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Is it feasible to find contracting roles without the use of an agent?

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    Is it feasible to find contracting roles without the use of an agent?

    I have been a permanent employee for more than 7 years and am considering to switch to contracting. So far I have always been able to find permanent roles by applying directly to companies. However, looking at the job posts for contracting roles, all of them seem to be posted by agents and none of them directly by a company. My question is, is there a way to switch to contracting but keep the old good habit of applying directly to companies? Or is it more of a norm for contractors to find roles through agents?

    PS: My area of expertise is Spring, Grails, and microservices.
    Last edited by Contractor UK; 8 July 2018, 20:12.

    #2
    It’s possible to get jobs direct with clients, but generally to do that you need to know the clients and have built up a relationship with them.
    Very few clients advertise directly
    …Maybe we ain’t that young anymore

    Comment


      #3
      Why don't you want to go via an agency?
      'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
        Why don't you want to go via an agency?
        Probably been reading some of the practises on here:
        https://forums.contractoruk.com/busi...ies-avoid.html

        Or here:
        https://forums.contractoruk.com/busi...eferences.html

        Comment


          #5
          OK let's look at it this way:

          Can you get a permanent job by means of a speculative application? The answer is clearly yes (and career counsellors will recommend to people that they do spec applications - lots of 'em).

          So can you get a contractor role by means of a speculative application? The answer again must surely be yes. What possible reason could there be for not being able to do so? A direct connection cuts out all the agency costs.

          A very good old mate of mine has been an independent professional for 25 years (and a very successful one) and has bagged ALMOST ALL his contracts by means of direct speculative approaches. Very importantly though, he has used SNAIL MAIL i.e. letter plus CV, NOT email. There are some 'trade secrets' as to how this is done, that I'm not at liberty to disclose. Think carefully, though, and you might just be able to work it out. He's NEVER used an agency and NEVER responded to an advertised role.

          Comment


            #6
            Of course you can. It's called networking. Three of the contracts I've had started with phone calls from former managers.
            This is also where LinkedIn can be your friend; advertise that you're coming available (or indeed are now available immediately) and see if anyone gets in touch.

            Stage two is then get in touch with managers at places you'd want to go back to.
            The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn't exist

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by rogerthedodger View Post
              OK let's look at it this way:

              Can you get a permanent job by means of a speculative application? The answer is clearly yes (and career counsellors will recommend to people that they do spec applications - lots of 'em).

              So can you get a contractor role by means of a speculative application? The answer again must surely be yes. What possible reason could there be for not being able to do so? A direct connection cuts out all the agency costs.

              A very good old mate of mine has been an independent professional for 25 years (and a very successful one) and has bagged ALMOST ALL his contracts by means of direct speculative approaches. Very importantly though, he has used SNAIL MAIL i.e. letter plus CV, NOT email. There are some 'trade secrets' as to how this is done, that I'm not at liberty to disclose. Think carefully, though, and you might just be able to work it out. He's NEVER used an agency and NEVER responded to an advertised role.

              Possibility the best post I've seen in a while.

              'Trade secrets' which include posting your CV and a cover letter...

              Why wouldn't you be at liberty to disclose lol, does he have you under and NDA? Trust me, there's no secret out there that isn't already well known.

              There's a guy posting here asking for help on finding a direct contract, you tell him there's a trade secret to do exactly that but you won't disclose it.

              Sounds very much like the trade secret that I have about how you can make £1000 to £2000 a day, working only a few hours a day from home....

              With regards to not using an agency being cheaper for the client, that's a myth. If it were true, then that's the way the world would be. You're understanding of 'costs' sounds like "day rate direct" vs "day rate agency" - this isn't the way it works. You need to take in to account a lot of other hard and soft costs.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Agent View Post
                Possibility the best post I've seen in a while.

                'Trade secrets' which include posting your CV and a cover letter...

                Why wouldn't you be at liberty to disclose lol, does he have you under and NDA? Trust me, there's no secret out there that isn't already well known.

                There's a guy posting here asking for help on finding a direct contract, you tell him there's a trade secret to do exactly that but you won't disclose it.

                Sounds very much like the trade secret that I have about how you can make £1000 to £2000 a day, working only a few hours a day from home....

                With regards to not using an agency being cheaper for the client, that's a myth. If it were true, then that's the way the world would be. You're understanding of 'costs' sounds like "day rate direct" vs "day rate agency" - this isn't the way it works. You need to take in to account a lot of other hard and soft costs.
                LLLLLOOOOOOLLLLLL

                A little knowledge, as they say, is a dangerous thing.

                Let's just say that my mate doesn't want to have his techniques leaked to all and sundry i.e. competitors. Almost everyone who's tried direct approaches says it doesn't work, and that's because they don't do it right.

                Regards agency costs, your maths seems a little dubious. Day rate + agency margin is greater than same day rate on its own, is it not, or didn't you pass GCSE maths? The hard and soft costs to which you refer are pretty trivial compared to an agency margin over e.g. a 12 month contract.

                I've been in this game 25 years and I've done numerous contracts direct with end clients on a day rate basis. My pal has done nearly all his contracts direct, also on a day rate basis, and so have a few other people I know, so please don't try to tell me that "it isn't the way it works". As I said, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
                Last edited by rogerthedodger; 5 July 2018, 16:01.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by rogerthedodger View Post

                  Let's just say that my mate doesn't want to have his techniques leaked to all and sundry i.e. competitors. Almost everyone who's tried direct approaches says it doesn't work, and that's because they don't do it right.
                  I'd put my money on it being 'pain letters' (to quote LinkedIn articles from Liz Ryan) - in short a personal approach focussed on solving the prospects actual business problems rather than a spammed CV and a 'have you got any work relevant to me'.

                  Whatever it is, good for him and I'd love to be able to do what he's done/doing in this regard as agents (or to be more precise, the unprofessional and 'bad' agents) have annoyed me more times than I can count.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by man View Post
                    I'd put my money on it being 'pain letters' (to quote LinkedIn articles from Liz Ryan) - in short a personal approach focussed on solving the prospects actual business problems rather than a spammed CV and a 'have you got any work relevant to me'.

                    Whatever it is, good for him and I'd love to be able to do what he's done/doing in this regard as agents (or to be more precise, the unprofessional and 'bad' agents) have annoyed me more times than I can count.
                    Actually it's a bit of a mix of pain letters targeted at business problems requiring consultancy or interim management input, and "have you got any work for me", but all presented as "sh** hot consultant / contractor / interim executive available if you need him / her and oh by the way just LOOK at this CV you really ought to be biting my hand off and oh by the way a Big 4 consultancy charges rock bottom £3,000 / day but you get me for a lot less and the ROI is of galactic proportions".

                    Spec approaches can work for anyone. A good CV and cover letter, with key messages quickly conveyed, will be read and retained and if a company can get a top notch spec candidate and cut out the costs of advertising and/or agents, it will do so.

                    I share your concerns about agents. Some are very good, but a vast number are chavvy kids barely out of short trousers and think they know everything, plus communication, responsiveness, and feedback are virtually nil.

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