Reply to: Thinking about the career so far

[Support Monkey]

Many years permie,last one i was on 23K me and Mrs monkey and 2 little monkeys just about surviving paying the bills, met a fella on the last permie who was contracting doing the same job as me and making twice the money so i walked no notice nothing, 6 years later no office politics i go in do my job and go home no hassle, half the mortgage, house extended, nice car on the drive bike in the garage holidays abroad every year and the best bit enough money in the bank to last for 2 years on the bench, it would have to be an exceptional offer or i would want to be learning something i could not learn anywhere else to make me go back permie

[lukemg]

4yrs perm - 10yrs contract - 3 yrs perm (wheels fell off had to regroup - v.grim) now 5 years contract.
Had some odd jobs I really shouldn't have got but so good at interviews I can talk my way in most places given a chance.
Really bored though and going for a 4th interview for a perm job that pays about my average contract rate but might actually be interesting (this would mean a LOT at the moment). Its a big IF, but if I get it I will do a couple of years and reassess, it is likely to open other doors back in to contracting.
Will be hard to give up 'the game' though !

[MaryPoppins]

WFBS.

And now I'm stuck in eyer ejumakashen until I drop.

Ho hum.

What do you actually do Zeity?

[suityou01]

5 years permie and 8 years as a contractor. I went from a permie software development manager on Friday to a contractor XML editor on the Monday. I used to love my job but now I am just an invoice jockey, chuck me a change request and I'll hack it into your hacked code.

Mmm well this explains the heavy drinking and vitriolic epic fail posts. Why not go back to being a butcher? (Take a refresher course on black puddings at night school and you're back in)

[Doggy Styles]

Been over thirty years in IT the first five years being permie and since then only one permie job till now which was a brief nine months as the company went bust. It was sufficiently interesting and well paid to entice me away from contracting albeit for a short time.

I know some here have moved between permie and contractor for various reasons. Have you always been a contractor solely? Have you moved between permiedom and being your own boss?

Apprentice, permie, contractor.
From tea-stirrer's mate to being a captain of industry.
I think that's pretty good.

[VectraMan]

I used to love my job but now I am just an invoice jockey, chuck me a change request and I'll hack it into your hacked code.

That pretty much sums up my contracting career too. This permie oppurtunity I have is something genuinely interesting, and in a field I want to work in. I'm actually quite excited about it, but if I don't get it it'll be back to contract code-monkeying for cash.

[minestrone]

5 years permie and 8 years as a contractor. I went from a permie software development manager on Friday to a contractor XML editor on the Monday. I used to love my job but now I am just an invoice jockey, chuck me a change request and I'll hack it into your hacked code.

[Fred Bloggs]

I'm a bit dim/slow learner I suppose. I spent 19.5 years in one staff job and 10 years in another. Then I went contract about 8 years ago. (I'm an old fart as well). No point regretting anything, but I should have gone contract 20 years sooner than I did. I'd have been a lot better off than I am now if I had done.

[MarillionFan]

30+ years a politician.

Chancellor of the Exchequer
Prime Minister
Responsible for biggest cash crisis in UK History
Motivational Speaker
F**kwit

Gordon Brown

[NickFitz]

12 years as a permie in two companies, then 5 years as a contractor, and I think I'm about to be a permie again. Hopefully I'll make it a year before having to endure an appraisil or having to work out my KPIs*. Still, I'm looking forward to being paid to be on holiday.

*I think that means "Key Personal Initiatives"; it's a phrase I overheard a lot at previous ClientCo and seem to cause misery for manager and employee alike and generally get in the way of the scheduled work.

It's Key Performance Indicators

[thunderlizard]

Never had a permanent job. Started contracting in university summer holidays in 1998 (well, temping really) when all you needed was a nice tie and the ability to run (not write, heavens no) an Excel macro. Forgot to jack it in in 2001 when all the other chancers did, and seem to have got fairly good at it now.

[norrahe]

Thankfully only endured 5 years of permiedom and have been contracting since, couldn't go back to the darkside.

I like the fact I can move elsewhere when the politicking gets too much or if I fancy a change of skill set or scenery.

Don't think I would have learnt so much as a permie.

Only downside is that I have a lot of experience in a niche market and am still trying to break out, its too easy for agents to place me in my market.

[OwlHoot]

20 years a permie, then offered a contract (believe it or not) to solve a knotty SQL join problem and been contracting for 12 years since then until now.

Once or twice tempted to go permie again, when contracts were thin on the ground, but always saved in the nick of time.

[VectraMan]

12 years as a permie in two companies, then 5 years as a contractor, and I think I'm about to be a permie again. Hopefully I'll make it a year before having to endure an appraisil or having to work out my KPIs*. Still, I'm looking forward to being paid to be on holiday.

*I think that means "Key Personal Initiatives"; it's a phrase I overheard a lot at previous ClientCo and seem to cause misery for manager and employee alike and generally get in the way of the scheduled work.

[aussielong]

ideally would like to focus on sub contracting a few roles out as getting quite a rep for the work i do, so guidance appreciated

This is a good idea too. Was working with one contractor recently who hired a third guy, trained him up on the platform and took 15% of his daily rate for that.