Theres no blody support JOBS!!!

[lukemg]

Bet you wish you'd stayed permie. Maybe this story should be in the first timers guide. Good luck, with the interview. I do know several permie PM's talking seriously about going contract. Think they could be onto a loser in the short term at least. Bench time tends to weaken contractors resolve when it comes to agents. Hope that have not been singing like a canary.

No, I don't wish I had stayed perm, I have earned at least twice as much in the last 18 months (2 contracts) even with the 3 months off !
Just be aware, if you are planning to jump, it would be advisable to have a plan B that you can pick up and drop for the quiet times (e.g. HGV driver who posts on here !) or a favourite hobby that can fill in the time, I love golf but not in the winter !
There are always some roles in demand and London/South-East seems to be a reasonable conveyor belt of jobs (not financial now though !) but if you are somewhere more remote (North-West !!) it can be very patchy !

[Epiphone]

The problem lies where in the past you have 1 guy for AD 1 guy for Exchange another guy For citrix and so on , Now employers want you to do all these jobs on your own.

For £10 an hour too.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Lets face it support jobs are so simple that why not get the contractor to do it all.

All work and no play makes Alf a dull chap

[unemployed]

Lets face it support jobs are so simple that why not get the contractor to do it all.

All work and no play makes Alf a dull chap

If you are talking about desktop support yes it is easy, But things get a little more tricky when your talking about Nas installations or setting up servers as clusters Etc. Not fun when 1000 users can`t work.

Although in the early days i can remember supporting developers who thought is was a right to save critical work on the desktop hard drive.
Shame when it fails and they have to call the support monkey to fix it for them.

[bogeyman]

If you are talking about desktop support yes it is easy, But things get a little more tricky when your talking about Nas installations or setting up servers as clusters Etc. Not fun when 1000 users can`t work.

That's hardly 'rocket science' either.

That's the trouble. Too many people have had an easy ride in the good times and think their 'skills' are somehow rare and hard to come by, and that they deserve 'decent rates'.

Not so, I'm afraid.

If people only have medium/low-grade 'IT knowledge' skills then they are in for a big shock in the next decade.

The money has gone pal. The 3rd world caught up on your skillz.

Unless you're a very, very good specialist and practitioner, expect to be doing something else for a living in 5 years time.

Unless you're a business genius and entrepreneur (not the country for it) then do something practical, with your brain and your hands.

[ruskithebear]

I really don`t view it as a problem , i have worked with some big companies in the past and looked after hundreds of servers with no help to begin with.

The problem lies where in the past you have 1 guy for AD 1 guy for Exchange another guy For citrix and so on , Now employers want you to do all these jobs on your own.

I like your self belief, but I think its clouding your judgment somewhat, your two years on the bench, what skills do you possible have now that I can't get from the other candidates who have just rolled off a gig?

Note to all want to be contractors - When you are a contractor, self imposed benching does not put money in your pocket. It might feel right and just but a few weeks of no dough soon chips away at the moral mountain you stand upon.

Self imposed benching - dont do it kids.............

[bogeyman]

When you are a contractor, self imposed benching does not put money in your pocket. It might feel right and just but a few weeks of no dough soon chips away at the moral mountain you stand upon.

There is no 'Moral Mountain'.

If you have the skills, personality, contacts and track record that the customer actually needs then it all works out.

What you've been doing for every week of your life is only of concern for piss-pot jobs with piss-pot clients.

If you're good enough, enjoy your 'bench' time (beach time for some).

Maybe you're confusing 'contractor' for 'drudge' or something.

[sappatz]

doomed

you are doomed
you can thank the New lie for destroying your ******* country

[ruskithebear]

There is no 'Moral Mountain'.

If you have the skills, personality, contacts and track record that the customer actually needs then it all works out.

What you've been doing for every week of your life is only of concern for piss-pot jobs with piss-pot clients.

If you're good enough, enjoy your 'bench' time (beach time for some).

Maybe you're confusing 'contractor' for 'drudge' or something.

I am not confused and I feel we agree

"Too many people have had an easy ride in the good times and think their 'skills' are somehow rare and hard to come by, and that they deserve 'decent rates'."

Agreed, and therefore rolling off a gig and sitting on your backside with the above attitude is not going to pay the bills.

I am all for sitting on the bench/beach if its part of your business/life strategy but sitting on it because of a point of principle is blind naivety.

If people only have medium/low-grade 'IT knowledge' skills then they are in for a big shock in the next decade.

Agreed, that train is coming with bells on.

The money has gone pal. The 3rd world caught up on your skillz.

So take the money now, suck it up and don't self impose yourself to the bench, as there will be plenty of time for watching "cash in the attic"

[Likely]

You should become a plumber.