Reply to: A Career or Contracting..?

[Scrag Meister]

1. Money
2. Hopefully still Excel VBA, but I know this isn't gonna be the case so am slowly sliding into C#.

[Tasslehoff]

Have been contracting since 2001

I decided to take contracting over a career and my main driver has been money and new challenges, luckily enough I am a project/programme manager and my skillset is enhanced the more contracts I have completed because a PM is all about his/her experience in my book.

But, if you are technical ( I used to be in the 90s netcool and openview) you HAVE to keep modernising and changing to keep your attractiveness and niche.

When I started contracting, coders were in short supply, as coding has now become a lot easier and mainstream as the tools have become more intelligent there are a gluten of coders, especially from Asia who have forced a lowering of day rates.

Question What was your main driver for becoming a contractor ? Financial or Flexibility?
Question What skills do you believe will be in demand in the next 5- 10 years?

1 : I will be honest, money. Totally wrong I know but we had huge debts and I needed rid. After a year contracting we are totally debt free and building up a decent war-chest

I would like to stay in contracting for as long as I can. Not for the money, but I love the fact I am my own boss, trusted to deliver and can do it my own way. No office politics or worrying about redundancy. Love it. Long may it continue

2 : I really hope so, I am just finishing my OU degree and then I intend to top up my Vendor certs and try and stay as relevant as I can, until some 16 year old bob codes rings around me for 10% of my day rate.

[SueEllen]

Question What was your main driver for becoming a contractor ? Financial or Flexibility?
Question What skills do you believe will be in demand in the next 5- 10 years?

1. Flexibility - I can leave projects if I can't stand the people.
2. No idea but firms will need people who can speak to the business in their mother tongue whether this a BRIC language or not.

[flipFlop]

... coding has now become a lot easier...

That's what the clients think, and that's why we are now inhabiting the Market For Lemons.

Coding is no easier now than it ever was.

[flipFlop]

...there are a gluten of coders...

You will find that gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat.

[slice16]

Some good answers

I got into contracting by becoming disillusioned with the channel. Most of my career was as a consultant delivering to my employers customers. Many projects were highly technical and always away from home. When I saw the money I was been charged out at (in some cases, north of £2000 a day!) I decided I could actually be paid what I am worth.

It wasn't a hard decision for me to make, simply because I was a consultant living in hotels. If anything, going contracting has improved me technically, and I am at home alot more.

As for the future, contracts will be more from a consultative angle. Gathering requirements and managing outsourced/internal developers. Learning other languages will be a major plus point... I struggle with English at the best of times, and thats my main language!

[FatLazyContractor]

Question What was your main driver for becoming a contractor ? Financial or Flexibility?
Question What skills do you believe will be in demand in the next 5- 10 years?

1. My health and personal circumstances. Not sure when this body will drop, so decided to die in a Private care home rather than in the drain(NHS ) Answer: Financial
2. Anything you can learn and Bravo Sierra your way into getting the contract. Besides, learning new things keeps one sharp ! Answer: No Clue

[psychocandy]

I'd gotten myself into a situation where I was working away from home 100% of the time as my company had no projects in the area in which I lived. So contracting, as much as I was attracted to the money, was a means of having a say in where I worked.

Somewhat inevitably my first contract took me about a thousand miles from home

I have no career ambitions. Contracting, therefore is my excuse; my reason why I haven't chased promotions etc. But it's more than that. There is something primeval about contracting. In a working environment I never feel more alive than when I know my contract is coming to an end. I see others in a state of panic in the same situation and I never really understand why. Finishing a contract is about as orgasmic as IT gets.

What skills will be in demand in ten years? I remember thinking that SAP would be dead by 2000 yet it soldiers on, with me hanging to its coat tails. Clearly I haven't a clue what the future holds.

1) Made redundant a few times so though might as well get paid more for no stability. And sick of office politics.
2) Linux

[I just need to test it]

I'd gotten myself into a situation where I was working away from home 100% of the time as my company had no projects in the area in which I lived. So contracting, as much as I was attracted to the money, was a means of having a say in where I worked.

Somewhat inevitably my first contract took me about a thousand miles from home

I have no career ambitions. Contracting, therefore is my excuse; my reason why I haven't chased promotions etc. But it's more than that. There is something primeval about contracting. In a working environment I never feel more alive than when I know my contract is coming to an end. I see others in a state of panic in the same situation and I never really understand why. Finishing a contract is about as orgasmic as IT gets.

What skills will be in demand in ten years? I remember thinking that SAP would be dead by 2000 yet it soldiers on, with me hanging to its coat tails. Clearly I haven't a clue what the future holds.

[TheFaQQer]

Question What was your main driver for becoming a contractor ? Financial or Flexibility?

Opportunity to do different things. Not sure if that's what you mean by flexibility - I became a contractor because my employer wasn't offering the challenges and variety that I need to keep myself motivated. Nor is my current client, but that's a different matter.

Question What skills do you believe will be in demand in the next 5- 10 years?

1) Urdu, Hindi and Mandarin.
2) The ability to turn requirements into detailed specifications that the off-shore teams can write.

[MyUserName]

1 Money
2 Speaking Mandarin

[jmo21]

Question What was your main driver for becoming a contractor ? Financial or Flexibility?
Question What skills do you believe will be in demand in the next 5- 10 years?

1) Financial and technical, where I am, there aren't many jobs that let you advance beyond a certain pay level while still saying fully technical

2) From a technical point of view, no idea.

[blacksta]

Do it for as long as it takes to become financially independent, then move off onto something that is really worth doing……fwiw.

something along that line.... and hope it works out

[coxsox]

Do it for as long as it takes to become financially independent, then move off onto something that is really worth doing……fwiw.

[PerfectStorm]

Initial motivation was financial, if I'm honest.

But I thought "well I've had to pick up enough new technologies and work with new clients all the time as a permanent employee of a supplier, so why not do it on better terms?"

I'm not enjoying it but the money helps. If I quit at least I'll have given it a go.