[IT] PHP Web developer London

**MyUserName** · 3 April 2013, 09:01

I am a developer but not in Web stuff, here is my opinion: I would estimate your chance at getting contract work as being very close to zero, especially with the market the way it is.

Generally contractors are expected to be experienced experts who can hit the ground running and do the job well with minimal assitance. Clients are not normally interested in training a contractor, they are not going to expend time and money into someone whom they know will be leaving in a few months.

You are probably going to be competing with people who have decades of experience in this field, know these technologies (and related ones) inside out and can demonstrate a successful track record.

Who would you hire?

**SueEllen** · 3 April 2013, 10:16

Do yourself a favour and get some more experience under your belt in permanent roles.

This will help you:
a. Meet more people
b. Increase your soft skill set

Development work can be sent abroad so one of the only reasons to have it done in the UK is because the person understands how to interact with the business to give them what they want with minimum fuss.

Finally lots of people progress on from development roles to something else more lucrative in IT but being a contractor limits your career progression and as you are going to retire around 70, it's a probably a good idea to progress your career before contracting as PHP is unlikely to be around when your 70.

**jamesbrown** · 3 April 2013, 10:21

Aside from the above comments on securing work, you also need to think about your long-term professional development. Your clients won't be paying to (re)skill you and contract work can be monotonous; your ability to secure interesting work will depend partly on your reputation (ability to refuse the crap). A shift to contracting at your age may be detrimental to your overall career prospects.

**northernladuk** · 3 April 2013, 10:47

Maybe a cultural thing as well but 4 years commercial experience when you are 21 won't be as useful as you think. That time is more learning about business/industry etc rather than good solid experience that you can bring to a client. They will still see you as a bit of a newbie rather than an experienced head that can add value.

I would say you are on a bit of a wish and a prayer at the moment.

**cold** · 3 April 2013, 12:23

First of all, thanks to all of you guys for opinions and help.

In a word, I've got a cold shower ;-) Happens.

Answering the question who would hire me: I don't know because I don't know what exactly I should know. I have 4.5 commercial experience in web dev, programming I started learning about 8 years ago (created also few non-commercial desktop applications), have about 50 websites / portals / web apps done for my private clients when worked as freelancer (starting to work being 17 I had school as well so full time wasn't possible).
Currently in London at work I do websites / wordpress / eCommerce / (I code both back-end and front-end), etc and don't have any problems with learning new things like little extending core of platforms I have never used before or just daily using them quite confidently, also fixing issues and modifying bits/modules in projects I see first time. I can say that I have a good willingness to learn and it comes easy to me as I'm not newbie and can program in many languages (language is just a tool in programming).

I know that anyway my knowledge and experience are not enough to get a contract job, but I really do wanna pick up skills as much as possible in as short time as possible

For example just started learning a PHP framework Symfony2 (I'm thinking about Zend Framework as well).
I know now it's not possible, but maybe in next 6 months / 1 year of hard work? (I'd like to become an expert in Symfony2, etc. in the nearest weeks I'm starting some large[not big, not huge, but not small] project using it)

Could you guys describe more how cotract job looks like I mean some examples of projects etc? Just to get known what sort of them it is and yours roles there.
Maybe do you have friends who work as contract web developers?

Thank you again.

**northernladuk** · 3 April 2013, 14:57

Originally posted by cold View Post

I know now it's not possible, but maybe in next 6 months / 1 year of hard work? (I'd like to become an expert in Symfony2, etc. in the nearest weeks I'm starting some large[not big, not huge, but not small] project using it).

1 year of work doesn't make you an industry tested expert in your field. Nor does one project using whatever. You are up against people that have done many years of solid experience and not including whatever they did in their bedrooms between the ages of 13 and 18. Even commenting on that shows a level of naivety that isn't going to help you I am afraid. That type of experience might be good if you are looking for a Saturday job over here but not to be a contractor.

**MyUserName** · 3 April 2013, 14:58

I have not had contracts in web development. All of mine have been writing trading systems for investment banks. Generally I come in and they point me towards a PC and I setup and install bits I need, get told what needs to be done and start doing it. Once I had to write the automated trade verification section of a trade capture system, once I did the trade processing section.

As for what you should know, this is actually secondary - the question is what you can prove that you know?

Your problem with getting a contract will be your lack of experience - even if you are the best programmer in the world it is unlikely you will get the chance to show that as agents will look at someone who has done this for years longer, see that they have an established track record with clients they recognise and put them forward for the role instead as they are a safer bet.
Even if an agent put you forward the client would go through the same thinking process (you might be awesome but you might not be whereas someone who has done this job before is a far safer bet) and will pick them.

I was told I had a contract once by the client in an investment bank and got dropped at the last hour because someone who had done the same thing they needed doing there but in a different bank got in on the act. He had the experience and track record whereas I did not, at least not as much. They would have been unwise to overlook him for me (much as I was frustrated I could not argue their logic).

**captainham** · 3 April 2013, 15:17

Only after 13 years and umpteen projects did I feel confident enough to go freelance; some are made of sterner stuff and don't need so long, but if you have to ask about it on here, I'd suggest you don't fall into that category.

If you can stand on your own and rely on nothing but your own experience and knowledge then you're halfway there, but I think you have a way to go yet.

But by all means don't listen to anyone on here if you don't want to...we're all different so you should do what you think is right for you. Only you can be the judge of this, ultimately.

Just promise to come back and tell us how it went

**cold** · 4 April 2013, 11:21

Thanks!

It sounds much harder I thought it is.

Really do I have to have 10+yrs experience and be mega-expert to get any contract job (in web dev)?
I'm carrying on with that because on different forum I've found slightly different opinions:
programmers. stackexchange.com/questions/18349/the-number-of-years-experience-needed-to-be-a-contract-developer - freelancing - The number of years experience needed to be a contract developer - Programmers Stack Exchange
What do you reckon?

[IT] PHP Web developer London