Reply to: When do you become desperate enough to go perm?

[Butcheroo]

When do you become desperate enough to go perm?

I would take lower rate or travel further. I could not be arsed with appraisals, one to ones, where do you want to be in 5 yrs rubbish

Want to do this forever if poss. Problem is 1 ir35 hunt from hmrc would ruin anyone for good.

[Ruprect]

Unless the low rate is so low that you're better off permie, I'd stick with contracting.

Or the offer is so good that you're better off permie


just sayin like...

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

And now?

And now what?

[ChimpMaster]

I don't know how long you've been contracting so it's difficult to advise (judge?!) your situation.

I have always viewed contracting as a temporary part of my working life. Temporary doesn't have to mean a few months; in fact it's been 8 years for me and if I'm fortunate I will get another year.

I have appreciated every single year that I have contracted and I have for better or worse planned for the worst case scenario: I have been paying off my mortgage, saving, investing and trying to build up residual income. In some ways I have treated each year of contract as my last, but that's also because I'm highly skilled in an end-of-line product and fully expect next year to be my last in this field.

I will most likely have to go permie after this contract ends next year, but I have put myself in such a position that I can (hopefully) be that little more selective. Nothing is ever constant though, and unplanned events can turn your life on a dime, but you've got to plan best you can and hope that things turn out even better.

If you do go permie, make sure you get something out of it too, I mean like in terms of training, new skills, fulfillment or whatever. There has to be something that keeps you happy.

Best of luck.

To think I wrote this post only a week ago and am now considering giving up my contract for a permie 'opportunity'!

[speling bee]

Nope still got a long way to go yet.....

And now?

[nomadd]

After enjoying the end of summer w/o any work I am beginning to get concerned.
The warchest that was designed to last 6 months and after 3 or so is nearing depletion due to client not paying and some other unfavorable circumstances...
In such situation what steps would you go for?
Perm role until a suitable contract is found?
Contract at a very low rate?
Loan?

Contract. Always. For me at least.

My situation: six months on the bench, but only 2 months of that actually looking for a new role.

Market seems to have picked up quite a bit in the last couple of weeks (and, for once, agents seem to be in agreement on this.) Warchest was deliberately built up over the last few years to be 5 years+ worth, as the market has been so bad recently. If I can't find a contract within 5 years, it's time to go and do something else. No idea what, but probably early retirement.

Permie? I'd rather die.

YMMV.

[Jeebo72]

After enjoying the end of summer w/o any work I am beginning to get concerned.
The warchest that was designed to last 6 months and after 3 or so is nearing depletion due to client not paying and some other unfavorable circumstances...
In such situation what steps would you go for?
Perm role until a suitable contract is found?
Contract at a very low rate?
Loan?

I interviewed an 18 year (not old) contractor who'd been without work for 13 months... he's still holding strong by the looks of it. Pathetic interview all the same, I wouldn't let 'em wash my car.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Has your gig ended yet?

Nope still got a long way to go yet.....

[speling bee]

3 months and counting.....

I am gonna prove you wrong by the end of this gig...

Has your gig ended yet?

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Or NWPerm2Contract but he won't be there long.....

3 months and counting.....

I am gonna prove you wrong by the end of this gig...

[VectraMan]

About 18 months ago.

It wasn't really desperation, but there just weren't that many contract roles and when agents were calling me all the time about permie roles I felt the writing was probably on the wall. As it happened I was offered a decent role, on a salary that wasn't too much of a drop; that was an easy commute, and promised more interesting work than anything I'd done as a contractor.

I was actually offered a 4 week contract on the same day as the permie job, and so said yes to both.

[Spacecadet]

For the Right Company, with the Right Role offering the Right Money I would.
That's not to say that I dislike contracting but I do think that avoiding permie roles means missing out on some potentially fantastic opportunities.

I came very close to accepting an offer with a consultancy 18 months ago, part of me is glad I didn't accept, part of me thinks that at the level I was going in I could have made a massive difference there.

I started contracting to avoid the permie rut and TBH I'm now finding myself stuck in a contracting rut

[BolshieBastard]

Or NWPerm2Contract but he won't be there long.....

Boom, boom! LOL!

But absolutely spot on!

[oscarose]

When do you become desperate enough to go perm?



Currently looking...

[KentPhilip]

OP: Have you contacted your old clients and colleagues to see whether they have anything? Even short IR35-friendly gigs will boost your confidence and bank balance.

That's what I'll do shortly because I'm also on the bench and found the market is very quiet at the moment. Mind you it helps if you have kept in contact with them regularly so they don't think you're trying to sponge off them. Which I haven't, so will no doubt be accused of that