Reply to: Niche contractor vs. Permie with Prospects?

[original PM]

P.S. Cloud is no way dead. It's barely started. What you see today is Cloud, Jim, but not as we'll know it.

Cloud is not dead

nor it is new however

[Platypus]

I got my most recent 6 month gig after a 20 minute interview from the disabled bog at previous client in my final week. I started the following week, I'm still here 3 years later.

Class!

[rl4engc]

Personally I'd have to be very, very desperate to go back to permiedom. I was permie for 7 years and I've been a contractor for 7 years. As a contractor I've been on the bench for all of two months whilst I re-skilled, this involved training at home from materials available on the interwebs, and 'updating' my CV.

A lot depends on your skillset, I'm pure technical (through choice), and I've found all my clients to be very relaxed and no hassle from permies. I think of a contracting career like a game of frogger. If I need to jump onto a new log, I make sure the skillset from my current gig supports the jump to the new one. This may involve gaining new skills and adding a couple of bullet points to the CV. The gaining of these skills could be researching/developing a new way of doing XYZ for ClientCo, and may have, but probably wasn't requested by ClientCo...

Point is, moving around in Contractordom is very easy, it's all about a recent skillset. in the world of Permies (as I found out during my 2 month break when I was panicking, thinking I'd have to go back to being Permie) they want you to be a "member of the family" and so have all day intensive interviews, online psychometric tests, personality assessments with HR, meet the directors etc. I'm going working for them, not marrying into them.

Other things that have reassured me contracting is the way to go:

- Last permie interview: "So, what made you decide to stop contracting? Were you getting tired of the money?" I ended the interview.
- Potential permie employer, on learning I was a contractor: "Once a contractor, always a contractor.. "
- Shortly before leaving last permie gig to go contracting, a (long-term, 'loyal company man') colleague remarked "Subbie Scum..!". A few months later he'd been made redundant.
- I got my most recent 6 month gig after a 20 minute interview from the disabled bog at previous client in my final week. I started the following week, I'm still here 3 years later.

[MyUserName]

After 18 gallons of booze last night and having duly slept on the matter, I've decided to stay in this contract until the bitter end, bank the dosh, enjoy the life and sod the future. I have time enough to reskill where I am now, I just have to stop being such a lazy bunt and get on with it.

Sounds like a good plan!

[vetran]

Are there plan B opportunities in your Niche or skill areas you fancy?

there may be more than one way to skill up or secure your future.

[Platypus]

Thanks for the really insightful answers, and thanks for sharing. MUN, you really did the right thing, and you'll look back in years to come and you'll never regret your choice.

I'm a 90% WFH contractor with interesting travel thrown in from time to time. No daily grind for me. The perm role would mean daily travel. My kids are all growed up and my wife fecked off yonks ago, so I have zero restrictions on my time but I don't want to trade an easy 10 seconds commute for hours each day.

After 18 gallons of booze last night and having duly slept on the matter, I've decided to stay in this contract until the bitter end, bank the dosh, enjoy the life and sod the future. I have time enough to reskill where I am now, I just have to stop being such a lazy bunt and get on with it.

Thanks again one and all. Next question, hangover cures ......

P.S. Cloud is no way dead. It's barely started. What you see today is Cloud, Jim, but not as we'll know it.

[VectraMan]

Agree with MyUserName, a permie job means you can live near where you work, as there are a lot more permie jobs than contracts.

I also left contracting because it meant you have to travel. I spent most of the time I was contracting commuting long distances.

I think the travelling, the expense and the time you lose are the big factors in weighing up permiedom vs contracting.

Last time I was looking all the contracts seemed to be bloody miles away, and really dull sounding roles to boot. I just couldn't get myself motivated to go through all that when there seemed to be a good choice of interesting sounding permie jobs with an easy commute.

[BlasterBates]

Agree with MyUserName, a permie job means you can live near where you work, as there are a lot more permie jobs than contracts.

I also left contracting because it meant you have to travel. I spent most of the time I was contracting commuting long distances.

I think the travelling, the expense and the time you lose are the big factors in weighing up permiedom vs contracting.

[MyUserName]

My two pence worth ...

I did pretty much the opposite to what most people recommend. I left investment bank contracting for a niche permie position using C++ which is locked on an old version and, naturally, take home a lot less money.

However, my children are at school run age and my wife cannot drive. Hence someone needs to take them to school and pick them up - possibly at short notice if they are ill etc., my daughter has slight autism so it needs to be a regular enough routine so that she can see the pattern.

The banking contracts I looked at were in London and were therefore about an hour and a half away on the train. The permie job is a 45 minute drive (so I get to listen to audio books and have some personal time) with flexible employers (they don't mind me doing sword training in the car park at lunch etc.) and some astonishingly clever people.

I am happier now than when I was contracting and so is my family despite the money (and prestige!) being less.

[SimonMac]

RIP

(Reskill in permie)

[jmo21]

push to get involved in some of their cloud work on next renewal?

I got a load of experience with Azure a couple of years back with a client when they asked me to put together a proof of concept with no prior experience

[Dactylion]

demand high, deliver low?

if they offer a permie you have a choice of refusing low offers.

tell them you are a God and you never know they might give you a key to the executive washroom.

it worked for MF!

True it did work for MF - but only because he needs the key to get in to clean them.

[vetran]

demand high, deliver low?

if they offer a permie you have a choice of refusing low offers.

tell them you are a God and you never know they might give you a key to the executive washroom.

it worked for MF!

[unixman]

So much depends on your personal circumstances. Eg. how far is this place from your home, what are your personal finaces like, family commitments and so on.

Has ClientCo actually promised training courses ? Or if you stayed as a contractor, will they continue to renew your contract ? Have you looked at the contract market for your skill recently ?

If you just fancy the permanent lifestyle, there is nothing to stop you trying it for a year or two, and moving back if it doesn't suit.

[jamesbrown]

Contract until the bitter end, then perhaps consider going permie before coming to your senses and extending into a new level of bitter endedness.

The main factors I would consider are:

Exhibit A: half the money

Exhibit B: twice the effort