Measuring Success - Bored and Asking for Trouble

[AnthonyQuinn]

I have been a contractor for over 8 years now and barring prolonged self imposed holidays, have never found myself on the bench for more than 3-4 weeks. I almost always find a gig waiting when I finish the last one and have never used an agency to find work for me (Mainly internal referrals).

Yet, at the same time, I am on the same rate as 7 years ago and have slipped way down in my successive clients' esteem of my skills. I was a decision influencer and business process designer but have gradually become a business analyst who simply documents stuff agreed beforehand. I have simply failed to step up or even stay at my previous levels of competence and skills.

Good warchest, poor work and self esteem. Don't know if this is common among contractors. Should I laugh or cry? Or simply keep my head down and keep invoicing even though am reduced to a glorified typist.

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

I have been a contractor for over 8 years now and barring prolonged self imposed holidays, have never found myself on the bench for more than 3-4 weeks. I almost always find a gig waiting when I finish the last one and have never used an agency to find work for me (Mainly internal referrals).

Yet, at the same time, I am on the same rate as 7 years ago and have slipped way down in my successive clients' esteem of my skills. I was a decision influencer and business process designer but have gradually become a business analyst who simply documents stuff agreed beforehand. I have simply failed to step up or even stay at my previous levels of competence and skills.

Good warchest, poor work and self esteem. Don't know if this is common among contractors. Should I laugh or cry? Or simply keep my head down and keep invoicing even though am reduced to a glorified typist.

It's very easy to get 'comfortable' if you are financially secure - this is going to sound very American but take yourself out of your comfort zone and have a listen to this guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV9uM3TLWag

[jmo21]

Yet, at the same time, I am on the same rate as 7 years ago and have slipped way down in my successive clients' esteem of my skills. I was a decision influencer and business process designer but have gradually become a business analyst who simply documents stuff agreed beforehand. I have simply failed to step up or even stay at my previous levels of competence and skills.

Could this be the reason? Accepting lower roles quickly to stay in work instead of waiting a bit longer for the right role?

have never found myself on the bench for more than 3-4 weeks. I almost always find a gig waiting when I finish the last one and have never used an agency to find work for me

[northernladuk]

You are a business and like any business you have to keep up with your market. Take the eye off the ball and your business goes down the pan. If you are car sales room for high quality expensive cars and you spend a couple of years selling bangers you have lost your market and reputation and will have to start again for example.

Depends on what you want to do and how much time and effort you want to put back in to it. If you want to skill back up you have to take it on the chin and fight your way back up. If you just want to take the next contract whatever then you have to live with it.

It's totally up to you, your business, your career.

[PEEL]

Are you bothered with the decline in enjoyment of what you do, or because you can't bill for more? I have only been working for a few years but I try to think of everything in terms of the future value of cash. I'd take a contract on a lower rate now if it could open doors later to something on a much higher rate.

It's the same concept in finance. Discount all your expected future cashflows back to a present value now, and then add on some sort of premium based on what you enjoy doing (this will vary from person to person). Go down the route that leads to the highest Present Value. Just my two cents.

[Cenobite]

I know how the OP feels.

I'm not blaming anyone else, it's down to me, but before I went contracting I had considerable career progression (I started my career on a well-regarded graduate scheme). Since going contracting five years ago my rates have been all over the place: last year I went from my lowest ever rate to my second highest. I never know what my next contract will bring in.

It makes me think I should have climbed the ladder for a bit longer as a permie before going contracting. In an employers' market you can't move into new areas on the strength of a course/certification alone. Getting a contract which is a bit of a stretch for your current skillset/experience is difficult now.

[eek]

Getting a contract which is a bit of a stretch for your current skillset/experience is difficult now.

you just don't know how to sell yourself well

[lukemg]

I recognise this feeling - If it's any cosolation, eventually you can't be bothered with all this advancement stuff, you just want the cash to finance your real life away from work.
In addition, all the permies scrabbling for the next rung while being paid buttons don't seem to be having fun either.
All things being equal there is a good argument to say delay your contracting until at a good level as this may well help you bounce into the better paid/less drudge type roles but the competition is pretty keen at that level too !
It is part of the contracting downside - you tend to be hired to do the same job as last time, although you do get the odd chance to push on (IF you can recognise this and take advantage, I see this is needed, I can do that etc)

[Cenobite]

you just don't know how to sell yourself well

Haha! I wonder that sometimes too!

[Cenobite]

Again, maybe I'm not being inventive enough but when I look at my CV, I had a lot of achievements before I went contracting, then nothing.

Now an achievement is low bench time and a high rate but that's not the sort of thing you put on a CV (albeit the bench time could be gathered from the dates). To an agent it must look like I had early promise then underachieved big time.

Oh well. Keep invoicing everyone! Kerching!