Reply to: Getting to contracting...

[tim123]

Too true, since I started contracting 3 years ago I have not had a single sick day off and I have had about 5 days of vacation per year..

How did you manage the "not getting old" part?

tim (becoming old himself)

[Ardesco]

75% of contractor developers are sub-literate cretins, just like everyone else. i've seen numerous contractors turn up for gigs on day one clutching "Teach Yourself Them There Internets in 24 Hours For flipless Dummies" and i've seen no evidence at all that contractors are more highly skilled than permies (much as i work hard to perpetuate that view with my clients)!

Depends where you work, the people getting the paying jobs are good and the people earning £10-£15/hour are as you describe above.

The point is that if this downturn continues to spiral downwards out of control the people mention above are going to be ****ed. Only the highly talented contractors with lots of contacts are going to do well.

Anybody who is seriously thinking of jacking in a job where they are getting lots of training and have a reasonable level of security for a 3 month contract when they have no savings to fall back on need to get their heads examined. At the moment I hear loads f permies talking about going contracting and how easy it is and how much money you earn, most of them will be on the dole wishing they hadn't been so ******* stupid in 6 months time......

[oracleslave]

spending the day with the wife and cleaner

It was superb. The 3 of us had a great time.

[ThomasSoerensen]

Contractors get no holiday.

They never get sick, never get old.

Too true, since I started contracting 3 years ago I have not had a single sick day off and I have had about 5 days of vacation per year.

This week I was feeling seriously ill most mornings with some stomach thing - but the combination of having pressing tasks in the office and losing out on the money and spending the day with the wife and cleaner pushed me to go to the office.

But also I believe I feel less tired from this work - mentally I find it very rewarding working for myself in stead of working for some Deloitte partners annual bonus.

[SimonD]

If I were a permy I certainly wouldn't be looking to moving into contracting now

[d000hg]

75% of contractor developers are sub-literate cretins, just like everyone else. i've seen numerous contractors turn up for gigs on day one clutching "Teach Yourself Them There Internets in 24 Hours For flipless Dummies" and i've seen no evidence at all that contractors are more highly skilled than permies (much as i work hard to perpetuate that view with my clients)!

I think you have to be correct, based on TheDailyWTF.com

[d000hg]

Can't be arsed to read it all. Can you summarise it please.

He is a permie who knows PHP and wants to do contract work not using PHP?

[Epiphone]

110 views and not one pearl of wisdom! When they say as a contractor you're on your own they really mean it!.

Can't be arsed to read it all. Can you summarise it please.

[kanulondon]

Good luck, but start making a backup plan

I am going to live like I'll be let go the next day..so they'll be a whole lotta saving and whole lot of Plan B activity

[Peoplesoft bloke]

....

That said, you can't talk about Scunthorpe here any more, now....

but you just did...............

[TheFaQQer]

swear filter: since when was F E C K L E S S a swear word?

coded by those aforementioned sub-literate contractors, no doubt...

Nope - it's a checkbox in the configuration whether you look for the swearword as part of another word.

Which is much easier to do than try to think of every permutation that someone can come up with that might include.

That said, you can't talk about Scunthorpe here any more, now....

[lambrini_socialist]

swear filter: since when was F E C K L E S S a swear word?

coded by those aforementioned sub-literate contractors, no doubt...

[lambrini_socialist]

contractors are expected to be highly experienced individuals who can hit the ground running and quickly produce the goods.

75% of contractor developers are sub-literate cretins, just like everyone else. i've seen numerous contractors turn up for gigs on day one clutching "Teach Yourself Them There Internets in 24 Hours For Feckless Dummies" and i've seen no evidence at all that contractors are more highly skilled than permies (much as i work hard to perpetuate that view with my clients)!

[stingman123]

Surely it's due to personal circumstance?

I am a n00b. Still permie but am very close to making the leap (3 interviews lined up in the next 7 days)

If the right role comes up...I'm going.

KL

Good luck, but start making a backup plan

[kanulondon]

Surely it's due to personal circumstance?

I am a n00b. Still permie but am very close to making the leap (3 interviews lined up in the next 7 days)

If the right role comes up...I'm going.

KL