What Age Did You Start Contracting??

[Coalman]

Started contracting at 37.

Did not have the specific business knowledge that I am now making hay with.

If I was a better programmer then would have liked to start at 25, but as a BA / PM then you do need some experience behind you.

[kaiser78]

Started contracting at 37.

Did not have the specific business knowledge that I am now making hay with.

If I was a better programmer then would have liked to start at 25, but as a BA / PM then you do need some experience behind you.

Agree - I started out as a PM contractor at 32.

[SuperZ]

30 and 27 - considered it a few years earlier when I was stuck in a rut in my permie job when an ex-contractor said I`d be well suited. Having said that I was a late starter in I.T so I probably needed the four+ years I did as a permie.

It`s great, sometimes gets tiring though (don`t always have a lot of spare time). I occassionally consider going permie for a while (to progress career before going contracting again),even though I know I`ll hate it. It`s been nice to apply for the odd permie job just to see what they can offer. Been offered three over the last few years but turned them all down. I felt naughty once as one company cancelled all futher interviews after they interviewed me and offered the job! I can still remember the female recruitment consultant telling me "have a nice life" and "hope the bottom doesn`t fall out of the contracting market" after her repeated attempts to get me to reconsider came to nothing

[nomadd]

I can still remember the female recruitment consultant telling me "have a nice life" and "hope the bottom doesn`t fall out of the contracting market" after her repeated attempts to get me to reconsider came to nothing

I was told much the same by the IT Director in '89 when I left my last permie job to go contracting. His feelings were that contracting in general would die within a year or so, and no, he would never offer me my old job back. Fortunately, I didn't want it, or need it.

Nomadd

[BoredBloke]

As soon as I left uni. I did a post grad diploma to get a bit of an IT qualification and worked for Shell through all my summer holidays and for a short time after which took me over 12 months work experiance in an IT related role. I went contracting in late 92 when I was 22 when I left home with some clothes in a bag and headed off from Aberdeen for the bright lights of Swindon!

[TykeMerc]

Started at 25, on reflection it was the right decision and age for me, almost 19 years done now.

[minestrone]

31 and I though I knew it all.

How wrong I was.

[threaded]

As above and also in hindsight what age do you wish you started contracting??

It wasn't called contracting when I started...

[Advocate]

Started 24
Now 26

[milanbenes]

26 36

Milan.