Green grass (the life of a contractor?)

[SussexSeagull]

If you have a good network of connections, bankable skills and fancy the lifestyle then do it.

If you lack any of these, I wouldn't go into contracting anymore.

[PurpleGorilla]

Thanks for all the posts. My skill set is engineering in complex systems. Market rates seem to be 4-600 a day in the area, from what I've seen.

[tarbera]

Blah blah Blah

Here's the deal. With a bunch of qualifications including a doctorate and 12 years industry experience I think I am ready for the contact world.

If i stay where I am I get good pay (currently £60k p/a) and a generous final salary pension. But it feels the 'safe' choice.

Safe is good, I have a family and dependencies.

Am I mad to even think about leaving this sweet setup. I'm 35 and I feel like I have to decide the rest of my career right now!

Anyone else go through this, any advice you can pass on.

Thanks. PG

With a bunch of qualifications including a doctorate - No one will care in contracting world (ok perhaps 1% of clients), most will bin your CV if the see Dr on it

12 years industry experience - What have you delivered ???

[MyUserName]

I jumped into contracting partially because of the money but also because a series of bad experiences in permie land lead me to deciding no one was going to be in a position to make my life miserable at work anymore. If I start getting back stabbed etc. I just walk out of the door and don't come back. I had no warchest but had arranged with my father in law that he could cover us for a few months if we needed it. In my first month of contracting the payments went wrong every time for various reasons. If I did not have that cover then we would have been in trouble.

Seriously, problems do not just happen to someone else.

[NickNick]

I've been contracting for over 13 years. I did have one 3 month contract where I could commute every day (1 hour 40mins on the train) a few years ago, but apart from that I've always had to work away from home.

But because of that I've rarely been out of contract.

I've been contracting 10 years and never once had to work away from home. All my contracts have been within commuting distance (1h15m being the longest).

And becuase of that I've never been out of contract.

I guess what I'm saying here is that it's swings and roundabouts.

[SuPaStA]

I'm still a "newbie" in contracting terms, been doing it for three years now. Only had one contract which was barely "commutable" for 3 months and all my other contracts have been max 1hr30mins door 2 door since then. Though I guess it all depends where you are based (I'm in London).

Also I have not been a day without work, but maybe I'm just lucky.

[malvolio]

"Commutable" is a bit of a variable. Fine if you're in the London corner, where 70% of all contracts are to be found and you have a transport system that works. Not so fine if you prefer life in somewhere like Somerset...


That said, I'm at the point where I'm taking nothing that needs more than hour to get to, and preferably a lot less.

[NickNick]

"Commutable" is a bit of a variable. Fine if you're in the London corner, where 70% of all contracts are to be found and you have a transport system that works. Not so fine if you prefer life in somewhere like Somerset...


That said, I'm at the point where I'm taking nothing that needs more than hour to get to, and preferably a lot less.

I'm down Somerset way.

[yasockie]

If i stay where I am I get good pay (currently £60k p/a) and a generous final salary pension. But it feels the 'safe' choice.

Safe is good, I have a family and dependencies.

I made the reverse choice recently - moved to a 'safe' permie job with a good pension plan and slowly winding down some of my contract work.
Money wise I was able to earn more on contract but it was harder.

[lukemg]

Go for it, it's brilliant and if its not - go back perm, simples.....