Reply to: Crazy time (starting contracting)

[malvolio]

I'm not quite a novice -- I've just managed to land a fairly large chunk of cash (enough to live on for 4 months) from direct marketing My employment contract (snigger) with their previous provider explicitly states that I shouldn't contact any of their clients for a year. 2 years later, a strategic competitive bid paid off

That'll teach them to have been assholes

Fine, well done. I just pulled £10k for 5 days off-line work. Ex-colleague of mine managed £2.4m for a one year improvement programme (I hate him with a passion - he applied my ideas to do it!). Some of the guys here get paid every week for something or another, although I can't imagine exacly what in some cases.

Not the point I'm making. You need a different mindset as a contractor, but you won't realise that until a few clients and agencies and fellow contractors have upset your plans. But it's fun finding out!

[Fungus]

HR have to justify their existence by putting in roadblocks after the initial thought of "we're getting big - perhaps we need an HR department" as they're usually useless clowns.

According to my manager hiring a contractor is much easier than hiring a permie because they do not have to deal with HR, who must have a say on who can be hired as a permie. The irony is that they've told me I can go permie if I want (I don't).

[Fungus]

Trouble is, it rarely works that way. The manager has a budget for a piece of work, and if he can pay you, he can pay you plus your pimp - it's in the budget anyway. He doesn't really have time to do it himself, that's why he's getting a contractor.

Or he'd do it, but his HR won't let him. Or his IT department manager used to work for A******** and insists that bodies be shopped from them.

I had one like that once: the boss found (or re-found) me. Then we had to find an agency to sit between us, because HR, Legal, and Accounts said so.

It worked like that at my previous client, and at the current one. I I know it worked like that at another client for a colleague. They like it and the contractors like it. Maybe there are some HR tosspots in some companies.

[expat]

Why do you need an agent? I passed on a friend's CV to the boss, and hey presto he has a contract. He's cheaper than an agency supplied head, hence preferred.

Trouble is, it rarely works that way. The manager has a budget for a piece of work, and if he can pay you, he can pay you plus your pimp - it's in the budget anyway. He doesn't really have time to do it himself, that's why he's getting a contractor.

Or he'd do it, but his HR won't let him. Or his IT department manager used to work for A******** and insists that bodies be shopped from them.

I had one like that once: the boss found (or re-found) me. Then we had to find an agency to sit between us, because HR, Legal, and Accounts said so.

[malvolio]

I'm a Ram with big ugly pointy horns

No, you are a complete novice with no understanding of what you're getting into - but we won't hold that against you, we all have to start somewhere!

[Fungus]

Why do you need an agent? I passed on a friend's CV to the boss, and hey presto he has a contract. He's cheaper than an agency supplied head, hence preferred. If you know the companies in your commercial area, then send then your CV.

I should have gone direct last time but rather stupidly did not, and ended up with plonker agents doing the filtering, not the employer. The latter knows who they want, not the agent.

Anyway, a month back another friend also applied, this time through an agent, and I found out that his CV was destroyed by the careless ignorant plonker editing it badly.

Fungus

[mcquiggd]

He he... another lamb to the slaughter

[malvolio]

And since nobody has said it yet, read the PCG guide for First Timers at www.pcg.org.uk. Knowing what you don't know is almost as important as what you do know.

The other thing to watch is that no matter how good you are in your permie roles, as of now you are a novice to the market. Have fun!

[DaveB]

Hey, as someone else on here once said,

Contracting, Every Little Helps

[Mordac]

Too slow with your again Dave.

[DaveB]

You can also try SJD, offices all over the place and seem very professional at what they do. Folks who dont use Darren seem to use them, and vise versa

They do offer a referal reward so if you like 'em tell 'em DaveB at Yewtree Services sent you

[Mordac]

>find an accountant that isn't a theiving bastard

Might I suggest Darren (www.1staccountancy.biz) who posts on here sometimes. He's a Geordie, but don't hold that aginst him, he's suffered enough.

I should point out I'm not on a real kickback, only a virtual one.

http://forums.contractoruk.com/thread6425.html

[Mordac]

Just out of interest, what is the likelyhood of (on a 3 month contract) getting something negotiated that is 50% up front. I'm not sure how the payment usually works between the agencies, your company and the clients. When I've done private stuff before, I always ask for 50% up front and 50% on completion (not sign off as that usually costs more!). Help appreciated!!

On an agency contract, I'd say nil. They don't understand the concept. You would be paid weekly/monthly. If you were direct, then very possibly, but you would likely be on worse payment terms (30 or 60 days etc).
At least with an agency contract they factor the invoices so you still get paid in about 7 days whatever happens. If it's a large sum, you can always approach an agency to handle your invoice processing (basically factoring) for a smallish fee (say 5-6%) so you get the money quicker.

[eternalnomad]

Ok i'm working for a lovely company in London city but I'm fed up of being crapped on all the time.

What makes you think you will not get 'crapped on all the time' as a contractor ?

You will be 'crapped on' (I can assure you) the only difference being that the additional cash and flexibility should compensate for it more than as a permie.

There are a few decent agents out there, IMHO they tend to work for the smaller agencies, however ultimately their margin is all they care about.

[hugebrain]

Don't mislead the guy, he's just starting out...

Actually, there are no good agents.

BEWARE