Career at a crossroads

[adam42]

I stopped contracting 4 years ago to work on my own IT-related business idea, after working as a software developer for 10 years. My business has finally run into the sand though and I am now getting back into the software developer job market again. I need to make decisions about what I do, where I live and work, how much I want to earn - and preferably make those decisions rationally rather based on emotions (which are so easy to see in hindsight but often unrecognised at the point of decision).

The main issues in no particular order are:

- I'm based in London so good rates of pay on offer but house prices stink

- I have 2 kids in nursery school, so they might be better off growing up outside London.

- I'm about to hit 50 in a couple of years so I reckon on having max 20 years to earn money

- I have no house or pension worth speaking of, let alone child ISAs for the kids since I sank my capital into my business instead

- my partner works and won't give it up but can also relocate with me if that's what it comes down to

Feb & March were dead calm and I got no interviews at all so I've had some time to mull over the options. Due to a spike in interest from recruiters this last fortnight I'm now in a situation where I've got job offers to choose from and I need to make a decision which one to take by Tuesday (after the Bank Holiday).

These are my main questions:

1. After 50 I won't get decent offers anymore as a contractor if interviewers think someone in their thirties will always be a better option - time to go permanent? (And what about when I hit 60? Any sixty-year-olds happily contracting?)

2. My CV looks rubbish to a lot of recruiters who don't like to hear how or what I did for my own business and needs a good current position to improve it when I come to interview again

3. I want my kids to have the best childhood we can give them, not sure if living in London is compatible with that but if I earned enough we might be able to afford a second home by a beach in Gower / Cornwall etc or at least fab holidays

4. if I earned enough, I could salvage some of what I did for my business and bring on board a student programmer to take my ideas further (the business only failed to work out since I ran out of money to pay the rent).

5. I need to establish a more stable way of life for sake of my relationship with my partner and my children! i.e. to stop earning again in order to work on my business is not a popular option

These are what I see as my options based on offers and potential offers I might get:

(a) go for a £300pd contract in a coastal town, assume I can afford to buy a house out of town, great for the kids and contract project is interesting and potentially long running

(b) go for a permanent job in London where there's potential to move out of town and commute, looking at £60K pa, again interesting business-wise, could never afford a house where I live in London now but could afford one out in the sticks

(c) go for a contract in a town just outside the M25 at £400pd, nice colleagues, potentially long-running, but dull work, not much in the way of rate-earning skills to put on my CV afterwards

(d) really low paid contract in finance / City, but would beef up the CV and looks like a way to increase my rate and earning potential in finance as a contractor up to the £500 £550 pd realm

(e) contract in Switzerland in financial front office at a bank, definitely fab for the CV in terms of future well-paid work in City in future, possibly worth a year away from the family

Sorry if this didn't read well, but I found it difficult trying to distill it all down into a decent readable post. Hopefully a few of you reading this will have some input, whether it be opinions, stuff I've forgotten or left out of the equation, or just further questions to get me to define what I'm asking better!

Thanks.

[SpontaneousOrder]

I like the last sentence of number 4 the best

[stek]

What do you mean by offers? Contract in front of you or 'we'll put you forward'?

[tractor]

I stopped contracting 4 years ago to work on my own IT-related business idea, ...

These are my main questions:

1. After 50 I won't get decent offers anymore as a contractor if interviewers think someone in their thirties will always be a better option - time to go permanent? (And what about when I hit 60? Any sixty-year-olds happily contracting?) I am 58 and don't experience any of what you are describing AFAICT

2. My CV looks rubbish to a lot of recruiters who don't like to hear how or what I did for my own business and needs a good current position to improve it when I come to interview again. Not true, a lot of recruiters are rubbish, just plug away, what you did for your own Plan B is very relevant (even if you don't advertise how badly it may have ended)

3. I want my kids to have the best childhood we can give them, not sure if living in London is compatible with that but if I earned enough we might be able to afford a second home by a beach in Gower / Cornwall etc or at least fab holidays Don't we all?

4. if I earned enough, I could salvage some of what I did for my business and bring on board a student programmer to take my ideas further (the business only failed to work out since I ran out of money to pay the rent). You didn't learn the first time then?

5. I need to establish a more stable way of life for sake of my relationship with my partner and my children! i.e. to stop earning again in order to work on my business is not a popular option So don't even consider it then.

These are what I see as my options based on offers and potential offers I might get:

(a) go for a £300pd contract in a coastal town, assume I can afford to buy a house out of town, great for the kids and contract project is interesting and potentially long running

(b) go for a permanent job in London where there's potential to move out of town and commute, looking at £60K pa, again interesting business-wise, could never afford a house where I live in London now but could afford one out in the sticks

(c) go for a contract in a town just outside the M25 at £400pd, nice colleagues, potentially long-running, but dull work, not much in the way of rate-earning skills to put on my CV afterwards

(d) really low paid contract in finance / City, but would beef up the CV and looks like a way to increase my rate and earning potential in finance as a contractor up to the £500 £550 pd realm

(e) contract in Switzerland in financial front office at a bank, definitely fab for the CV in terms of future well-paid work in City in future, possibly worth a year away from the family

Sorry if this didn't read well, but I found it difficult trying to distill it all down into a decent readable post. Hopefully a few of you reading this will have some input, whether it be opinions, stuff I've forgotten or left out of the equation, or just further questions to get me to define what I'm asking better!

Thanks.

Why are you even thinking you have a choice between a..e above? Just get something that pays well and move on from there. Once you have built the warchest, then you can start to be a little choosy.

My advice, get your one foot out of the grave and start behaving like you are 35 again

[SueEllen]

These are my main questions:

1. After 50 I won't get decent offers anymore as a contractor if interviewers think someone in their thirties will always be a better option - time to go permanent? (And what about when I hit 60? Any sixty-year-olds happily contracting?)

The main issue you will have whether contract or permanent is having managers younger than you. This is probably easier as a contractor as they are paying for your skills and experience more than you to fit into their organisation.

Also it would help if you make yourself look as young as possible both on paper and in person. Then act younger.

2. My CV looks rubbish to a lot of recruiters who don't like to hear how or what I did for my own business and needs a good current position to improve it when I come to interview again

Rewrite your CV as if your business was a client/company you worked for.

3. I want my kids to have the best childhood we can give them, not sure if living in London is compatible with that but if I earned enough we might be able to afford a second home by a beach in Gower / Cornwall etc or at least fab holidays

I think your kids would rather see you around on weekday evenings, manage to get to their school plays etc rather than only have the weekend to see you. This would happen if you move away from a city/large town as it's more likely you would have to contract in London/SE for periods of time.

4. if I earned enough, I could salvage some of what I did for my business and bring on board a student programmer to take my ideas further (the business only failed to work out since I ran out of money to pay the rent).

If your business was such a great idea how come you didn't find anyone else to invest in it?

5. I need to establish a more stable way of life for sake of my relationship with my partner and my children! i.e. to stop earning again in order to work on my business is not a popular option

Well then you know what to do here.

These are what I see as my options based on offers and potential offers I might get:

(a) go for a £300pd contract in a coastal town, assume I can afford to buy a house out of town, great for the kids and contract project is interesting and potentially long running

(b) go for a permanent job in London where there's potential to move out of town and commute, looking at £60K pa, again interesting business-wise, could never afford a house where I live in London now but could afford one out in the sticks

(c) go for a contract in a town just outside the M25 at £400pd, nice colleagues, potentially long-running, but dull work, not much in the way of rate-earning skills to put on my CV afterwards

(d) really low paid contract in finance / City, but would beef up the CV and looks like a way to increase my rate and earning potential in finance as a contractor up to the £500 £550 pd realm

(e) contract in Switzerland in financial front office at a bank, definitely fab for the CV in terms of future well-paid work in City in future, possibly worth a year away from the family
.

Apply for all the contracts and see what you get offered, then discuss it with your partner. If your partner isn't happy or expresses any reservations about what you have been offered then don't do it unless you don't want a relationship..........

BTW there is no retirement age any more so if you haven't got any form of pension expect to be working at the likes of B&Q or as a handyman etc until you are too ill to work any more.

[socialworker]

Cant comment on the rest but as to the age thing, I went contracting for the first time at 57. Agents told me I had no chance, but when I went for it Ive never been out of work and am always offered extensions.

[zemoxyl]

I've got job offers to choose from and I need to make a decision which one to take by Tuesday (after the Bank Holiday).

Well either you have permie offers or contracts in your hand. So what is the immediate problem?

My CV looks rubbish to a lot of recruiters who don't like to hear how or what I did for my own business and needs a good current position to improve it when I come to interview again

See above. Your CV obviously looks good to someone.

4 years doing what though? Software development? If so, how could that be a hard sell if it's just another 4 years experience?

If you genuinely think your business idea is a runner, PM me : I'm cash rich, out of contract and in need of some inspiration.

From your whole text, I can only assume you have jumped into plan B without a substantial war-chest. I do feel for your position with the two nippers though. Been there done that.

[NickFitz]

My advice, get your one foot out of the grave and start behaving like you are 35 again

+1. I'm over 50 and I'm managing to get gigs without any trouble. Don't write yourself off just because you think other people will - clients want somebody who can do the job, and don't really give a damn about age in my experience.

I reckon age prejudice is something shown in recruitment of permies; when it comes to contractors, age confers a certain gravitas. More to the point, your decrepitude won't affect their private health scheme premiums, so they really don't care how old you are if you can do the job at the right rate

[Pogle]

+1. I'm over 50 and I'm managing to get gigs without any trouble. Don't write yourself off just because you think other people will - clients want somebody who can do the job, and don't really give a damn about age in my experience.

I reckon age prejudice is something shown in recruitment of permies; when it comes to contractors, age confers a certain gravitas. More to the point, your decrepitude won't affect their private health scheme premiums, so they really don't care how old you are if you can do the job at the right rate

Yep, I agree with the Chimp

[Mehmeh]

Good advice from SueEllen, put those 4 years down as a client and you were doing contract work for them. Massage the skills in those 4 years to the role you're looking for now.

I'm in my 30s but have worked with quite a lot of guys contracting in their mid 50s the last few years. They're kept around and known as the go-to work their ass off guy. More so than a lot of the youngens.