Reply to: What I'd like to know.....

[gingerjedi]

I started off on £200 per day last june, now curretn ends on friday £20/phr.

Looking in my field and jobs are now norm at £10 - £15 per hour.

Permie life her i come i guess?

No it doesn’t… you’ll now find they won’t touch you as soon as they realise that you’ve been contracting... you dirty money grabbing scumbag!!

I’ve had a couple of interviews that were going really well, I’m guessing they asked me in because I had 3 years MoD experience but as soon as they found out it was a contract role the mood changed dramatically.

I’d take a £30k permy job in the current market but I’m not willing to commit unless I find one on my doorstep.

[pleomax]

I started off on £200 per day last june, now curretn ends on friday £20/phr.

Looking in my field and jobs are now norm at £10 - £15 per hour.

Permie life her i come i guess?

[Turion]

£200pd equates to about £40k gross pa if the contractor works 200 days/year. To me this seems very low given the extra time, hassle, costs and admin involved. If I could only command £200 as a contractor I'd seriously consider taking any half decent permie job paying £30K pa or more. You'd be way better off in the long run.

[beemarman]

£ 200 a day is a lot of money to a lot of people.

It all depends on your outgoings however. For me, I'm scraping by on £ 450 a day. My minimum really is £ 500 but in the current climate this is hard to achieve.

I envy those who can survive on that rate and even more, I envy those with a war chest. I have none. Maybe I need to look at my outgoings!

Damm!! you're scraping by on £450 per day? you must leave in a £1 million house and have a couple of italian supercars to play with?

[oliverson]

£ 200 a day is a lot of money to a lot of people.

It all depends on your outgoings however. For me, I'm scraping by on £ 450 a day. My minimum really is £ 500 but in the current climate this is hard to achieve.

I envy those who can survive on that rate and even more, I envy those with a war chest. I have none. Maybe I need to look at my outgoings!

[zamzummim]

Why is thread still going ? Surely if one desires to stay as a contractor, and desperate for work then they’ll take whatever rate offered to ride the storm. Its not a long term strategy, when the market is better, then they’d increase their rates. I personally want to stay a contractor, don’t really want to apply for a permie role even if it paid better than the £200 per day. Lucky my current gig pays decent rates, but if I have to then I’ll take a low rate (near home) to tide me over until things get better, this is still a much better option that committing to a permie role (IMO that is).

[gingerjedi]

Yeah, if you work 50 weeks of the year and have no other vacations, public holidays, absences, personal days off, bench time; and have no expenses whatever, and don't pay any empoyer NICs.

Where'd you learn arithmetic, Westminster?

I did it for 3 years with only few weeks off, employer NICs are easily outweighed by NMW plus div on a Ltd basis.

If you look at the chart take 8 weeks bench time and another 4 in holidays you would still earn more than most bank managers outside of London.

The point I’m trying to make is what some people perceive as peanuts is a bloody good wage to most, perhaps top 20%? Certainly a lot more than average.

[expat]

If you work all year £200 a day is equivalent to an average bank mangers salary. Link

Yeah, if you work 50 weeks of the year and have no other vacations, public holidays, absences, personal days off, bench time; and have no expenses whatever, and don't pay any empoyer NICs.

Where'd you learn arithmetic, Westminster?

[gingerjedi]

If you work all year £200 a day is equivalent to an average bank mangers salary. Link

No need to be elitist just because you've done well for yourself.

[ukblokester]

gardengirl,just out of curiosity what are your skillsets? i would be really keen on knowing which ones are in demand and which ones arnt so much.

[GardenGirl]

If you don't need the job why are you complaining about it?

You sound like you are in a very lucky position, not everyone else is so maybe you should consider this. I'm benched and £200 per day seems quite appealing to me as opposed to £0 per day.

Please let us know when you return to Earth!

[Cheshire Cat]

Good for you. Since you won't be stooping to the £200 a day contracts, they will be available for those who want them. Everyone's happy.

[cykophysh39]

By the time you factor in Training, Education .pensions, Investments, Marketing, Insurance, PCG membership, Travel , Accountant fees, etc time on bench money.

£4400 Pound a month is poor for a contractor/Limited Company, away from home.

£200 a day is worth for a "Green" contractor making a break from permie dom. We are individuals with experience and knowledge to offer. At £200 you're basically saying I have a pair of hands that can just about manage typing on a keyboard.


The market is not that bad, when you say scrabbling for work, do you mean responding to adverts on Jobserve, is that the height of scrabbling.

I've been contracting for a long time now, I have built up long relationships with clients and agents a like. I ensure I stay in contact with them, and I always manage to find work through my network.

[d000hg]

Why is paying £9,600 salary over 3 months?

[vlc]

This recession is very likely to turnout to be a depression, and a long one too. So don't worry, it could get much worse... from around Autumn.
On the other hand, IT is probably one of the best areas to be in now.... we'll have it relatively easy.