Intro and Advice/General Knowledge

[stek]

Correct. There is sod all to the West, East and North really. Only down to Manc.

All I can think of is DWP at Lytham (SC required so that's no-no), what was Bradford and Bingley at err, Bingley, AKAR or something now? A Bank (sort of) and Halifax, Bank again.

Despite coming (a living in for a fair time) from Bolton only roles I got nearby where:

Railtrack 1993
GE in Sale (2 day role) 2004
Coop Bank 2010

Dunno if Sellafield counts!

[northernladuk]

Blackburn is pretty much the sticks from a contracting perspective, and there's not that much in Manchester area that isn't a Bank. (Coop, Lloyds).

Is your husband British? Rules are pretty tight if he's not, also you won't be able to claim benefits/use NHS for a while since you've been away so long...

Correct. There is sod all to the West, East and North really. Only down to Manc.

[SurfQueen]

South Africa - so multiply those figures by 20

[stek]

His grandparents were, so he'll get an ancestral visa and we have to pay in xx amount for NI. Lucky my kids will get citizenship though, busy with their applications at the moment. Our plan is to come over in Jan for a look-see. Picked that time of year as hopefully it's the most miserable time (weather and people) so we can see worst case scenario

We plan to go from London up to Edinburgh and Glasgow and back to try and get an idea of the different areas and the available work.

I do have some UK references as the outsourcing company I worked for previously was based in the UK and the clients I supported were all UK based - so anything that will help

IHS surcharge is a bit of a crippler, £1000 for Ancestry on top of the fee, £956 is it? Is he from Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the US? They don't pay the NHS fee......

[SurfQueen]

His grandparents were, so he'll get an ancestral visa and we have to pay in xx amount for NI. Lucky my kids will get citizenship though, busy with their applications at the moment. Our plan is to come over in Jan for a look-see. Picked that time of year as hopefully it's the most miserable time (weather and people) so we can see worst case scenario

We plan to go from London up to Edinburgh and Glasgow and back to try and get an idea of the different areas and the available work.

I do have some UK references as the outsourcing company I worked for previously was based in the UK and the clients I supported were all UK based - so anything that will help

[stek]

Thanks - I saw that one. Looks like absolute overkill from the banks' side.

Don't particularly fancy London and my Dad would prefer to be closer to "home" (Blackburn) so if there's a bit of work that side it will go down well. My husband is in emergency services so he will need to live near to work - which why I'm looking at the contracting option.

If this all comes off alright it will be a miracle

Blackburn is pretty much the sticks from a contracting perspective, and there's not that much in Manchester area that isn't a Bank. (Coop, Lloyds).

Is your husband British? Rules are pretty tight if he's not, also you won't be able to claim benefits/use NHS for a while since you've been away so long...

[SurfQueen]

Thanks - I saw that one. Looks like absolute overkill from the banks' side.

Don't particularly fancy London and my Dad would prefer to be closer to "home" (Blackburn) so if there's a bit of work that side it will go down well. My husband is in emergency services so he will need to live near to work - which why I'm looking at the contracting option.

If this all comes off alright it will be a miracle

[northernladuk]

Oh yeah and many gigs in London are for banks. You are going to struggle with the background/credit checks. We've a thread going on the forum at the moment from someone that went back to Aussie for a few months so they couldn't prove their employment and the like and lost the gig.

[northernladuk]

[*]which areas of the UK would be better to live for contracting purposes (ie mainly for commuting to major spots)?

Near major cities/areas good, out in the countryside bad. You must be prepared to stay away from home if you want end to end gigs so that will expand your choice of living area. T&S rules might change though.

[*]Which areas would you avoid completely?

Liverpool and Wales. Nothing to do with contracting, just my opinion.

[*]If you have an Ltd for contracting, is it permitted to run PlanB under it as well or does PlanB need it's own corporate space?

Depends. Have a search using the method in the sticky. There are plenty of threads on this and but the advice does tend to depend on the specifics rather than a one answer fits all. Have a look at the other threads to see if anything matches your situation. You'll get other useful information about funding each one and the like as well.

[*]Given that you are starting from scratch (negligible war chest due to EXTREMELY exchange rate) would you guys go for contract, perm or just grab the first thing that comes along?

Up to you.. I contract because I don't want to go perm but if money was non existent then contracting is a very risky venture. For a start you will really stuggle with credit if needed and it's not just about getting one gig, it's the second and third. You could be out 3+ months a year even as an experience contract. Being a newbie from shores afar isn't going to help your cause.

[*]I'm thinking that London area is probably going to be the easiest to get a first post (of whatever type) - would this be correct or is this just a perception from trawling job sites?

Lot of jobs in London but there is also a lot of very experienced people as well. Good luck living on nothing in London for an extended period as well. Check ITJobswatch site. I think they spit the gigs down by areas don't they? I live in the NW and have had a great contracting career, I know people in London that are on their arses because they can't get gigs. The gigs might be there but can you secure them. You are a risk to the client with no contracting experience, no firm base, new to the UK yadda yadda. You are going to have some bloody excellent skills to get a gig ahead of someone that has 10+ years experience in the same area.

[*] If you don't have decent war chest but have a contract, would you guys pay yourselves a higher salary for the interim and adjust it down later?

No. You've got this one totally wrong. Read the newbie guides to the right about how contractors pay themselves. We do low salaries and dividends. Speak to an accountant if it's not clear but there is plenty of solid advice in the guides on the right.

[*] What major obstacles to getting a post do you think I will hit as a new arrival (albeit a prodigal daughter )?

I think I've covered many of them already but to re-iterate your lack of experience on contracts will put you in second place behind an equally skilled guy with a long contracting career.

Any other advice most welcome (re contracting/job market - I've read your posts and they can wander alarmingly off topic ) , think stuff that EVERYONE knows because that's the stuff I don't know

Read the topics in the Future of Contracting thread. Some very bad things happen to contracting at the moment. Not the best time to be jumping in.

Thanks in advance

YW

[SurfQueen]

Hi All,

Senior SQL DBA +/- 15 years

I am looking at moving back to the UK next year after leaving while still a child - so am completely blank as to the usual things that you guys probably all have as general knowledge.

I have never worked in the UK, but from a previous job have worked FOR companies in the UK and have some contacts (who I hopefully be meeting up with in the New Year when I come over for a look-see).

I have been reading through the forums on the IR35, Tax, Ltd companies etc so no serious questions there for next few months - basically for starters get a good accountant and listen to their advice (Yes, I know there's much more to it )

my questions are more in the general line and don't need in-depth replies ... so,

• which areas of the UK would be better to live for contracting purposes (ie mainly for commuting to major spots)?
• Which areas would you avoid completely?
• If you have an Ltd for contracting, is it permitted to run PlanB under it as well or does PlanB need it's own corporate space?
• Given that you are starting from scratch (negligible war chest due to EXTREMELY exchange rate) would you guys go for contract, perm or just grab the first thing that comes along?
• I'm thinking that London area is probably going to be the easiest to get a first post (of whatever type) - would this be correct or is this just a perception from trawling job sites?
• If you don't have decent war chest but have a contract, would you guys pay yourselves a higher salary for the interim and adjust it down later?
• What major obstacles to getting a post do you think I will hit as a new arrival (albeit a prodigal daughter )?

Any other advice most welcome (re contracting/job market - I've read your posts and they can wander alarmingly off topic ) , think stuff that EVERYONE knows because that's the stuff I don't know

Thanks in advance