Potential Newbee Here!

[Spartacus73]

I'm thinking about becoming an IT contractor. I'm currently employed though my position will be made redundant over the next few months. As I have been looking for new opportunities I've been 'knocking back' contract offers as I've hoped to find permanent work.

Though i've come to realise that I'm more suited to contract work that i initially thought. Some of the disadvantages generally mentioned are:

• No guaranteed long-term income - I'd be confident of finding continuous work, but I keep my outgoings managed and don't have any long term financial burden.
  
  Less Job Security - Again i'd manage if things temporarily weren't working.
  
  No holiday/sick pay - That isn't worrying to me.
  
  Paperwork - Not afraid to put time into the paperwork.

Though I've had plenty of discussions with Recruiters and i've found a host of opportunities I'm still not sure of how many continuous work contracts that are out there. My background is IT Support and I feel i've got all the right characteristics for this type of work.

If anyone could offer some advice or guidance on this it would be a great help. What advice would you give to a potential new contractor? Thanks

[Quagmire]

1. Read this forum - I have found that reading this forum a month or so before switching to contracting has given me a great advantage over other newbie contractors, as I already knew about:

- how to respond to agents asking for two references before putting your CV forward
- agent's other tricks and games
- which accountant to choose
- how to properly set up and manage my co.

etc. etc.

2. Get on with it. You will know fairly soon whether or not you have got it in you.

[Spartacus73]

I'm pretty confident I have it within me! Contracting seems to be the way forward I think. Still plenty of research to do and thankfully plenty of resources out there to help.

[lukemg]

Contracting is the way forward BUT IT support ISNT - Find something else or plan to or you will be earning buttons and humping kit round site on a trolley, that's not cool at 20 but when you are 40.....

[Wanderer]

If anyone could offer some advice or guidance on this it would be a great help. What advice would you give to a potential new contractor?

There is a lot to learn, a lot of us had to learn it the hard way.

I wrote up a list of noobie contractor mistakes a while ago. Some of these are from my own experience of making mistakes and others are from mistakes I've seen other people make.

Have a read of that and good luck. Enthusiasm is the main ingredient.