Too Picky?

[Cowboy Bob]

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

Getting into contracting for the money is the wrong attitude IMO. Yes, experienced contractors do make a lot of money (note that experience of contracting is not the same as experience of a particular technology). The whole point of contracting is about the freedom and the lifestyle.

And definitely expect lifestyle changes. Don't expect to be able to work close to where you live for a start. If you own your own house, be prepared to spend many week nights in hotels. I used to do this, but now I'm renting places and following the contracts.

[partimer]

be a business

Agreeing with the Cowboy here.
Too many newbies think only of the money. Yes it is important but what's more important is the market. You have to constantly keep your skills in line with the market place otherwise you'll be sitting at home twiddling your thumbs. Be flexible.
E.g. If you were a cobol developer living in Scotland, how many cobol contracts are there in Glasgow (bad example but highlights what I'm saying) ?

Also, think more like a business. Look at the long term.
One contract on 40 ph for 6 months or one 12 month contract on 30 ph ?
Loss leaders and all that.

Good luck.

[lukemg]

Anyone doing this kind of work ? What is the going rate for Unix sysadmins ?
300 a day is a healthy chunk of cash and seems optimistic to me outside the city trough..

[oraclesmith]

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

May I respectfully suggest that the most likely reason that your former contractor mates have suggested you be so cautious is that they have been stung by the contract world in the past and because of this have now turned to safe, reliable permanent employment. They also might have been contracting in better times where there was less competition and less outsourcing abroad.

What they're saying is 'you have a nice steady job and you have all the time in the world to look for something else, so why give it all up for a contract which is less than 100% perfect for you?'. Also because they're your mates, they don't want to be responsible for the outcome if you did something risky. How would they feel if they said just chuck it in and go - and then you ended up spending months on the bench.

This idea might work had you been on a normal sort of notice period and/or were living in East London or Surrey or had some unique skill or experience, but you might be waiting a very very long time because all the while there are similarly qualified contractors applying for the same contracts, they will always get first go. Depends on how much you want to do it.

[Mustang]

I agree with the comments about lifestyle. I have so much freedom now during my 2 years as a contractor - more than I ever did as a permie. As it is a business to business to relationship, I call the shots more - can't imagine anyone telling a plumber they had to be in your house for a certain amount of time to fix something!

If you are intent on waiting for that perfect contract (which may never come) ensure you spend the time wisely. Set up bank accounts, register your company name (if you go that route), get an accountant and finally: learn about running a business. HMRC do great 1 day courses as do Business Link. Ensure that you are comfortable with handling the day to day aspects now so that when you land your first contract you can focus on it and not have to worry about getting the admin - all you need do is inform your accountant you have started trading!

Finally, use the time to start thinking like a business and remember: You are what you negotiate!

Good luck!!

[cojak]

Chris Moyles this morning

did a comic (but telling) skit this morning about how much money his lacky's would accept for going into Celebrity BB.

Comedy Dave was complaining that he woz' robbed 'cos he would only get 12k while Aled accepted 50k and Dominic wouldn't get out of bed for less than 250K.

Since Dave accepted 12k instead of holding out for more everybody laughed at him...

(Well I thought it was funny, anyway...)

[Robwg]

Getting into contracting for the money is the wrong attitude IMO. Yes, experienced contractors do make a lot of money (note that experience of contracting is not the same as experience of a particular technology). The whole point of contracting is about the freedom and the lifestyle.

You see - I have been contracting for 3 years and I don't really agree with this statement. The lifestyle is nice(ish) - but the bucks are why I do it. I can't understand why anyone would want to live out of hotel 50% of the time.

[Mr Crosby]

You see - I have been contracting for 3 years and I don't really agree with this statement. The lifestyle is nice(ish) - but the bucks are why I do it. I can't understand why anyone would want to live out of hotel 50% of the time.

You obviously aren't married with 2 kids.

[Mordac]

I can't understand why anyone would want to live out of hotel 50% of the time.

You're not married, I take it...

[Robwg]

You obviously aren't married with 2 kids

You know I was about to go into one about you not reading my mail - and then I actually twigged what you mean :-)

Ummm - well - I guess if you are that way inclined.