Welcome to our newest member, stupidcontractor

[sasguru]

I started my first contract after working as a dishwasher in a cafe. I just read .net for dummies and now I earn 1000 per day. I have no qualifications apart from a grade 3 CSE in woodwork.

Congratulations on the Woodwork CSE. At least you fully achieved your academic potential.

[Ardesco]

I started my first contract after working as a dishwasher in a cafe. I just read .net for dummies and now I earn 1000 per day. I have no qualifications apart from a grade 3 CSE in woodwork.

Bernard Comman is threaded and I claim my 5 pounds

[Jobberwacky]

I started my first contract after working as a dishwasher in a cafe. I just read .net for dummies and now I earn 1000 per day. I have no qualifications apart from a grade 3 CSE in woodwork.

I suppose it is something to think about between tricks.

[Cowboy Bob]

"So not a real contractor then."

AFAIK I am. Hopefully. Bit a bit to learn methinks.
Bit lucky really my Dads cousin works for a reccon agency and got me the work. Theyre taking a cut and paying us.

Ask yourself this simple question - "Am I self-employed?"

If the answer is no, you are not a contractor, but a consultant employed by a consultancy firm.

Just remember that since you've just left university, you literally know f*** all. If you understand this and learn from your peers, you'll go far.

I just hope for your sake that you haven't landed at Accidenture...

[IR35 Avoider]

To all those demeaning the worth of our young colleague...

In 1989, on my first contract, there were several recent graduates on-site who had gone from University to a months training course in the programming language in question to the client site, and were being charged to the client at a rate equivalent to 80K per year. It was a crappy illogical programming language the subtleties of which required experience rather than training before you could be good at it. (They would not have encountered it at University.)

Mitigating factors: the client was the government, and the graduates were permanent with the large consultancy that was supplying the majority of the department's IT staff.

[Judge Fred]

Just remember that since you've just left university, you literally know f*** all. If you understand this and learn from your peers, you'll go far.

I think my 1st says different Cowboy Bob.

I have noticed before how many of the contractors on here don't have degrees. I would have thought education and experience should go hand in hand, otherwise like me I assume you're just 'blagging it'?

[Cowboy Bob]

I think my 1st says different Cowboy Bob.

I have noticed before how many of the contractors on here don't have degrees. I would have thought education and experience should go hand in hand, otherwise like me I assume you're just 'blagging it'?

Actually, I have an MSc in Computer Science and 10 years experience on the ground.

And in that 10 years experience, I can tell you that I realised that 90% of the time my professors were talking out of their arses. They spend so much time in academia that they know nothing about the outside world. If you go into the industry thinking "I've got a 1st so I already know it all" you're going to land with a vary large bump.

Like I said, if you're willing to accept that you're green, really don't know it all, and are willing to learn from your more experienced peers, you'll go far.

[Pondlife]

Bob 1 - Newby 0

[Jobberwacky]

Don't worry Freddy, your intellectual calibre will shine through. You will notice the older contractors sitting in the corner chuckling inanely and smelling of rancid pis*. Fear not, rewrite their code, reorganise the source tree, use you youth and energy and these tired old blaggers will melt away.

[Judge Fred]

"Actually, I have an MSc in Computer Science and 10 years experience on the ground."

I think you will find that Computer Science degrees have changed greatly since the days of punch cards old timer

But I take your point.