Comparing contract to perm rate / salary

[malvolio]

You might argue that a real contractor doesn't take permie roles...

Like I said, different people have different motivations. I can earn more as a permie with less stress and more support, but don't. Wonder why?

[Olly]

You might argue that a real contractor doesn't take permie roles...

Like I said, different people have different motivations. I can earn more as a permie with less stress and more support, but don't. Wonder why?

...errr why?

[Wanderer]

At £650 I'd say it's a no brainer to take the contract but knowing that's likely to be temporary, £80k perm seems to stack up well (i.e. better overall) against £450p/d

Personally, I would take it. There is always the chance you will be boomed and the £650/day contract will run and run...

£650/day is about £9,000 per month net for a typical 21 day working month. Even dropping to £450/day you would net about £6,800. That presumes you are outside IR35 and there is also an opportunity to contribute to a pension or income split with a spouse if yours doesn't work.

Don't forget that you will not work a full 12 months per year at these rates (I budget for 2 months off per year) and you will have to cover unemployment, sickness, holidays, pension etc and there may be additional expenses if you are working in London.

[malvolio]

...errr why?

Because I don't like being controlled by managers who know less than me; because I want to manage what I do with all my income; because I want to be able to take time off as needed by me, not them; because I want better options for pensions saving; because I gave up on valuing career plans, company car schemes, personnel assessments and bonus schemes years ago; because I get bored to tears after two years in the same office; because I only want to work for a company that I own...

Because I'm a freelance contractor.

HTH. BIDI

[SteelyDan]

Because I don't like being controlled by managers who know less than me; because I want to manage what I do with all my income; because I want to be able to take time off as needed by me, not them; because I want better options for pensions saving; because I gave up on valuing career plans, company car schemes, personnel assessments and bonus schemes years ago; because I get bored to tears after two years in the same office; because I only want to work for a company that I own...

Because I'm a freelance contractor.

^ precisely!

Oh, and don't forget corporate culture 5hite...

[BlasterBates]

In your position I would stay with the perm, that is assuming you are living around the corner.

If you go to London you'll have all the travel costs, and you'll be doing a much longer week, due to the travel and extra 5 hours.

I think it will be difficult to keep going on the 650 day rate.

You also need to evaluate whether it will be more interesting; my experience is once you've been there for 3 months you've learnt it and the job is just routine.

[tpsman]

^ precisely!

Oh, and don't forget corporate culture 5hite...

About the corporate culture tulipe - as a contractor, is there not just a change in corporate culture, rather than getting rid of it completely. For example, permie staff getting pissed off at contractors coming in, earning far more than them but still needing information from them for various tasks, or working with other contractors who are trying to keep a stranglehold on a cushy contract, or working with people who are desperate not to be seen as incompetent (whether they are or not).


p.s. I'm new to the contracting scene, but I've been a consultant on dozens of projects over the past few years.

[Wanderer]

About the corporate culture tulipe - as a contractor, is there not just a change in corporate culture, rather than getting rid of it completely.

Definitely true. Switching from permie to contracting you just swap one type of tulipe for another. On balance, I prefer dealing with the contractor tulipe though.

[malvolio]

p.s. I'm new to the contracting scene, but I've been a consultant on dozens of projects over the past few years.

Nuff said. Clearly you haven't worked with a professional contractor...

Dealing with (or ignoring!) misguided permies goes with the territory. As I have said before, my job is being a freelance contractor, not the various roles I have filled, and I do it as best I can. If a permie can't deal with that then he can either try contracting himself if he's good enough, or otherwise recognise we are in completely different jobs.

[tpsman]

Nuff said. Clearly you haven't worked with a professional contractor...

Dealing with (or ignoring!) misguided permies goes with the territory. As I have said before, my job is being a freelance contractor, not the various roles I have filled, and I do it as best I can. If a permie can't deal with that then he can either try contracting himself if he's good enough, or otherwise recognise we are in completely different jobs.

I've had to deal with many misguided permies and misguided contractors in previous roles. I've dealt with a lot of professional contractors who just want to get the project done to time and budget (or at least have acted convincingly like they want that).

I'm intrigued as to how my experience as a consultant is going to be different to being a contractor.

Anyway, I've derailed this thread enough as it is...

As for "tulipe", I have no idea what I had originally input into predictive text on my mobile to get that...