Too Picky?

[cojak]

Oh Dear

I think one of problems may be that I am being too picky

No sh1t Sherlock...

This boy's in La La Land.

Look - unless you have very marketable skills you can forget this commuting/£300pa Diva routine for your 1st contract.

I was a successful (permie & contract) trainer with desirable skills and certificates coming out of my ears that counted for diddly squat when I wanted into a real life contract doing what I'd been training.

In order to get my first real contract I had to:

1) Accept any faintly related contract that gave me a foot in the door
2) Work away from home as my 1st contract was too far to commute
3) Not have expenses as they were looking for a local
and finally
4) Accept £100 per day less than I would have got as a trainer.

The contract was for 3 months as well. I couldn't afford it to be any longer but when I said I wasn't renewing my contract another manager in the same company took me on and doubled my daily rate (and paid exes).

The rest, as they say, is history

So you'll be sitting on yer arse for a while unless you really want to be a contractor.

[cojak]

Oh, and one more thing

I'd be interested in knowing the circumstances people left their last permie job to get into contracting?

I had a novel approach - I had to give 3 months notice, so guess what?

I handed in my notice without having a contract to go to .

I found one 1 week before I left the company..

Sheesh, permies...

[Mordac]

I've been contracting since 1992 and I've never been offered any more than 3 months up front. Of course, I've had renewals, and my longest stint at one client was 2.5 yrs (with a break in between) so don't assume 3 months = 3 months. You need to get realistic, otherwise you're better off staying permie.

[MarillionFan]

"Look - unless you have very marketable skills you can forget this commuting/£300pa Diva routine for your 1st contract."

Couldnt agree more. You're a little diva arent you. Why dont you ask the client about training and paid holiday while you're at it. Maybe your own office. Sheesh!

1992! Mordac, you started contracting at 35 then???? Very late.

[DimPrawn]

Cojak you're such a nasty girl.

I really do like you

[oraclesmith]

OK, here's a slightly unconventional but possible solution re. your notice period problem :-

Explain your situation with your boss and do them a deal to end your permanent employment and make you a contractor at your own firm. If you set a rate which doesn't put them out of pocket and you get the contract right, then you get to make the transition to contracting without too much pain. Your firm gets to keep your services for one or more three month stints with the option of renewing you if your still popular. If they don't like the idea, they don't have to proceed with it. If they do proceed, make sure your 'resignation' is conditional on signing the first three month contract.

If you've misjudged their reaction then bad luck - they probably can't sack you because you haven't done anything wrong. You need to be sure of your firms policy on dismissal but employment law is pretty tough on firms nowadays.

You're not really going anywhere so you can afford to offer them a good rate that roughly matches the actual cost to their budget of your employment (ie, your internal recharge rate or at least gross salary plus their employment overheads like their NI and pension conts). Remember that there is no agency involved, so the fee they pay is the fee you get, which is not the same as agency contracts where the agent gets whatever margin they can get away with. This makes you cheaper than the equivalent agency contractor and about the same bottom line cost as a replacement permie but without all the line management needed. Once you get the idea of contracting, then you can decline a renewal and get on with it elsewhere.

A project manager colleague of mine actually did this and stayed for on about a year. I also did it, but the difference was that the firm came to me to ask me for a contract stint some time after I had decided to leave. One downside is that colleagues might get jealous because they think you're earning megabucks for doing the same job as you used to.

[cojak]

Telling off costs nothing.

Spanking costs an extra £200 ph...

[reddog]

Ok point taken, I am being to picky, I will:

1) Look in South East
2) Look for 3 month contracts
3) Look at reducing rates (though this is a slight issue as the whole point of contracting for me is to earn a reasonable amount more than I am currently earning)
4) Look at ways to reduce my notice period - I think this is really holding me back - thanks for some good advice Oraclesmith - I guess ultimatley I may have to ressign from one job without having having a contract lined up.

The odd thing is I have discussed the situation with former contractors that I know and they seemed to think I was on the right tracks (one of them even suggested - make sure you get a 6 months contract to start with). From this the only conclusions I can draw are either:

1) They did'nt want to tell me I was stark raving mad to my face

or

2) By saying £300 per day was unrealitic, they would be saying contracting was'nt the bonanza they had previously suggested

NB They were former contractors so maybe I was seeking advice from the wrong people

[BlasterBates]

The chances of you staying close to home are well quite frankly "zilch", if you want the right contract, if however you're prepared to slum it, i.e. do crappy work at a low rate from time to time then possibly yes you can probably keep going on local contracts.

[Diestl]

Ok point taken, I am being to picky, I will:


3) Look at reducing rates (though this is a slight issue as the whole point of contracting for me is to earn a reasonable amount more than I am currently

2) By saying £300 per day was unrealitic, they would be saying contracting was'nt the bonanza they had previously suggested

You first contract may only last 3-6 months at the initial lower rate, then once you have experience and short notice you can push it up! You don't have to remain on that rate forever!