Reply to: Getting back into Contracting after Extended Leave

[AnotherGuy]

Regarding the extended recommendation to "cut your rates"... In my experience, this is very difficult, as the agency/recruiter will always try to send you for the top of the range, sometimes even more than you've asked initially (it literally happened to me). I guess it is because they get a cut % of the rate (not a fixed amount), so the more the better.

The moment you sound like you "want" to be sent for less, is the moment they realize you're not a good "investment" if they can send someone else for more

[MrMarkyMark]

Depends on your skill set and locations you can work in.

Exactly, you cannot comment as such, when discussing a support role.

Supply and demand, unfortunately, support roles have been subject to cuts / offshoring for years.

[SueEllen]

I have been contracting 15 yrs and took 6 months off at the start of this year, I have a solid skill set in all levels of I.T Support, but when I decided to make a come back it was hard, harder than I ever thought it would be. Agents wanted to know more and more about "how long have you been out" and why. Eventually I found my currrent gig but that was with contacts and having been here 3 times before. No agent involvement. The market has, and is changing rapidly these days. Gone of the days of the Friday night phone calls asking your availability, and playing "what rate you paying" with agents, Ohhhh for those days to return.

Depends on your skill set and locations you can work in.

[Yonmons]

I have been contracting 15 yrs and took 6 months off at the start of this year, I have a solid skill set in all levels of I.T Support, but when I decided to make a come back it was hard, harder than I ever thought it would be. Agents wanted to know more and more about "how long have you been out" and why. Eventually I found my currrent gig but that was with contacts and having been here 3 times before. No agent involvement. The market has, and is changing rapidly these days. Gone of the days of the Friday night phone calls asking your availability, and playing "what rate you paying" with agents, Ohhhh for those days to return.

[MrMarkyMark]

Ok, take it back about it being common; my cousin does similar roles and was on a FS contract paying £1k a day a year ago. Boss on another role about 18 months ago was on £1500 a day as was another Programme Manager I know doing a role in an insurance company also just over a year ago. My real point was about falling rates.
You can put your face back on now

Thank you, that's actually my point.

My face didn't come close to falling off, I know, roughly, what rates are in the different areas, that's all.
In fact I wish they were more common, as the head of, or, BI lead role, is what I'm looking at next.
These normally pay £900 to £1000+ per day.

[Elliegirl]

Are you sure, sounds a little extreme



Where was that Cuckoo Land .
I'm not saying not achievable for "Head of" type roles, but hardly common

Ok, take it back about it being common; my cousin does similar roles and was on a FS contract paying £1k a day a year ago. Boss on another role about 18 months ago was on £1500 a day as was another Programme Manager I know doing a role in an insurance company also just over a year ago. My real point was about falling rates.
You can put your face back on now

[northernladuk]

Thanks all, for your replies. Seems I've a lot to contend with. My area is SAP (SRM) Test Analysis/CHARM/Solution Manager plus generic Systems Test. Most of the good SAP roles I contracted
for were in Europe. These kind of gigs are a no go area now due to change of circumstances. I shall keep up with the online courses, cast my net further to prospective agents to gage the market, be prepared to take a low rate & also be prepared to take a permie role if it suits in commutable distance. Which rules London out. Which is not such a bad thing. And yes, reading up about the proposed changes in the pipeline with Osbourne rsing about does not bode well nor fill me with confidence.

You've been a contractor before so maybe teaching you how to suck eggs but to be pedantic....

Online courses aren't really going to help. You need demonstrable experience. What makes you better than the next person applying? It won't be an online course I am afraid. Might help make you more employable for sure but I wouldn't be banking on this as a quick fix for your lack of experience.
I guess it can't do any harm speaking to prospective agents and getting your CV on their systems but if they haven't got a gig it's going to be a lot of work for next to nothing. Agents advertise the roles when they appear so we do tend to be reactive to this. You could try this but also focus and making sure you've got alerts set up for the main contracting sites and work out how to use linkedin most effectively to spot the gigs when they appear rather than concentrating on agents that have nothing.
I don't think taking low rates is an automatic option I am afraid. Clients still want the best of the bunch. They advertise low rates because they are tight as a gnats chuff, not because they will make do with any old bod. They still have a requirement that needs filling. Even at a low rate they don't want anyone they are not confident can do the job. It's not like a more junior position in a company. it's good you are considering it and yes you may bag a gig at a rate that no specialist in their right mind will take but then you are in, dunno the proper term, but in offshore worker territory and there are a lot of them.

I'm not saying it's impossible, just playing devils advocate to make sure you are not pinning your hopes on areas that are unlikely to work. It's good you are considering perm positions though. Perm positions aren't all that evil. You don't earn as much as a seasoned contractor but if you've no demonstrable skills and can't get the rates to make that money then perm starts looking like a more favourable option. Don't write it off so quickly. You might get one crappy gig for a short period and then spend a long period on the bench and the income (plus all the other benefits) of the permie gig far outweighs where you are.

[LondonManc]

Agree with NLUK overall. You'd also be coming into a very different environment from the one you left five years ago. I had lunch with my recruiter today and she was telling me how rates had dropped horribly. Programme Managers roles going for £5-600 a day, for example when not that long ago £1k-£1.5k and up were quite common. Contracting as you well know is all about up to date skills and experience and if they are not on your CV the agents won't give you a second glance.

What as, a footballer?

[MrMarkyMark]

Get a good permie hug

Are you sure, sounds a little extreme

for example when not that long ago £1k-£1.5k and up were quite common.

Where was that Cuckoo Land .
I'm not saying not achievable for "Head of" type roles, but hardly common

[LadyChatterley]

Thanks all, for your replies. Seems I've a lot to contend with. My area is SAP (SRM) Test Analysis/CHARM/Solution Manager plus generic Systems Test. Most of the good SAP roles I contracted
for were in Europe. These kind of gigs are a no go area now due to change of circumstances. I shall keep up with the online courses, cast my net further to prospective agents to gage the market, be prepared to take a low rate & also be prepared to take a permie role if it suits in commutable distance. Which rules London out. Which is not such a bad thing. And yes, reading up about the proposed changes in the pipeline with Osbourne rsing about does not bode well nor fill me with confidence.

[Elliegirl]

I can't helping thinking this in the current climate. Get a good permie hug, skill up, get some demonstrable current experience and ride the Apr 16 storm and possibly the Apr17 one and then reassess your options. No point fighting hard to get in to something that has the potential to go belly up less than a year later.

You don't mention anything about your skill set but you should be using contracting as a method to deliver your skills and experience. If you don't have those you've nothing to sell to your client.

Agree with NLUK overall. You'd also be coming into a very different environment from the one you left five years ago. I had lunch with my recruiter today and she was telling me how rates had dropped horribly. Programme Managers roles going for £5-600 a day, for example when not that long ago £1k-£1.5k and up were quite common. Contracting as you well know is all about up to date skills and experience and if they are not on your CV the agents won't give you a second glance.

[northernladuk]

Go permie. Seriously. With a young family, contracting is simply not worth the hassle these days (even if you find one.)

I can't helping thinking this in the current climate. Get a good permie hug, skill up, get some demonstrable current experience and ride the Apr 16 storm and possibly the Apr17 one and then reassess your options. No point fighting hard to get in to something that has the potential to go belly up less than a year later.

You don't mention anything about your skill set but you should be using contracting as a method to deliver your skills and experience. If you don't have those you've nothing to sell to your client.

[SueEllen]

You'll be fine but might be a pain to get you first break back in.

Rather than contracting look at permie or fixed term contracts. After six months to a year start looking for something better but foot in the door first. Once you're back working nobody will be bothered about the gap.

I took a year out a while back and then spent four bleak months job searching. I found it helpful to use the time to do some public speaking in my area of expertise (meet up groups, etc) and do online courses (edx, coursera, udacity). Really wish I had the time/energy to do more of that now! Looks good in interviews but more importantly the new skills come in very handy!

^^This.

You need to remember agents are salespeople who need to sell you to the client. Very few of them have the skills to sell someone who has had a long break whether you are looking at perm or contract positions and even if they do there is an issue of the fees they charge. However if you approach companies directly they will have less of a problem as they won't have to pay massive agency fees.

Oh and meet up, networking groups etc tend to meet in the evenings, so you need to tell you other half that he is going to have to look after his and your child on his own one to two evenings a week until you get a role.

[DieScum]

You'll be fine but might be a pain to get you first break back in.

Rather than contracting look at permie or fixed term contracts. After six months to a year start looking for something better but foot in the door first. Once you're back working nobody will be bothered about the gap.

I took a year out a while back and then spent four bleak months job searching. I found it helpful to use the time to do some public speaking in my area of expertise (meet up groups, etc) and do online courses (edx, coursera, udacity). Really wish I had the time/energy to do more of that now! Looks good in interviews but more importantly the new skills come in very handy!

[Boo]

Don't put dates on your CV.

Boo