Are there many young contractors?

[Bod]

Sometimes I wonder how different life would be if I hadn't had that kit-form ZX80 all those years ago (1980).

I was 8 or 9 at the time - turning 37 this year, I feel like I should be at the absolute top of my game. The 90's were very lucrative, the millenium a licence to print ££, the next couple of years were great, the last 5 years have been patchy. I've only just realised that I need to do something about it

[Spacecadet]

I'm 25

I think you need to judge people on their own merits. A lot of experience is not always a good thing (depending on role) as people get stuck in their ways and not open the forward thinking us young'uns do

I've come across lots of older people who are absolute carp and I think, what have you been doing for the last 20 years!

My first experience of contractors was a couple of older guys (50+) who came into the company I was working for as business IT consultants.
1 was useless and after a huge amount of expense produced nothing wothwhile
The other was a complete busybody who seemed to be an expert in generating work for himself and nothing else. Luckily I managed to head off his attempts to re-architect the entire CRM system, had to spend a weekend of my own time picking huge holes in his proposal documentation which I then forwarded on to the right people. He dissappeared soon afterwards

[Sockpuppet]

All glitz and glamour in your world, isn't it mate?

I'm living the life of a rockstar!

Seriously. Muddy field outside Doncaster? Who wouldn't want that. However I like the current contract fecking off accross europe.

The first guy that took a chance on me has just landed a gig building a MEGA park in China.....might drop him a mail.

[Alf W]

Likewise I know a lot of sh*t-hot recent grads that really know their stuff and have the soft skills to go with it. A lot of people must feel threatened by this.....

Sure you do sonny. Give 'em a laptop, send 'em on a couple of Prince II and Powerpoint courses and bang 'em out at £900 per day.

How are grads going to know anything seeing as how they've been taught by University lecturers who would be doing and not teaching if they were any good and have probably never had a real job?

Listen..

Under 25 - trainees
Under 30 - juniors
Over 30 - fully fledged pros
Over 35 - fully fledged pros with a honed sense of cynicism
Over 40 - no longer interested in the onwards and upwards but more interested in planning how to get out.


Personally, I've fast tracked to Stage 5

[sasguru]

Sometimes I wonder how different life would be if I hadn't had that kit-form ZX80 all those years ago (1980).

I was 8 or 9 at the time - turning 37 this year, I feel like I should be at the absolute top of my game. The 90's were very lucrative, the millenium a licence to print ££, the next couple of years were great, the last 5 years have been patchy. I've only just realised that I need to do something about it

My way of coping with that was to become a manager where I earn as much as a contractor but with permie benefits. But guess what - I'm sick of the politics and crave the cut and thrust of contracting again. Mind you I've probably lost my techie skills now.
But I was good so it won't take too much time to get back up to scratch

[oracleslave]

I'm sick of the politics and crave the cut and thrust of contracting again.

If you revert to that again surely it feels like a step backwards. What about putting your thoughts/energy into something else entirely. Unless of course you actually enjoyed what you did as a contractor?

[El_Diablo]

Come back to the world of contracting sas, you know you want to.

[sasguru]

If you revert to that again surely it feels like a step backwards. What about putting your thoughts/energy into something else entirely. Unless of course you actually enjoyed what you did as a contractor?

Why a step backwards? Being a successful contractor is one of the best things ever. It's something you achieve yourself, not what someone gives you because you of politics.
About Plan Bs, I don't think I'm creative enough.
There's something to be siad for doing what you're good at after all.

[oracleslave]

Why a step backwards? Being a successful contractor is one of the best things ever. It's something you achieve yourself, not what someone gives you because you of politics.
About Plan Bs, I don't think I'm creative enough.
There's something to be siad for doing what you're good at after all.

Whilst I agree with some of the sentiment above it doesn't mean I necessarily enjoy it. Without going into details I do this now so that in the future I don't have to.

[~Craig~]

Sure you do sonny. Give 'em a laptop, send 'em on a couple of Prince II and Powerpoint courses and bang 'em out at £900 per day.

How are grads going to know anything seeing as how they've been taught by University lecturers who would be doing and not teaching if they were any good and have probably never had a real job?

Listen..

Under 25 - trainees
Under 30 - juniors
Over 30 - fully fledged pros
Over 35 - fully fledged pros with a honed sense of cynicism
Over 40 - no longer interested in the onwards and upwards but more interested in planning how to get out.


Personally, I've fast tracked to Stage 5

I meant Network/Firewall guys with 3 or so years experience.

I think you've fast tracked to useless old git stage