Reply to: Permie IT Manager Looking for Opinions

[andyg]

Sound advice

My initial thoughts to all this are that the chap should;

1. Research what is currently available on the job boards for matches.
2. Create a CV (or CVs) using advert terminology as a starter for ten for the role, or roles, that interest him.
3. Chop the 10 year company experience up into several roles if per chance the company has been bought out / changed name etc etc.
4. Pop the CV up online and see who bites. And if no one does, then there is his answer.

Someone who actually gives good advice, bravo that person ;-)

[simes]

My initial thoughts to all this are that the chap should;

1. Research what is currently available on the job boards for matches.
2. Create a CV (or CVs) using advert terminology as a starter for ten for the role, or roles, that interest him.
3. Chop the 10 year company experience up into several roles if per chance the company has been bought out / changed name etc etc.
4. Pop the CV up online and see who bites. And if no one does, then there is his answer.

[northernladuk]

I'm currently working with a legal regulator, circa 600 staff, where the vast majority are contractors. So the idea that small companies don't emply contractors is a load of sh*te. You seem to have some good skills and a quick check on Jobserve for say Technical Project Manager produces a fair number of hits with skills similar to yours. Ditto Dynamics Nav, ditto cloud, ditto O365. Stay positive and ignore most of the idiots on this site who daily post negative comments.

So what has the fact you are working in a medium sized business have to do with contractors at a small business?

[andyg]

On a more positive note

I'm currently working with a legal regulator, circa 600 staff, where the vast majority are contractors. So the idea that small companies don't emply contractors is a load of sh*te. You seem to have some good skills and a quick check on Jobserve for say Technical Project Manager produces a fair number of hits with skills similar to yours. Ditto Dynamics Nav, ditto cloud, ditto O365. Stay positive and ignore most of the idiots on this site who daily post negative comments.

[quackhandle]

As others have said, change your job first and see if that makes you happier/better work-life balance.

Contracting is a huge jump esp if you have been permy for so long. Some have done it with only win-win experiences. Many have done it and failed badly.

Good luck.

qh

[hairymouse]

I think there's plenty of opportunity in the market right now for BI people, and Navision is a skill that seems particularly attractive. If you actually have some commercial experience hands on using SSIS and other BI tools, I don't see a problem with getting a contract based on that. I think "My job was starting to become more focused on management and I decided to change focus back to pure development and go contracting" is a good enough story to get you into the first gig and nobody cares after that. Even easier if you are willing to take one of the roles with a ridiculously low rate. If you are willing to work for £350 a day for your first contract, agents won't care about anything other than are you willing to show up.

Why start from scratch with something random like cybersecurity if you are already there with BI? That's just as fun and most likely pays the same.

[gables]

You mention cyber security, is there a way you could develop this where you are including certification? From there you could move into a more specific security role (might be slightly more junior) in a bigger firm, this then might open up with opportunities. If I was a younger self and felt at a cross roads this would be an area I'd develop.

[CapnAHAB]

First off, if you don't enjoy being an IT Manager any more, then trying to progress in that role at another company will eventually prove pointless - enjoying the day job is massively important to your wellbeing.

However, don't jack it in yet. Is there scope for you to learn / upskill 'on the side'? Pick a field, do some exams in it, then take the plunge.. into a permy junior role doing it. Then you'll be doing something you enjoy, and you'll have a renewed vigour to climb the experience ladder again.

[MonkeysUncle]

Also not many small companies use contractors and you don't have experience in big corporates so you are going to struggle getting gigs.

This is true. I was in your situation. My last permie role was for a small MSP looking after small/medium businesses in London. I hit that glass ceiling where I knew I couldnt progress anywhere.
It was great experience technically (got to be hands on alot of different tech) but when it came to looking for a job (Especially a contract role) in the corporate world I really struggled.
In the end I really lucked out as an IB needed a tech and was willing to overlook the lack of experience in large orgs in favour of the experience of the technology.

My advice like the rest, specialise in something. You cant contract on a 'jack of all trades' skillset. Once you have the skills and experience in said specialism, then contract if you still want to.

[Hobosapien]

The easiest way to move roles is to apply for openings within the same company. As you're in a small business I expect those opportunities are rare, though then you may also be working as a 'jack of all trades' filling several traditional roles, which would allow you to specialise into one of those areas if the business was growing enough to take on additional staff to separate out those roles. Only you know how likely that is based on your predictions for where the company will be in a few years.

Otherwise you could do some self learning on a niche you find interesting enough to put the effort in, then blag it at interview if you don't actually have the specific experience but part of your current job covers it to some degree so not totally taking the piss just 'expanding your horizons'.

Plenty of contractors have got the interview then worried about doing the role after securing the contract, but they are good at selling themselves and confident they are close enough skills wise to cover the void in knowledge quickly, it's called aptitude and initiative. A bit risky for a first step into contracting but who dares wins. Just secure the contract before jacking the job in (itself not an easy step), it may take a while.

[HugeWhale]

I'm a PM and you have more technical skills than I have, but if someone is going to hire you as a contract PM they want more functional skills such as risk management, cost control, stakeholder management, through-life planning and all manner of things. Fortunately I've got some huge clients on my CV: government departments, Bae Systems, Airbus, Shell for example and that seems to carry a lot of weight.

Get some big corporation experience. No-one wants a PM who has only had small business exposure.

Good luck.

[northernladuk]

But you don't have any experience doing that so you've no skills to sell. There is a thread going at the moment where a PM can't find work and another thread about the state of the market that would be worth a read.

[eehbygum]

I have to agree with the others. Contracting will be a bad move in several ways. Better to look at permie roles in bigger companies, the logic being people hire permies for their potential and contractors for their skills. You don't have a lot of the latter to be brutally honest but you probably do have lots of the former. Look to go contracting when you have a specific skill set and are damned good at it, not before.

I wasn't looking to go contracting with my current skills and experience, more like focus down on a particular skill such as SQL or learn a new skill, but do you think this is viable now? I assume I would have to get a junior SQL developer job for example to do this and I'm not sure if perhaps it's a bit late to being do that now I've established myself as an IT manager.

[eehbygum]

But if you move to contracting all you will be doing is exactly the same as they are the only skills you've got. If your heart isn't in it now what are you going to feel like in a couple of years when you've been doing exactly the same and your skills are out of date?

Also not many small companies use contractors and you don't have experience in big corporates so you are going to struggle getting gigs.

I should clarify, when I said my heart isn't in it, I meant specifically working as an IT manager, not the individual skills. My thoughts about contracting were that I would perhaps specialise a bit more first, either doing something like SQL or PM, not contracting as an IT manager if that makes sense.

[MattZani]

I think the problem is you've been there for so long. Previous best as a permie for me was 5 years. I can't imagine any longer than that.

My longest permie job was 2 and half years.

If you look at my CV...even my permanent roles look more like contracts, length wise

For the OP, find a similar role but in a bigger company. This might challenge you more and revive your enthusiasm.

Maybe try to move to a consultancy company. You'll get to work with different clients, in different projects, a bit more variety in general. And it kinda gives you a taste of what it would be like to be a contractor (but without having to find contracts)