Reply to: So who else is on the bench...

[SandyDown]

MF == threaded apprentice !!

[MarillionFan]

I was going to do the same as LordF there. List all my contracts etc in the last 8 years but to be honest I dont have three weeks plus this site isnt big enough to hold the list.

[LordF]

My first contract was after being made redundant from the last permie role in the summer of 1998.

Came back from hols in July 98, went to my office, got a call "Come to the board-room", went up, got told to pack my Sh*t, take this cheque as 3 months notice and bring the company car back in 3 months. Packed my stuff, deleted all my emails and reformatted the Desk Top and f*cked off home.

Within 2 months I had offer of my first contract. Stayed there 20 months. Utilities company.

The second contract was easy, as the manager from the first contract had gone to company 2 (Telecoms company) and he called me over. Was there 6 months.

3rd - 11 months (Telecoms)
4th - 30 months (Pharma)
5th - 21 months (Telecoms)
6th - still here after 8 months (air transport)
Total time out (on the bench) in between contracts: 3 weeks (between 3rd and 4th contract).

[Sysman]

Anyway time for plan B to kick in. From Jan you'll find me mostly on the M1 with laptop and datacard applying for jobs from lay-bys and getting £30k to find work... marvelous. Stress free, IR35 safe and almost guaranteed £££. Starting to think truckers are a higher life form.

That's got to be better than life as a permie. Rest breaks and limited working hours, enforced legally

[Sockpuppet]

Logistics? That’s lorry driving ‘n stuff.

Argh the uneducated!!

I do more project work (i.e. design + build warehouses).

But I also drive lorries as my plan B

[Buffoon]

Logistics? That’s lorry driving ‘n stuff.

You sound like AndyW. In real life he was a shelf filler in Tesco’s but claimed he was in IT because he had one of those hand held bar code readers.

[SallyAnne]

So if we discount the fact that I'm a happy go lucky person and really dont care what the next contract is you're saying that I'm laughing? That and me really only in contracting for the variety and not the money...erm.

Anyway time for plan B to kick in. From Jan you'll find me mostly on the M1 with laptop and datacard applying for jobs from lay-bys and getting £30k to find work... marvelous. Stress free, IR35 safe and almost guaranteed £££. Starting to think truckers are a higher life form.

If you can get past an interview, you can learn anything on the job - so just wing it mate....until plan B kicks in.

[Sockpuppet]

So if we discount the fact that I'm a happy go lucky person and really dont care what the next contract is you're saying that I'm laughing? That and me really only in contracting for the variety and not the money...erm.

Anyway time for plan B to kick in. From Jan you'll find me mostly on the M1 with laptop and datacard applying for jobs from lay-bys and getting £30k to find work... marvelous. Stress free, IR35 safe and almost guaranteed £££. Starting to think truckers are a higher life form.

[SallyAnne]

Well yeah I think the lack of .NET on my CV may stop me from becoming a programmer

Maybe not stricly logistics. Probably some project management, or analyst of stuff.

So put it on, and learn it in 5 minutes if you get an interview! Come on SP - start thinking like one of us!!!

[MarillionFan]

"So who thinks the second contract is the hardest to get..."

As an experienced contractor listen while I give advice.

The 2nd contract is the hardest to get. This is because after ditching your safe permie role and waiting for a while you took a contract you were not necessarily happy with. Having got a little cash behind you, having gotten an understanding of how it works and wanting that little extra money & worth, you are more choosy.

The 2nd contract is harder to get than the 1st.

Get the 2nd one though...... and then my son, you're a contractor.

[DaveB]

3 months

Most logistics contracts seem to be 3 - 6 months there are not many 6 - 12 monthers out there (unless you are the BA which I could do but I prefer not to spend all day process mapping the "visio method" way).

Most contracts of any description are 3 or 6 months initially. How long they actually drag on for is another question, but you wont normally see anything longer offered in the first place.

[Sockpuppet]

What are you looking to do next, more logistics ?

Well yeah I think the lack of .NET on my CV may stop me from becoming a programmer

Maybe not stricly logistics. Probably some project management, or analyst of stuff.

[Lucy]

What are you looking to do next, more logistics ?

[Sockpuppet]

3 months

Most logistics contracts seem to be 3 - 6 months there are not many 6 - 12 monthers out there (unless you are the BA which I could do but I prefer not to spend all day process mapping the "visio method" way).

[Lucy]

How long was your contract for SP ?