Permie Permie Permie...

[jmo21]

the reams of admin and non-client specific activities you have to endure.

Personally, I'd prefer to do my own accounts than spend 1/3 of my time on People Management and Performance / Personal Development activities.

+1 - this is the number 1 reason I am a contractor.

I'm currently in contract and dread the thought of being benched and the war chest running out and having to contemplate permy again

[Time For Heroes]

Peter,

I spent 10+ years in permie world (major blue chip organisaton), mulled over going to the contract world for 5 of those years before finally making the jump.

Having been constantly in contract for the past 4 years things suddenly dried up at the end of March and, like many others, I found myself trawling the internet and calling agents day after day for 3 months +.

I eventually had to call in some old favours and return to permanent work only last week. However, in typical fashion, at the end of day 2 induction I recieve a call from an ex-employer with some nailed on contract work (I'm currently in the process of trying to smooth an no notice period exit with minimal fuss and the avoidance of any legal action).

Anyway, one thing that has immediately brought back a permie induced shudder was the the reams of admin and non-client specific activities you have to endure.

Personally, I'd prefer to do my own accounts than spend 1/3 of my time on People Management and Performance / Personal Development activities.

My advice, hold out if you financially can, although the roller coaster ride of emotions due to promised work and near misses can be tough. If you can't, play safe and take the permie role to tide you over until something better comes along, but be prepared for a raft of non job specific tasks.

Good luck...

[nomadd]

I've been on the bench for a little over 2 weeks now and although the market is much better for PMs, it really only seems to be great in the finance / banking / NHS / and some insurance sectors. These roles (except NHS) also pay the best rates of 500 p/d and up.

I have about 15 log entries of agents who are supposedly coming back to me with feedback on submitting my CV to clients but not surprisingly nothing happens most of the time.

So I am considering going back to permi land working for a major consultancy (again) such as PWC or the like to get the sector experience under my belt and then take off contracting again.

Has anybody done similar / been thinking about the similar sort of thing?

P

I spent about 3 years working for PWC as a contractor. I quite enjoyed it. But my manager is only 1 of 2 people I know left working there now. The other 30 or so people I knew - all permies - have "voted with their feet" in recent times. I hear the company is a shadow of it's former self. Most of their IT is driven by the US arm these days, and nearly all of the UK stuff has been outsourced to Fujitsu.

I've been on the bench for 4 months now, but that's nothing unusual for me, as I normally take my time in finding new contracts. I;ve enough in the bank to keep me going until the end of 2010, at which point I'll start panicking.

I've looked on Jobserve at the permie options - and I'm based in London - but the jobs situation seems even worse than the contract market! Maybe it's different in you line of work? Still, no harm in looking, I guess. All depends how desperate you are; but the thought of working insane permie hours whilst getting paid "carp" and no overtime payments makes me think twice!

Nomadd

[Peter Loew]

I've been on the bench for a little over 2 weeks now and although the market is much better for PMs, it really only seems to be great in the finance / banking / NHS / and some insurance sectors. These roles (except NHS) also pay the best rates of 500 p/d and up.

I have about 15 log entries of agents who are supposedly coming back to me with feedback on submitting my CV to clients but not surprisingly nothing happens most of the time.

So I am considering going back to permi land working for a major consultancy (again) such as PWC or the like to get the sector experience under my belt and then take off contracting again.

Has anybody done similar / been thinking about the similar sort of thing?

P