Poll - How confident do you feel about contracting/work in the next 12 months?

[russell]

The market for personal trainers is growing quite strongly in NL, partly because there are plenty of fat rich people, but partly because some top sportspeople are hiring personal trainers with their olympic grants; I've been giving some training to one of the Dutch national ladies rugby sevens squad who's got a grant from the national olympic committee to prepare for 2016 olympics. Obviously, you need contacts to get that sort of work. It's one of those jobs that looks very easy, but isn't; the best qualifications require quite a lot of learning (anatomy, physiology, training theory, advanced first aid, biomechanics, business skills etc etc) and both written and practical exams are pretty tough. You can get work without qualifying, but the right qualifications get you into professional networks which help you in getting customers and positioning yourself at the top end of the market where you can bill between 55 and 75 euros per hour, and occasionally much more if you break into the celebrity market. At the lower end of the market, poncing around in a franchise gym wearing a pink shirt that says 'personal trainer' and listening to Wilmslow whingeing about his latest injury, you'll never make much more than 20 euros per hour, and if you're on the payroll of the gym it's basically a McJob paying minimum wage + about 20%.

Just some friendly advice, it's difficult to read a long ream of text without paragraphs.

[Mich the Tester]

Just some friendly advice, it's difficult to read a long ream of text without paragraphs.

true; corrected

[MrRobin]

I've got too much work. Just started on an 8 month project for clientco but contract runs out at end of June. So expecting an extension on that with some luck.

My other concurrent contract is doing my head in so I'm trying to off load that.

But as you never really know, I'm only confident, not super confident.

Me too. I'm turning down ex-clients and other contractors with whom I've worked who have moved onto other clients and now need some BI there

[gingerjedi]

I will be able to get work, but it might not be at rates I am happy with.

WHS

I counter this by making sarnies and taking a flask to clientco, the permies are moaning about a payfreeze and cuts yet they all eat in the canteen and spend a fiver a day on coffee.

They take the piss until I point out my thrift is worth a good £150-200 a month.

[MaryPoppins]

Just some friendly advice, it's difficult to read a long ream of text without paragraphs.

Whose sockie are you then?

[MarillionFan]

Whose sockie are you then?

[Old Greg]

Just some friendly advice, it's difficult to read a long ream of text without paragraphs.

true; corrected

I think Mich usually writes for intermediate and advanced readers, but it's nice to see he's being inclusive.

[MaryPoppins]

Nah. Slightly too intelligent.

[Old Greg]

Nah. Slightly too intelligent.

And too charming.

[MarillionFan]

Nah. Slightly too intelligent.

Get bent