How did you make the permie to contractor jump?

[Scrag Meister]

First time: got pissed of with permie role, started looking for a new job and got an offer of a contract and decided to go for it. They even awaited 2 months for me to start. (Thanks BT! )

Second Time: Had a longish spell on the bench after a few years, just as the recession was starting to bite, and MrsB wanted me to go back permie so picked up a new permie role. 2 years later I was thoroughly pissed off with it when I got made redundant. They handed me a nice fat bonus, told me I'd get a decent redundancy payment and I had a new contract lined up within a week of being told it was happening

Back in permie world, I was waiting in the car to go in to an interview for a new role at a new employer, when I was rung by a colleague to tell me that we were being made redundant from current employer.

2 week over-lap, work during consultation period, of course.

Was a rubbish redundancy pay-off though.

[Mich the Tester]

Why would anyone hire a contractor with no experience when there are cheap experienced people around?

Believe it or not, it's happening, because they'll happily work for half the rate of someone with experience.

[DaveB]

Why would anyone hire a contractor with no experience when there are cheap experienced people around? Unless he charges a truly pitiful rate, in which case he might as well get a proper job to get some training and learn how the world actually works outside of university! Maybe switch jobs a couple of times quickly to maximise experience and then try contracting.

A pitiful rate for a qualified, experienced contractor is a bloody fortune to a newly graduated student with debts to pay off.

[BillHicksRIP]

I've worked as a permie for a few consultanicies and done stints at client sites where they were me charging me out at £850 - £1000 a day plus hotels and food. The odd client permie would have a dig about rates as they were obviously privy to what was being invoiced, but it wasn't the best situation on a personal level. Now I'm competing with my old companies but charging about half what they do. I do enjoy not having some manager telling me to work 300 miles away for weeks at a time when I can decide when to do that myself. :-)