Reply to: First Contracting Job - Please Advise!

[Bellona]

Presumably, they all need to go through Crapita as well these days?

Yes, and that's the killer at the moment.

Even if you have a really good agent, ultimately you have to enter the CL1 framework and have the Crapita experience inflicted on you......

[TheFaQQer]

How many DV'd roles are there out there realistically? Not many, not that many SC'd ones and I don't see any premium rates for them either nowadays.

Presumably, they all need to go through Crapita as well these days?

[stek]

True. But if client wants someone to do the stuff that the OP can do and needs DV clearance but only wants to pay £250 then they aint gonna get someone with 20 years expeience are they?

How many DV'd roles are there out there realistically? Not many, not that many SC'd ones and I don't see any premium rates for them either nowadays.

[psychocandy]

Remember what contracting is about and what the clients are looking for. They want highly skilled and specialised resources to plug hole in their resource model that they cannot get internally and that can hit the ground running and bring this wealth of experience to their project. If you don't have that experience and can't deliver exactly what he wants then don't bother with contracting. It's more or less as simple as that.

True. But if client wants someone to do the stuff that the OP can do and needs DV clearance but only wants to pay £250 then they aint gonna get someone with 20 years expeience are they?

[psychocandy]

I thought DV ended when you walk out the door, SC you can retain for a bit longer.

Given the speed that clearances are going through these days, is there really still a premium on being able to be cleared?

Not sure about DV to be honest.

Yes they are cleared quickly but look at jobserve and try telling the agents that. Or the clients for that matter?

I had one a few months ago where they were dead keen but my SC had expired. They fannied about for 3-4 weeks then said sorry we need someone with current SC. WTF.

[northernladuk]

Remember what contracting is about and what the clients are looking for. They want highly skilled and specialised resources to plug hole in their resource model that they cannot get internally and that can hit the ground running and bring this wealth of experience to their project. If you don't have that experience and can't deliver exactly what he wants then don't bother with contracting. It's more or less as simple as that.

[TheFaQQer]

DV goes with the role and expires as soon as you leave it.

That's what I thought as well, but under the 2013 rules (linky) you can transfer it if

The vetting subject must have taken up the post for which they were originally DV cleared within 12 months of the clearance being issued and they must not have been out of a post, for which they required DV clearance for more than 12 months.

[Manz]

Thanks for the advice psychocandy, for my first role and considering I have no financial commitments, I would be ok with taking a role as low as £220+ just to get contracting experience on my CV. Do you believe I stand a decent enough chance of getting a contract with the experience and skillset I stated in my original post? Thanks in advance.

I'm around the same age as you and my first job out of uni was a contract and I've been there for over 2 years, it is going to end in 2 weeks, but most of the people here are speaking the truth when they say go for a permie role because when I started applying for contracts a few months back, I barely got any calls from agents, but recently I started applying for permie roles and every one of them has called me back. I might just go permie for a few years and then switch back to contracting as I'll have more years experience under my belt at that point.

You can apply for junior contract roles by all means, but if you follow up with the agent, they are going to tell you there are people with more experience and would you be happier with a much lower rate, at which point you will want to hang up.

The only time an agent will call you back is if they misread your number of years of experience, and think you actually have 10 years and start explaining the job spec to you, I've had it happen to me so some of the members on here are right when they say "agent's can't read".

[techwhizz]

I'll take your word for it.

Of course, declaring your clearance status to people isn't generally regarded as being in-line with the clearance policies....

I can only talk for my own accounts but I have not at any point been told that I am not allowed to declare I am DV cleared, infact, the individual who undertook my vetting process told me it was okay to discuss what was asked, as it is the same process for anybody undergoing it. I'm just not obliged to say my job title, role or department/where exactly I work. Which I haven't. But as I said, just my own experience of the process.

[stek]

No, DV stays with you and isn't the easiest of things to get, the whole process takes around 6 months.

DV goes with the role and expires as soon as you leave it.

[TheFaQQer]

No, DV stays with you and isn't the easiest of things to get, the whole process takes around 6 months.

I'll take your word for it.

Of course, declaring your clearance status to people isn't generally regarded as being in-line with the clearance policies....

[techwhizz]

I thought DV ended when you walk out the door, SC you can retain for a bit longer.

Given the speed that clearances are going through these days, is there really still a premium on being able to be cleared?

No, DV stays with you and isn't the easiest of things to get, the whole process takes around 6 months.

[TheFaQQer]

Thanks for the advice psychocandy, for my first role and considering I have no financial commitments, I would be ok with taking a role as low as £220+ just to get contracting experience on my CV. Do you believe I stand a decent enough chance of getting a contract with the experience and skillset I stated in my original post? Thanks in advance.

If you take a low rate (assuming you get one at all), then you'll be in a lower-skilled role. Having oodles of experience in low-paying, poorly-skilled roles doesn't seem like a good path to contracting, if you expect more.

You'd be better off getting a different permie role which you can then use to get onto the contracting ladder higher than you stand a chance at the moment.

[TheFaQQer]

DV clearance = VERY good to have for contract roles.

Even crap desktop support roles that command £150/day you see for double that with DV.

One thing - make sure new role is DV too or after a year not working in DV role its gone to all intents and purposes.

I thought DV ended when you walk out the door, SC you can retain for a bit longer.

Given the speed that clearances are going through these days, is there really still a premium on being able to be cleared?

[MyUserName]

Thanks for the advice psychocandy, for my first role and considering I have no financial commitments, I would be ok with taking a role as low as £220+ just to get contracting experience on my CV. Do you believe I stand a decent enough chance of getting a contract with the experience and skillset I stated in my original post? Thanks in advance.

Unlikely TBH although, obviously, it is possible

There is stacks of competition from experienced contractors who have all that you do and more.