Reply to: Re: To contract or not to contract?

[expat]

I contract because I like the control it gives me. If I want a holiday, I'll take one, if I want to spend a few months in the city then I have the freedom to do so in what is a bouyant market.

No longer will I go and find business for my employer then deliver that business for 25-30% of the day rate I sold it in at.

But then - each to their own...

Quit now
Pay cash
Don't retire
Die broke.

[jason986]

I contract because I like the control it gives me. If I want a holiday, I'll take one, if I want to spend a few months in the city then I have the freedom to do so in what is a bouyant market.

No longer will I go and find business for my employer then deliver that business for 25-30% of the day rate I sold it in at.

But then - each to their own...

I'd totally agree with this. This is why I go contracting. You can control your life more. I couldn't imagine working in a permy role ebing told when you can have holidays and for how long. Much more freedom being a contractor though you have to rely on a buoyany market for your sector.

[expat]

Can you recommend any good agencies for Siebel jobs? thanks

Not especially, I don't particularly look for specialists. I get calls from my CV on the web, or from previous contacts; and I look on Jobserve when I'm looking. I've only twice used an agency that specialised in Siebel, and one of them was my least favourite ever. The other was called Specialist Skills and they were OK, they gave me a contract and paid on time, what more can you ask?

[martin-w]

I switched from COBOL to C at 44, added Oracle at 45, switched again to Siebel at 48..... and I haven't retired yet.

Can you recommend any good agencies for Siebel jobs? thanks

[AlfredJPruffock]

10 years in IT (Cobol/DB2 --> SAP --> EAI) and I feel bored and uninterested. I went from developer through several levels to Senior Architect and then hit a glass ceiling. Now I'm just not motivated any more, so long as I earn/save/invest comfortably for the next 3 or 4 years, I'm not planning to remain in IT much longer after that.

Is it just me?

Feelings of boredom and lack of interest as we grow older are a natural part of maturing and being British.

One remedy is to consider an exciting career in Chartered Accountancy, or for the less adventurous, Lion Taming.



Morning Mr Pruffock
Morning Enid

Have the new paper clips arrived Enid ?

Yes theyre over in the drawer Mr Pruffock

Oh I see ....

A typcial day in the Life of AJ Pruffock, electroic file clerk and Lion Tamer

[DaveB]

eep.

[expat]

10 years in IT (Cobol/DB2 --> SAP --> EAI) and I feel bored and uninterested. I went from developer through several levels to Senior Architect and then hit a glass ceiling. Now I'm just not motivated any more, so long as I earn/save/invest comfortably for the next 3 or 4 years, I'm not planning to remain in IT much longer after that.

Is it just me?

No, I feel like that too. But I do a competent job, don't get dirty, don't worry about finding work, and get well paid. It doesn't make sense for me to do anything else to make a living - only if it were for something other than making a living.

[Jakes Daddy]

No longer will I go and find business for my employer then deliver that business for 25-30% of the day rate I sold it in at.

And thats exactly why I am looking to make the move to contracting - if all goes to plan no longer will I be subsidising the salaries of sales staff who do bugger all !

[ratewhore]

I contract because I like the control it gives me. If I want a holiday, I'll take one, if I want to spend a few months in the city then I have the freedom to do so in what is a bouyant market.

No longer will I go and find business for my employer then deliver that business for 25-30% of the day rate I sold it in at.

But then - each to their own...

[ChimpMaster]

I switched from COBOL to C at 44, added Oracle at 45, switched again to Siebel at 48..... and I haven't retired yet.

10 years in IT (Cobol/DB2 --> SAP --> EAI) and I feel bored and uninterested. I went from developer through several levels to Senior Architect and then hit a glass ceiling. Now I'm just not motivated any more, so long as I earn/save/invest comfortably for the next 3 or 4 years, I'm not planning to remain in IT much longer after that.

Is it just me?

[expat]

as old as you feel

And at 32 I'm too old to learn something new or even re-learn something old.

I switched from COBOL to C at 44, added Oracle at 45, switched again to Siebel at 48..... and I haven't retired yet.

[ChimpMaster]

I know Tazman said that it's not all about the money and, I agree totally. It's not just about that for me, it's about the ability to make decisions for myself and also the future option of actually establishing something more on the lines of a consultancy.

R.

Ah yes I too had a dream, a dream of setting up a consultancy and running a team of enthusiastic consultants to do my bidding. But the product I am an expert in declined rapidly in business, then the company was bought out by another American software house and then IBM ate that company up.

So now there are only about 30 contractors in the UK who do what i do, and barely enough clients to feed them all. But the money's OK while you can get it. So now I'm just earning while I can, saving up everything possible and waiting until my product dies out completely. And at 32 I'm too old to learn something new or even re-learn something old.

After all this, I will of course, go where old contractors go ....

[DaveB]

In any case, you've come to the wrong place. This is a board for permies, shopkeepers, farmers, giant alien lizards, senior NCOs, fundamentalist christians and revolutionary communists. Oh, and Milan of course. Can't remember the last time I saw a contractor here.

I'm over here behind the Giant Alien Lizard ( It's the safest pace to be! )

[DaveB]

Oh come on, you know it's about the money really

[rtjward]

Dave B,

Thanks, that's useful feedback.

I am serious about contracting and would therefore go down the Ltd route. Something that I do need to get more of a handle on is IR35 but I've got the contacts/friends to do that.

It's interesting that you mention about doubling your salary, that is in the main the responses that I've had.

I know Tazman said that it's not all about the money and, I agree totally. It's not just about that for me, it's about the ability to make decisions for myself and also the future option of actually establishing something more on the lines of a consultancy.

R.