How to find Part Time development/IT work?

[Raymond]

I've been working in the IT field now for 10 years. Originally trained as an Engineer, started out with C++ and have been a .Net specialist since beta. Currently seconded to a major city and working in the finance industry as freelance, I really feel like I've hit the glass ceiling. Have been contracting now for 5 years as the company politics and frustration of not being promoted and poor pay rises for excellent work but during the last decade of corporate cost cutting took its toll on my morale. Freelance made all the difference and I've had a very decorated career for good clients. What any Engineering student could ever dream of when starting out.

The problem is, it doesn't particularly make me happy. It's good work, and I enjoy the problem solving aspects of it and having something to do each day. However there is always a large overhead of non-technical work and dealing with poor managers etc. I guess the Engineering was always a bit of a mistake I made the best out of, and now having 10 years behind a computer hasn't done wonders for my health or eye sight.

In a nutshell I am in the process of retraining as a therapist and would like to open my own clinic. However, never having done this before, the fast pace IT skills outdate and the fact that all my experience and skills are non transferrable, I am a little worried.

Any ideas how I can find part time IT work as I build up my business? (it's incredibly hard to find freelancing work that doesn't require long hours and overtime). Or other ideas to make the transition easier, and perhaps back out if it financially doesn't work/or I have enough marketing skills?

I'd be interested to hear from people who have made a similar transition, successfully or unsuccessfully.

Many thanks,
Raymond

[d000hg]

I stumbled into several long term projects which were essentially work-from-home freelancing. But all through being active on various forums and seeing help-wanted posts... not through some strategy

[nomadd]

...I really feel like I've hit the glass ceiling.
...frustration of not being promoted and poor pay rises for excellent work
...the last decade of corporate cost cutting took its toll on my morale.
...doesn't particularly make me happy.
...dealing with poor managers etc.
...I guess the Engineering was always a bit of a mistake
...10 years behind a computer hasn't done wonders for my health or eye sight.
...I am a little worried.

In a nutshell I am in the process of retraining as a therapist

Raymond

Ray - you sound like you need a therapist. Seriously. If your own life is such a mess, how on earth can you believe you can sort someone else's out? (NB. Neg. Rep. button is on the left, BTW; it's the normal recourse for people on here who don't like straight-talking. )

Anyway...

If it was me, I'd simply bite-the-bullet and go for it full time. Just keep your head down in I.T. for a couple of years more and build up a war-chest to finance the new business for 2-3 years (if you haven't done this already.) In the interim, use holidays (bench-time, etc.) to do the training you'll need for the new career. If you hate I.T. that much, just drop it and go and pursue a life in something else. You only live once, and all that...

EDIT: Just thought I'd add that my own head is seriously messed-up from 23 years of contracting. But then I still enjoy I.T., so I must just be mad. Take that into account when listening to my advice above. Oh, and have you seen some of the people we get in the General forum? Might be a huge client base for you there...

[d000hg]

Ray - you sound like you need a therapist. Seriously. If your own life is such a mess, how on earth can you believe you can sort someone else's out?

To continue your off-topic... I think most/many therapists have been through therapy/counselling themselves. Perhaps they are the ones who understand how helpful it is.
All the people I know who have done therapy/counselling courses are somewhat fragile themselves, but I think that openness helps them.

[Raymond]

Nothing like being slapped down when asking for help

Really, my interest was how to get part time work for an ex front office c# dev

[nomadd]

Nothing like being slapped down when asking for help

Really, my interest was how to get part time work for an ex front office c# dev

Which part of this did you miss?

If it was me, I'd simply bite-the-bullet and go for it full time. Just keep your head down in I.T. for a couple of years more and build up a war-chest to finance the new business for 2-3 years (if you haven't done this already.) In the interim, use holidays (bench-time, etc.) to do the training you'll need for the new career. If you hate I.T. that much, just drop it and go and pursue a life in something else. You only live once, and all that...

And use the forum Search facility. Your question has been asked many times.

[FRS]

To be honest I think it'll be difficult to find part time work as a c# contractor. The only part time contractors I've ever met started off full time with their client and then slowly reduced their hours. Maybe that could be an option?

Personally I think you'd be better off building a war chest over the next couple of years, then take the plunge and do the therapist thing full time.

Which is exactly what I'm trying to do, plan is to pay off mortgage and build warchest, then leave IT behind before my back, eyes and sanity are completely gone. Unfortunately I have quite a few years left yet!

[cykophysh39]

I would agree with the others on this. Unfortunately the much hallowed part time gig, is a bit of a fallacy. I have tried numerous strategies to get this right, but unfortunately the path to the real money ends up with sitting at a desk in some office block.

I've tried Odesk, People Per Hour, freelancers.com and unless you're happy working for £10 an hour on a not so regular basis, and competing against the Asian Sub Continent and University students, then this is your ricket. But if you actually want to pay the bills and build up a war chest, contracting in the city is the only way!