Considering Contracting - is it worth it ?

**Fleetwood** · 22 February 2006, 10:52

This guy's a troll......... isn't he?

**thorpen** · 22 February 2006, 10:54

Thanks for your constructive help...

**malvolio** · 22 February 2006, 10:56

Don't go contract on the expectation of dictating where you work, it won't happen! That said, plenty of work in and around London for most skills so you could be lucky. £38k is roughly equivalent to £40 an hour - are your technical skills up to meeting that? Check out Jobserve to do some rate comparisons.

And before anyone else says it, read the first time guides on here and at www.pcg.org.uk - you must find out how much you don't know that you need to before giving up a real job!

**ratewhore** · 22 February 2006, 11:18

As for seeing more of your family, I'm sure there are those on this board with some useful experience of contracting away from home etc etc etc...

**eternalnomad** · 22 February 2006, 11:33

Originally posted by thorpen

Hi Guys,

I am currently in a permanent role earning around £38k - fed up with travelling - missing family life. Am considering contracting so I can pick and choose where I work.

Would I be better off financially by contracting - I live in the south east so would probably look to contract in London.

Any feedback would be very welcome.

Thanks,

Nick.

Hi Nick,

if you are away from your family in your current role then to me it suggests that much of the work in your particular market is away from where you reside (or why else would your employer spend money on hotels and subsistence plus the hassles of an unhappy employee ?)

That being the case, I suggest you seriously look at your target market and determine if you honestly can get sufficient work of the right quality which is commutable from home - if you can then why cant your current employer ?

I am not trying to be "smart" but speaking as a contractor who has spent the past umpteen years away from family (take a look at my user ID !!!)

**expat** · 22 February 2006, 11:40

Originally posted by eternalnomad

... speaking as a contractor who has spent the past umpteen years away from family (take a look at my user ID !!!)

Mine was alread taken

**VectraMan** · 22 February 2006, 11:59

Originally posted by malvolio

£38k is roughly equivalent to £40 an hour

I know there's lots of long threads about this, but I think that's a little misleading. £40 per hour will be about double the take home pay of £38K permie as long as you can keep working. I agree that taking into account all the other perks of permanent employment it's not that simple, but not everyone has all those perks (I didn't). The issue is if you can keep working, and that depends on what skill(s) you have.

**XLMonkey** · 22 February 2006, 12:23

Originally posted by thorpen

Would I be better off financially by contracting - I live in the south east so would probably look to contract in London.

yes

**ratewhore** · 22 February 2006, 12:27

Originally posted by XLMonkey

yes

and no...

HTH.

Considering Contracting - is it worth it ?