When do you become desperate enough to go perm?

[northernladuk]

When you find AussieLong has joined your team

Or NWPerm2Contract but he won't be there long.....

[SimonMac]

Or NWPerm2Contract but he won't be there long.....

How bad must AL or NWP2C be to be the first point of insult over the likes of SY?

[Robinho]

After enjoying the end of summer w/o any work I am beginning to get concerned.
The warchest that was designed to last 6 months and after 3 or so is nearing depletion due to client not paying and some other unfavorable circumstances...
In such situation what steps would you go for?
Perm role until a suitable contract is found?
Contract at a very low rate?
Loan?

What are you btw? Code-monkey/PM etc

[Old Hack]

When my heart has stopped beating.

There are a plehora of roles that could tide you over, if you weren't picky.

Like someone else said, I just couldn't get back into permiedom mentally. Just absolutely not my bag.

[ChimpMaster]

I don't know how long you've been contracting so it's difficult to advise (judge?!) your situation.

I have always viewed contracting as a temporary part of my working life. Temporary doesn't have to mean a few months; in fact it's been 8 years for me and if I'm fortunate I will get another year.

I have appreciated every single year that I have contracted and I have for better or worse planned for the worst case scenario: I have been paying off my mortgage, saving, investing and trying to build up residual income. In some ways I have treated each year of contract as my last, but that's also because I'm highly skilled in an end-of-line product and fully expect next year to be my last in this field.

I will most likely have to go permie after this contract ends next year, but I have put myself in such a position that I can (hopefully) be that little more selective. Nothing is ever constant though, and unplanned events can turn your life on a dime, but you've got to plan best you can and hope that things turn out even better.

If you do go permie, make sure you get something out of it too, I mean like in terms of training, new skills, fulfillment or whatever. There has to be something that keeps you happy.

Best of luck.

[mudskipper]

Unless the low rate is so low that you're better off permie, I'd stick with contracting.

[Mich the Tester]

Shares and a lot of money are the only things that will make me go permie.




(coincidentally,... leave it for later MTT)

[hyperD]

I couldn't hack feigning interest for the company i worked at.

You'd be surprised at the levels of survival you are prepared to accept when the warchest is emptier than a Scottish pay toilet.

[Robinho]

You'd be surprised at the levels of survival you are prepared to accept when the warchest is emptier than a Scottish pay toilet.

I'd probably take down to 80% of a permie wage to stay on contract.

[KentPhilip]

OP: Have you contacted your old clients and colleagues to see whether they have anything? Even short IR35-friendly gigs will boost your confidence and bank balance.

That's what I'll do shortly because I'm also on the bench and found the market is very quiet at the moment. Mind you it helps if you have kept in contact with them regularly so they don't think you're trying to sponge off them. Which I haven't, so will no doubt be accused of that