"Career" Progress through contracting

[BolshieBastard]

He's a company director and employee also, both have careers.

[adubya]

Technically you are business now. Even using the term career loosely isn't right.

He's a company director and employee also, both have careers.

[norrahe]

Started off years ago doing BA roles, progressed onto implementation management, then project management and now Programme management.

It is possible but you need to keep up to date with your skills, try and get the right qualifications and get the experience, as that is what matters in the end.

[northernladuk]

Technically you are business now. Even using the term career loosely isn't right. You gain more saleable skills and sell them to clients at the right price. You get these from lucky breaks on a gig (but watch you don't stray from deliverable a be directed) and training/personal investment.

You just jump between the skills in your portfolio as clients need them. Just the problem of bloody agents assuming you are only worth your last gig.

[northernladuk]

MF is the man to answer this one - he started as a BI jockey..

That is a term for fluffer I have never seen before

[cojak]

MF is the man to answer this one - he started as a BI jockey..

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I know we don't really have career progression in the contracting world and it's all about providing a service blah blah, but it must be possible to advance up the role & rate ladder through the right opportunities.

In summary:
- Previously I was just a BI developer. I was always "managed" in the sense I was not responsible for other developers work and reported to somebody regarding my work. In my last few roles I have been given increasing freedom to draw up solutions and make a contribution at a higher level
- My last role was a step down and I effectively became just a database developer (on a BI dev rate hence I felt I was mislead).
- I left my last role and am now back at Radbroke at the most senior level to date. I am effectively in charge of 4 developers and 2 junior staff. I am responsible for designing the solutions, coming up with the delivery plans and managing others in terms of their personal development as well as delivery of the overall project

I feel I have made the right move in taking this jump though the responsibility can seem quite a scary one (though good scary in the challenging sense). I have enjoyed the position so far. The question is: How easy is it to move from such a position to another similar one and will it prove more challenging to find such work than in standard BI roles (i.e. it was pretty easy before)?