you don't have to put all your info on there - limit it to your current workplace, role, skill set if you want - just enough to get recruiters contacting you
IT Contractors
- Thread starter DAIR
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you don't have to put all your info on there - limit it to your current workplace, role, skill set if you want - just enough to get recruiters contacting you
Soldato
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About to go contracting myself. Set up and good to go 
Final day at permanent role on the 4th of September. Not too many roles available in my field, seems to be plenty of developer roles available though.
Final day at permanent role on the 4th of September. Not too many roles available in my field, seems to be plenty of developer roles available though.
Here's the IT contracting market:
http://www.contractoruk.com/market_rates/
So to make it simple, average linux rates are £400 a day (up this area more like £300, still...) it's a good chunk of cash each week.
Go see what those jobs want. Gotorre..find the training material, simples
Actually signed up to their forum a couple months ago. a lot of great info on there.
About to go contracting myself. Set up and good to go
How long did your search take?
Bear in mind that if you are doing it for the money, the new tax rules coming in from the last budget will hit you significantly so you will need to take that into account. I'm waiting to hear from my accountant with the figures.
Soldato
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Well I have a three month notice period (leaving after two, agreed with current manager) so I started sending out CVs as soon as I handed in the notice. Then last week I started hammering agencies and clients directly, letting them know when I'd be available, setting up weekly calls with agents for updates etc. I don't have a network of contacts I'd call sustainable yet, but hopefully in about a year I'll be there. One piece of advice that I was given was: Re-write your CV in the style of a contractor, not a permanent member. Think this has helped quite a bit. That and I'm on agency sites most evenings, making calls as soon as I get home from work chasing applications etc
Well I have a three month notice period (leaving after two, agreed with current manager) so I started sending out CVs as soon as I handed in the notice. Then last week I started hammering agencies and clients directly, letting them know when I'd be available, setting up weekly calls with agents for updates etc. I don't have a network of contacts I'd call sustainable yet, but hopefully in about a year I'll be there. One piece of advice that I was given was: Re-write your CV in the style of a contractor, not a permanent member. Think this has helped quite a bit. That and I'm on agency sites most evenings, making calls as soon as I get home from work chasing applications etc
Brave move.
That's the situation I'm in at the moment. I often receive calls about contract roles. However, the moment I tell them I'm on a three months notice period. All interest is lost - which is understandable.
My biggest fear is that I hand in my notice and fail to secure something before my last day.
Got examples?
Soldato
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£370 a day on average for SQL? I'll stick with the day job and paid annual leave and final salary pension.
Yeah, I've worked with some contractors and the money is good but it comes at a price.
Yeah, I've worked with some contractors and the money is good but it comes at a price.
Soldato
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Somebody needs to dig up your thread on not being bothered to get to work on time, Groen.
£370 a day on average for SQL? I'll stick with the day job and paid annual leave and final salary pension.
Yeah, I've worked with some contractors and the money is good but it comes at a price.
There are positives though... Freedom being one of them!
Soldato
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Well I have saved for a bit of a financial fall-back so in case the worst happened, I'll be ok for a while. I guess it's just a matter of jumping in with both feet, planning for the worst and working your way towards the best.
Soldato
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Yeah, true.
Every other contractor in this thread will have faced the same, but ultimately made it. Some with less notice periods, obviously.
The Government IR35 basically wants you to be a service provider - not a "disguised employee". The IR hasn't been too successful in implementing it but there is a risk. I know people that have be contracting for 20 years. They provide an operational service effectively.
There are also complications for securing mortgages and remortgaging, often you will need to provide 2-3 years of financial records to demonstrate your contracting will pose a minor risk.
There are also insurance complications - specifically around being in/out of work for mortgages etc.
Rates can vary over time, and also there's often an expectation for contractors to be 100% professional as a service provider - hit the ground running and with little with the specific skills you have. It's a business to business service.
There are also complications for securing mortgages and remortgaging, often you will need to provide 2-3 years of financial records to demonstrate your contracting will pose a minor risk.
There are also insurance complications - specifically around being in/out of work for mortgages etc.
Rates can vary over time, and also there's often an expectation for contractors to be 100% professional as a service provider - hit the ground running and with little with the specific skills you have. It's a business to business service.
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Yeah I was on 5-600 when I was back in the UK a few years back (financial services, London). Just doing donkey work that a fresh grad could have done tbh. Not been in the UK for a while so not sure what the market is like at the moment, but I would highly recommend contracting.
Apart from the extra cash, the flexibility of it, taking holidays as and when you want, no ******** reviews, much less office politics. Interviews are dead easy as all they care about is 'can you do the job we need done?'. Plus you have your own limited company and can branch out from just doing on-site office work to whatever you fancy (in fact it's better if you do).
Soldato
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Yea one of the more prominent factors to me going contracting was the flexibility and the inherent experience gained. It's all well and good working your way up the same company for your whole career, don't get me wrong. I just want to see how other companies do things.
I've just finished a 1 year stint away on my first contract, I quit permie work to do this as I was over 2 years in my previous role. It was the right time to try contracting else it'd be another permie role.
The biggest drain was the travelling - I flew home every weekend for a year, it never felt like I had a full weekend off. And I only had 3 weeks off in the last year - my own fault that though.
But now some benchtime for R&R and some certs. I'll probably take until New Year off.
It would have to be a very tempting role to get me back into permie work again now, I really enjoy the freedom.
The biggest drain was the travelling - I flew home every weekend for a year, it never felt like I had a full weekend off. And I only had 3 weeks off in the last year - my own fault that though.
But now some benchtime for R&R and some certs. I'll probably take until New Year off.
It would have to be a very tempting role to get me back into permie work again now, I really enjoy the freedom.