Perm manager 60k salary or Contracting £400/day

[Turion]

It almost seems as if the OP reckons he's got this permie job in the bag.

Look at the Facts:
1) An agent has spoken to you about a possible opening. 2) In practical terms this means F*** all.

Would it not be better for the OP to go for the job and then come back to us for opinions after he gets the offer.

[Francko]

Doubt my contracting rate will go up much apart from inflation. As I get older am less keen on relocating for contract work.

I would choose also according to where you live. If you are in London you should not have problems to find one contract after the other without too many efforts for commuting. If instead you live in Aberywistyisytitsh (I am sure you all would not spell it better if you don't look it up on google either) and found a permie position 100 yards down the road I would definitely go for that.

[chicane]

Aberywistyisytitsh

Aberystwyth

(no google required )

[aussielong]

I’m on a bit less than 400 quid per day now but was on about 600 per day last year and the year before. The market will improve and the rates will go up again. As long as I can make a living with the dignity of working for myself, you can shove permiedom. I'd sooner buy a chip van (and I don't like chips).

How are you working for yourself? Are you kidding yourself?

Presumably you still report to a line manager, who tells you what to do?

How is that different to being a permie, in terms of dignity?

[XLMonkey]

Hi everyone

Was born in 79 & I can contract my problem-solving skills out at average of £400/day.

Recruiter just sent me a spec for a perm managerial job and may pay £60-70k+ usual benefits. Looks a handful though. And perm job specs remind me of the tediousness & corporate bs of perm jobs in years gone by.

Doubt my contracting rate will go up much apart from inflation. As I get older am less keen on relocating for contract work.

What is one to do. Perm job sure looks a lot of work and bs for 60k on PAYE. Then again would it propel my CV into more than just a handy £400/day problem-solver.

would appreciate your thoughts.

When you become a contractor you (generally) find it difficult to get a contract at a level higher than your last full time role. So, what you were doing at 30, you'll still be doing at 55.

If you're OK with that, then cool. But lots of people get a bit bored, particularly if they have the potential or inclination to do more senior/responsible jobs.

So, if it were me - I would take the full time job and get some more senior management experience. I doubt if, at your age, you will have run big teams or budgets - or worked out whether you'd enjoy doing it. If you do enjoy it, then you can go back contracting later at a more senior level. If you don't, then at least you won't spend the next 20 years of you're working life wondering if you could'a been a contender....

(for reference, I was doing an 80k senior mgt role when I went contracting - very happy with this choice, but I learned a lot from my full-time career that I wouldn't ever get from contracting).

[contractor79]

thanks for the advice guys, I'm not going to pursue the permie position. Seems like too much hard graft and bitching for less money.