Making the switch

[northernladuk]

Don't listen to them m8, they don't have any marketable skills.

I recently quit my permie job to go back contracting. Yes, it's taken a little longer and yes it is a tough market. But if you have the right price and the right skills it can be a good call.

But, contractors work on a WarChest basis. You will not normally get a sniff of a contract if you are in FT employment as agents will not consider you. If you are available then that means you are not earning and hence living off your warchest.

For a blind jump, I normally recommend 3 months money. In this market though. I would recommend 6 months just in case you are unlucky.

HTH

It doesn't really help. You have compared apples with pears which is about as useful to the OP as a chocolate firegaurd. Highlighted some words which make your advice irrelavant based on the information in the original post.

[cailin maith]

Pokey -

If I were you, I'd lurk on here for a while and then post - the tulipe you will get in response is inevitable (but there will be some gems in there)

Good Luck.

CM

[administrator]

From what I have seen recently the contract market is picking up. How many benchers have we seen land contracts on here over the last few weeks. Even RC managed to get a gig

Contractors do well after a down-turn. Could be OK timing. PHP developers are in short supply too so that is in your favour. 55 PHP contracts on Jobserve now, could be worse!

[OwlHoot]

Tom, I'll try and be a bit more positive.

PHP contracts seem to be doing better than most; but even they are very thin on the ground, and I imagine the competition must be fierce. Also, contract rates for PHP are low, bordering on derisory in many cases, because it's widely seen as a hacker's "toy" language.

Your best chance is to have had experience of packages and development environments that go with PHP, especially niche areas. But of course then its a balance between having less competition v less contracts coming up, perhaps none for weeks on end.

Also, as PHP is mostly used in web development (which I think you said you've been doing), you'll need to be red hot in all the other skills such as XHTML, Javascript, Ajax, CSS, Photoshop, etc, to maximize your chances.

If you have mostly been working with PHP itself, and tending to leave all that front-end webby stuff to others (and that often happens), then your chances of bagging a web development contract will be considerably reduced.

[MarillionFan]

It doesn't really help. You have compared apples with pears which is about as useful to the OP as a chocolate firegaurd. Highlighted some words which make your advice irrelavant based on the information in the original post.

They're both fruits me old fruit!

[MarillionFan]

Tom, I'll try and be a bit more positive.

PHP contracts seem to be doing better than most; but even they are very thin on the ground, and I imagine the competition must be fierce. Also, contract rates for PHP are low, bordering on derisory in many cases, because it's widely seen as a hacker's "toy" language.

Your best chance is to have had experience of packages and development environments that go with PHP, especially niche areas. But of course then its a balance between having less competition v less contracts coming up, perhaps none for weeks on end.

Also, as PHP is mostly used in web development (which I think you said you've been doing), you'll need to be red hot in all the other skills such as XHTML, Javascript, Ajax, CSS, Photoshop, etc, to maximize your chances.

If you have mostly been working with PHP itself, and tending to leave all that front-end webby stuff to others (and that often happens), then your chances of bagging a web development contract will be considerably reduced.

Isn't that what AtW was after? OP, check out the posts by resident loony AtW he has a PHP role available(I believe).

[OwlHoot]

Isn't that what AtW was after? OP, check out the posts by resident loony AtW he has a PHP role available(I believe).

It was a perl + Catalyst role he mentioned yesterday, and we've been in contact. But, without wanting to sound pompous, it would be improper for me (or him) to publicly discuss any negotations between us.

edit: Oops, sorry, I see now you were replying to the OP.

[rootsnall]

check out the posts by resident loony AtW

He doesn't seem as loony as a few years ago. Is it the same person ? Or has somebody got their sockies mixed up ?

[MarillionFan]

He doesn't seem as loony as a few years ago. Is it the same person ? Or has somebody got their sockies mixed up ?

Wow! Understatement of the year.

I'm fairly certain if you hung around with Charlie Manson for a few years he wouldn't seem as Loonie as Mr Loonie from Loony town.

Amazing how a little success changes opinions hey.

[singhr]

I can't advise on your chances with that skillset as it's out of my sphere but can give you some fatherly advice, asuming you are a lot younger than me.

I also planned to travel after building up funds when I started out but soon developed a taste for the money and could never bring myself to turn money down and go travelling, as a result I never did and won't now until the kids have left home and I am no longer as sprightly as I would have been.

So my advice would be, jack your job in and go see the world. Chances are that UK plc will still be in same mess when you get back and who knows, your life might take a whole new direction.

Bon voyage!