Reply to: Dipping my toes in IT Contracting

[LAPORTS123]

Sorry to hear this, but just a couple of points. This reads very much like a permie post. You are going to have many interviews and probably fail a good number. Don't get hung up on the feedback, particularly from agents. It's easier to give good feedback than the truth. You came second, shame, move on. Agents will very rarely give you feedback. They are only interested in you if they can make money so if you didn't cut it you won't hear from them again so don't get annoyed if they don't respond.

Also, with pedant hat on. It's not really a job you are going for. Your job is being a contractor. It's a short term assignment to provide income to your LTD. Very pedantic and am sure someone will counter it but if you get little things like this right in your head the bigger things get easier to understand.

Thank you, I appreciate this and you're right. I probably did approach the whole thing a bit like a permie (I guess that's what prompted some of the 'first time contractor' questions). It's an attitude shift, it might take an interview or two but I'll get there.

[northernladuk]

Unfortunately I didn't get the role. The feedback from the interviewers is very positive and have asked if they can contact me next week about another position however this job has a side to it where one of the other candidates specialises.

On the whole, I'm pleased with the feedback but disappointed I didn't get the role, I think I could have handled the specialised side without any great difficulty. I also think the fact that this is my first contract may have been a factor. There were a few questions about making the jump from permanent to contract work. I'll be better prepared for those questions the next time.

Thanks everyone for the help, I'll keep you posted.

Sorry to hear this, but just a couple of points. This reads very much like a permie post. You are going to have many interviews and probably fail a good number. Don't get hung up on the feedback, particularly from agents. It's easier to give good feedback than the truth. You came second, shame, move on. Agents will very rarely give you feedback. They are only interested in you if they can make money so if you didn't cut it you won't hear from them again so don't get annoyed if they don't respond.

Also, with pedant hat on. It's not really a job you are going for. Your job is being a contractor. It's a short term assignment to provide income to your LTD. Very pedantic and am sure someone will counter it but if you get little things like this right in your head the bigger things get easier to understand.

[WTFH]

Unfortunately I didn't get the role. The feedback from the interviewers is very positive and have asked if they can contact me next week about another position however this job has a side to it where one of the other candidates specialises.

On the whole, I'm pleased with the feedback but disappointed I didn't get the role, I think I could have handled the specialised side without any great difficulty. I also think the fact that this is my first contract may have been a factor. There were a few questions about making the jump from permanent to contract work. I'll be better prepared for those questions the next time.

Thanks everyone for the help, I'll keep you posted.

Bad luck this time, good luck for the next one.

[LAPORTS123]

Unfortunately I didn't get the role. The feedback from the interviewers is very positive and have asked if they can contact me next week about another position however this job has a side to it where one of the other candidates specialises.

On the whole, I'm pleased with the feedback but disappointed I didn't get the role, I think I could have handled the specialised side without any great difficulty. I also think the fact that this is my first contract may have been a factor. There were a few questions about making the jump from permanent to contract work. I'll be better prepared for those questions the next time.

Thanks everyone for the help, I'll keep you posted.

[l35kee]

Why does working from home matter? Does it only matter if it's a contract far away?

I have a radius where i am happy to work, it's based off distance but also travel time. Within that I'm happy to work 5 days a week. Depending how far outside, it's either higher day rate or opportunity to work from home (or both).

Knowing this beforehand gives you the edge. I may ask a question about how flexible the working arrangement it, but only if I perceive the person im asking to give a favourable response. You can pretty easily tell if they would be happy about it or not.

If it's the decider between me taking the contract or not. I'll make that clear. I want the role, I'm a good fit, but it's not normally where I'd pick... hence gimme flexibility or I won't take it. That's not a threat, thats us both understanding the terms of the arrangement.

[northernladyuk]

Ooeerr I've got one tomorrow as well. Don't forget to ask how much skirt they have in the office and if the interviewer has ploughed any of them. There's a good chap.

You are the skirt in the office.

[northernladuk]

Thank you!! I'll leave it, at least until I've worked the first contract for a while.

I have an interview for the first contract tomorrow morning. I'm confident that I can do the job but advice like this will (hopefully) stop me putting my foot in it if there are more experienced contractors in for the job.

Ooeerr I've got one tomorrow as well. Don't forget to ask how much skirt they have in the office and if the interviewer has ploughed any of them. There's a good chap.

[northernladyuk]

Thank you!! I'll leave it, at least until I've worked the first contract for a while.

I have an interview for the first contract tomorrow morning. I'm confident that I can do the job but advice like this will (hopefully) stop me putting my foot in it if there are more experienced contractors in for the job.

Couple of ways of playing an interview. The STAR model works well for contractor= as well as permie. Where I have seen permies screw up contractor interviews is where they show that they are looking for a development opportunity. Instead I would advise that in responses you demonstrate how you are used to starting a new role, and delivering value on day 1, while quickly getting on top of the role.

Another way of doing this is to turn it into a consultancy session, and start drawing out how you will approach the client's problems. You need a fair amount of confidence to pull this off.

And make sure you know about the client's company, project if possible, and whatever tech you need to know about.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[LAPORTS123]

Not unless it really matters to you. I wouldn't mention it in the interview as it could put you second if there are two or more ideal candidates.

I wouldn't ask at the beginning of a gig. Just makes a bad first impression. Nail it for a month or two before getting in to this.

If you don't care about it, don't bring it up.

Thank you!! I'll leave it, at least until I've worked the first contract for a while.

I have an interview for the first contract tomorrow morning. I'm confident that I can do the job but advice like this will (hopefully) stop me putting my foot in it if there are more experienced contractors in for the job.

[northernladyuk]

Not unless it really matters to you. I wouldn't mention it in the interview as it could put you second if there are two or more ideal candidates.

I wouldn't ask at the beginning of a gig. Just makes a bad first impression. Nail it for a month or two before getting in to this.

If you don't care about it, don't bring it up.

I agree broadly, but you can sometimes sound things out a bit. The exception being where it is intolerable without a day at home. In Ireland it is common enough for UK based contractors to fly in Monday morning,work late Monday evening, start early Thursday morning, fly home early Thursday evening and work at home of Friday.

[SueEllen]

Not unless it really matters to you. I wouldn't mention it in the interview as it could put you second if there are two or more ideal candidates.

I wouldn't ask at the beginning of a gig. Just makes a bad first impression. Nail it for a month or two before getting in to this.

If you don't care about it, don't bring it up.

I tend not to ask, expect to work in the office and get a nice surprise if I'm told they have a positive WFH policy.

[northernladuk]

I guess it varies from contract to contract but worth asking at the outset.

Not unless it really matters to you. I wouldn't mention it in the interview as it could put you second if there are two or more ideal candidates.

I wouldn't ask at the beginning of a gig. Just makes a bad first impression. Nail it for a month or two before getting in to this.

If you don't care about it, don't bring it up.

[northernladyuk]

Each company is different.

I have had clients who will only let you work from home if you are sick but not to sick to work and got appointments in the day e.g. doctors, plumbers, clients who won't let you work at home at all, clients who do the one/two day from home a week thing and clients who do 80-95% work at home.

With clients who let you work from home unlike when you are permie you have to be:
1. Completely contactable during working hours on the phone and online chat thing they use - this means no noisy kids, dogs, birds, cats etc in the background, and
2. Actually be seen to produce tangible results.

The reason they allow you to work at home is because it saves office space and if you have to work with overseas people then it doesn't matter where you are.

I have a contractor colleague who works from home 90% of the time. He can't start until 9:15 a.m. because of the school run. He takes the dog out for a walk between 10:00 and 11:00, and the dog is fairly noisy the rest of the time. He's difficult to get hold of after 4:30 p.m.

I admire him immensely.

[SueEllen]

Thanks All,
The working from home is not a deal breaker by any means, just something I thought was routine within the IT industry.

From time to time, I would bring in contractors in my permanent role. Generally speaking I didn't have a problem with them working from home one day per week provided they had good references and produced decent results. I guess it varies from contract to contract but worth asking at the outset.

Be careful how you ask otherwise you find yourself without a contract.

[LAPORTS123]

Thanks All,
The working from home is not a deal breaker by any means, just something I thought was routine within the IT industry.

From time to time, I would bring in contractors in my permanent role. Generally speaking I didn't have a problem with them working from home one day per week provided they had good references and produced decent results. I guess it varies from contract to contract but worth asking at the outset.