How Contracting Has Changed

[angeleyes]

Just felt like sharing my contracting career to date. I first contracted in the late noughties. Gordon Brown was Prime Minister and New Labour was fading fast. I earned the princely sum of 200 pounds a day and used an umbrella (back then you could put expenses through an umbrella and ltd companies seemed a faff).

I then took on a permanent job as I naively thought I wanted career progression. I'd been contracting in the role and decided to go for it when permanent recruitment started for it. Big mistake. I literally did very little when I contracted there (literally one or two hours worth of work a day). As soon as I got made permanent I was deluged with stuff that had been piling up for months (the role has been vacant a long time and a whole series of contractors had been in and out).

I knuckled down and cleared the backlog. Then one by one various staff left, they weren't replaced and all their work was given to me. Eventually things came to a head when I was given a week's work and told it had to be done by 4 pm. I spoke to the shrew who gave me the ridiculous workload and she said she would discipline me if I didn't deliver. I immediately handed in my notice, then went on sick leave while my 3 month notice period expired.

I then returned to contracting where I've been ever since. The glory days for me were during the Lib Dem coalition. There was so many contracts available and I pretty much worked the whole 5 years during that time - literally finishing one contract on a Friday and starting a new one on a Monday.

Then we had the shock Tory win of 2015 and for some weird reason the party famous for looking after white van man and Essex man in the 1980s decided to go after their core voting demographic - the self-employed. Yes, I'm talking IR35.

I was quite lucky in that I still managed to get outside IR35 roles right up to just before the pandemic. Irony of ironies I happened to get my first inside IR35 role which meant I got furloughed in 2020 for six months. Literally 2 and a half grand a month to sit at home.

I had a very good post-pandemic contracting period from 2021. It felt like the old days again finishing one contract and starting another and (dare I whisper it) sometimes overlapping the end and start dates by doing two (remote) jobs simultaneously (yes I actually did two different team meetings on Teams with one set of headphones in one ear and the second set of headphones in the other ear).

Alas the last two years have been terrible. It's been next to impossible finding contracts (yet the job boards have never had so much work available - is it really all fake jobs by agencies harvesting CVs?)

Rates have been an absolute joke (I've seen highly skilled contracts for a hundred a day - which is basically minimum wage).

I've had two huge gaps recently (8 months a piece) and little short 10 week contracts. Agents have been insufferably snooty about my "employment gaps". Sometimes I wonder what bubble those people live in.

My current contract is an absolute nightmare. My current manager is forever running off at the mouth about how expensive I am (350 through an umbrella is not "expensive" love). There's a huge backload of work because they held off so long getting a contractor in (the permies as usual were busy having babies, going on day release courses, having their three months sick leave every year etc). To make matters worse there's a huge underspend in their budget due to vacancies and not using contractors - and all that money gets lost end of March as the budget doesn't carry over.

Did I mention the huge backload in work? I don't know why the powers that be can't recognise the mess they've made of everything by going after the flexible workforce and their naivety that permies will pick up the slack.

I'm seriously considering early retirement now. I made some very good property investments plus have a small pension built up. I could cash in and give two fingers to the lot of them.

[northernladuk]

Can someone translate this in to a few sentences using words no longer than 6 letters please?

[Paddy]

Can someone translate this in to a few sentences using words no longer than 6 letters please?

As put through Ai

What a long and eventful career the writer has had as a contractor!

Here's a summary of their journey:

**Early Days (late 2000s)**

* Started contracting, earning £200/day, with expenses claimed through an umbrella company
* Experienced the decline of New Labour and the rise of the Lib Dem coalition

**Permanent Job (briefly)**

* Took a permanent job, thinking it would lead to career progression
* Found the workload overwhelming and the role understaffed
* Left after a year, fed up with the unrealistic expectations and workload

**Back to Contracting (2010s)**

* Returned to contracting, enjoying a booming market during the Lib Dem coalition
* Worked extensively, often finishing one contract and starting another on the same day
* Faced the introduction of IR35, making outside IR35 contracts harder to come by

**Challenges (2015-2021)**

* Furloughed during the pandemic for 6 months, earning £2,500/month
* Experienced a good post-pandemic contracting period, finishing contracts quickly and sometimes overlapping them
* Saw rates plummet, with some contracts paying as little as £100/day
* Faced difficulties finding contracts, despite job boards having plenty of available work

**Current Challenges (2021-present)**

* Struggling to find contracts, with some agents being unsupportive due to employment gaps
* Working on a nightmare contract with a large backload of work and an underspent budget
* Considering early retirement due to the difficulties and stress of contracting

Overall, the writer has had a rollercoaster career as a contractor, experiencing both highs and lows. They've adapted to changing market conditions and government policies, but are now feeling burnt out and considering a change of direction.

(Open Ai)

Open Ai Humorous response version:

Well, it sounds like your contracting saga could fill the pages of a best-selling novel, possibly alongside a survival guide on how to endure the wild jungle that is the modern workplace! Here's some humorously sincere advice for your next steps:

1. **Contractor Confessions:** You’ve navigated through so many ups and downs in your contracting life that you have enough material for a TED Talk. Imagine the audience’s faces as you share your tales of corporate misadventures. “And this bewitching backload? Oh, it’s like a never-ending buffet of work that no one’s invited me to!”

2. **Umbrella Superhero Costume:** Speaking of umbrellas, maybe it’s time to don a superhero cape with a giant “U” on it to symbolize your umbrella company era. Who knew shielding yourself from rain meant also shielding your bank account from both tax rules and terrible managers?

3. **IR35 Blame Games:** If you were to write a letter to the government about IR35, you could include a clever little tagline: “Thank you for making my career feel like a game of Musical Chairs, except everyone else is seated and I keep tripping over the lyrics!”

4. **Dual-Headphone Strategy:** You should market yourself as a “remote working guru.” You’ve practically mastered the art of having two meetings at once! You could even offer courses on how to juggle Zoom calls; you could call it “The Art of the Double Dip” – just don’t spill any coffee on your laptop during the demo.

5. **Dream Job Application:** Considering early retirement, why not apply for the job of “Professional Disgruntled Ex-contractor”? Fatalistic resignation could be the new wave, and who doesn’t want to hold fancy meetings about how to avoid meetings?

6. **Throwing Shade:** When your current manager talks about how “expensive” you are, why not respond with a dramatic pause followed by, “Well, darling, all great personalities come at a price. And clearly, this project has me feeling deflated – no budget carries over for the sheer drama of this mess!” Who knew work could become a Guess Who character drama?

7. **Property Investment Focus:** You’ve made some savvy property investments. Why not consider opening a “Contractor’s Retreat” – a place where outside IR35 folks can relax and vent about their work woes over a cocktail named “The Wobbly Wage”?

8. **Exit Strategy:** If you decide to dip your toes into retirement, just remember to stage a dramatic exit. Use confetti, a fog machine, and a small brass band. Walk out of that office like you’re leaving a stage after a standing ovation, yelling, “You’ll miss me when I’m gone!” They may not, but it’ll be the most memorable exit ever.

In the land of contracting, it seems like you’ve seen the heights of glory and the depths of drudgery. No matter what you choose next, just remember: you’ve left your mark on the battlefield of corporate chaos! Cheers to whatever comes next, whether it's retirement or simply a well-deserved sabbatical of not having to attend any more unproductive meetings!

[hobnob]

I spoke to the shrew who gave me the ridiculous workload and she said she would discipline me if I didn't deliver.

[..]

My current manager is forever running off at the mouth about how expensive I am (350 through an umbrella is not "expensive" love).

I might be reading too much into this, but I assume you wouldn't refer to a male manager as a "shrew". I'm also guessing that your current manager is female (hence referring to her as "love"). You're probably not saying that to their face, but they might pick up on your attitude - if you come across as "I don't want a woman telling me what to do" then that won't help your career prospects.

[TwoWolves]

It's not contracting that's gone to hell, it's the whole country. I think almost everyone now thinks the country is finished.

[WTFH]

It's not contracting that's gone to hell, it's the whole country. I think almost everyone now thinks the country is finished.

Thankfully it's not finished, but hopefully it will get better if we are given a chance rather than tax dodging doom-mongers talking it down all the time. Most of the media is owned by non-doms and foreign businesses and need to increase the profits for their shareholders, so they rely on doom scrolling.

[northernladuk]

As put through Ai

What a long and eventful career the writer has had as a contractor!

Here's a summary of their journey:

**Early Days (late 2000s)**

* Started contracting, earning £200/day, with expenses claimed through an umbrella company
* Experienced the decline of New Labour and the rise of the Lib Dem coalition

**Permanent Job (briefly)**

* Took a permanent job, thinking it would lead to career progression
* Found the workload overwhelming and the role understaffed
* Left after a year, fed up with the unrealistic expectations and workload

**Back to Contracting (2010s)**

* Returned to contracting, enjoying a booming market during the Lib Dem coalition
* Worked extensively, often finishing one contract and starting another on the same day
* Faced the introduction of IR35, making outside IR35 contracts harder to come by

**Challenges (2015-2021)**

* Furloughed during the pandemic for 6 months, earning £2,500/month
* Experienced a good post-pandemic contracting period, finishing contracts quickly and sometimes overlapping them
* Saw rates plummet, with some contracts paying as little as £100/day
* Faced difficulties finding contracts, despite job boards having plenty of available work

**Current Challenges (2021-present)**

* Struggling to find contracts, with some agents being unsupportive due to employment gaps
* Working on a nightmare contract with a large backload of work and an underspent budget
* Considering early retirement due to the difficulties and stress of contracting

Overall, the writer has had a rollercoaster career as a contractor, experiencing both highs and lows. They've adapted to changing market conditions and government policies, but are now feeling burnt out and considering a change of direction.

(Open Ai)

Open Ai Humorous response version:

Well, it sounds like your contracting saga could fill the pages of a best-selling novel, possibly alongside a survival guide on how to endure the wild jungle that is the modern workplace! Here's some humorously sincere advice for your next steps:

1. **Contractor Confessions:** You’ve navigated through so many ups and downs in your contracting life that you have enough material for a TED Talk. Imagine the audience’s faces as you share your tales of corporate misadventures. “And this bewitching backload? Oh, it’s like a never-ending buffet of work that no one’s invited me to!”

2. **Umbrella Superhero Costume:** Speaking of umbrellas, maybe it’s time to don a superhero cape with a giant “U” on it to symbolize your umbrella company era. Who knew shielding yourself from rain meant also shielding your bank account from both tax rules and terrible managers?

3. **IR35 Blame Games:** If you were to write a letter to the government about IR35, you could include a clever little tagline: “Thank you for making my career feel like a game of Musical Chairs, except everyone else is seated and I keep tripping over the lyrics!”

4. **Dual-Headphone Strategy:** You should market yourself as a “remote working guru.” You’ve practically mastered the art of having two meetings at once! You could even offer courses on how to juggle Zoom calls; you could call it “The Art of the Double Dip” – just don’t spill any coffee on your laptop during the demo.

5. **Dream Job Application:** Considering early retirement, why not apply for the job of “Professional Disgruntled Ex-contractor”? Fatalistic resignation could be the new wave, and who doesn’t want to hold fancy meetings about how to avoid meetings?

6. **Throwing Shade:** When your current manager talks about how “expensive” you are, why not respond with a dramatic pause followed by, “Well, darling, all great personalities come at a price. And clearly, this project has me feeling deflated – no budget carries over for the sheer drama of this mess!” Who knew work could become a Guess Who character drama?

7. **Property Investment Focus:** You’ve made some savvy property investments. Why not consider opening a “Contractor’s Retreat” – a place where outside IR35 folks can relax and vent about their work woes over a cocktail named “The Wobbly Wage”?

8. **Exit Strategy:** If you decide to dip your toes into retirement, just remember to stage a dramatic exit. Use confetti, a fog machine, and a small brass band. Walk out of that office like you’re leaving a stage after a standing ovation, yelling, “You’ll miss me when I’m gone!” They may not, but it’ll be the most memorable exit ever.

In the land of contracting, it seems like you’ve seen the heights of glory and the depths of drudgery. No matter what you choose next, just remember: you’ve left your mark on the battlefield of corporate chaos! Cheers to whatever comes next, whether it's retirement or simply a well-deserved sabbatical of not having to attend any more unproductive meetings!

That's even longer and harder to read that the OP's message. So in summary it's not really about how contracting has changed. Just someones tale of their career which is hardly an indicator for contracting as a whole?

[vetran]

That's even longer and harder to read that the OP's message. So in summary it's not really about how contracting has changed. Just someones tale of their career which is hardly an indicator for contracting as a whole?

it does at least have point numbers. I had a boss who wrote ten paragraphs each about different things and then started the conversation with what do we do about this? We spent half the meeting working out which point he wanted to discuss. He waffled and English was his second language. With this you can say lets talk about item 3.

[northernladuk]

CUK Humorous response version:

Well, it sounds like your contracting saga could fill the pages of the most tedious novel no one ever read, possibly alongside a survival guide on how to endure the wild jungle that is the modern workplace for fawning lickspittles. Here's some CUK sincere advice for your next steps:

1. **No One Cares** You’ve navigated through so many ups and downs in your contracting life but no one gives a tulip.

2. **Cool Story Bro** TLDR blah blah blah

3. **Grow some** Pack of grow some in isle 3 please.

4. **Title Doesnt Match Post** Title sounded remotely interesting, post wasn't <EOM>

5. **Posting sensible thread in General** Yep that's gonna work. Expecting an intelligent discussion on your conundrum? Think again. Welcome to the bear pit

7. **What did your accountant say?** You do have an accountant don't you?

8. **Are you AndyW's mum?** No idea what to put here but can't miss out ol' AndyW

9. **What would Suity Do?** Track down Suity and have a good sit down with him. Give him your lifestory and then wait for an his epiphany. It will change your life. Honest.

10. **Inneresting** Nothing more to add.

HTH BIDI and IDC

[sadkingbilly]

maybe he's getting spam mail to bleat about too?