Thinking about the career so far

[VectraMan]

12 years as a permie in two companies, then 5 years as a contractor, and I think I'm about to be a permie again. Hopefully I'll make it a year before having to endure an appraisil or having to work out my KPIs*. Still, I'm looking forward to being paid to be on holiday.

*I think that means "Key Personal Initiatives"; it's a phrase I overheard a lot at previous ClientCo and seem to cause misery for manager and employee alike and generally get in the way of the scheduled work.

[OwlHoot]

20 years a permie, then offered a contract (believe it or not) to solve a knotty SQL join problem and been contracting for 12 years since then until now.

Once or twice tempted to go permie again, when contracts were thin on the ground, but always saved in the nick of time.

[norrahe]

Thankfully only endured 5 years of permiedom and have been contracting since, couldn't go back to the darkside.

I like the fact I can move elsewhere when the politicking gets too much or if I fancy a change of skill set or scenery.

Don't think I would have learnt so much as a permie.

Only downside is that I have a lot of experience in a niche market and am still trying to break out, its too easy for agents to place me in my market.

[thunderlizard]

Never had a permanent job. Started contracting in university summer holidays in 1998 (well, temping really) when all you needed was a nice tie and the ability to run (not write, heavens no) an Excel macro. Forgot to jack it in in 2001 when all the other chancers did, and seem to have got fairly good at it now.

[NickFitz]

12 years as a permie in two companies, then 5 years as a contractor, and I think I'm about to be a permie again. Hopefully I'll make it a year before having to endure an appraisil or having to work out my KPIs*. Still, I'm looking forward to being paid to be on holiday.

*I think that means "Key Personal Initiatives"; it's a phrase I overheard a lot at previous ClientCo and seem to cause misery for manager and employee alike and generally get in the way of the scheduled work.

It's Key Performance Indicators

[MarillionFan]

30+ years a politician.

Chancellor of the Exchequer
Prime Minister
Responsible for biggest cash crisis in UK History
Motivational Speaker
F**kwit

Gordon Brown

[Fred Bloggs]

I'm a bit dim/slow learner I suppose. I spent 19.5 years in one staff job and 10 years in another. Then I went contract about 8 years ago. (I'm an old fart as well). No point regretting anything, but I should have gone contract 20 years sooner than I did. I'd have been a lot better off than I am now if I had done.

[minestrone]

5 years permie and 8 years as a contractor. I went from a permie software development manager on Friday to a contractor XML editor on the Monday. I used to love my job but now I am just an invoice jockey, chuck me a change request and I'll hack it into your hacked code.

[VectraMan]

I used to love my job but now I am just an invoice jockey, chuck me a change request and I'll hack it into your hacked code.

That pretty much sums up my contracting career too. This permie oppurtunity I have is something genuinely interesting, and in a field I want to work in. I'm actually quite excited about it, but if I don't get it it'll be back to contract code-monkeying for cash.

[Doggy Styles]

Been over thirty years in IT the first five years being permie and since then only one permie job till now which was a brief nine months as the company went bust. It was sufficiently interesting and well paid to entice me away from contracting albeit for a short time.

I know some here have moved between permie and contractor for various reasons. Have you always been a contractor solely? Have you moved between permiedom and being your own boss?

Apprentice, permie, contractor.
From tea-stirrer's mate to being a captain of industry.
I think that's pretty good.