nice place to be right now.

Personally I think you'd be mad to try it in this market, sit tight and wait for things to improve.

Should I go contracting ?