Software developer contractor

Had some recruiter begging to reapply to another role just now. Longer contract but no thanks already accepted one. The recruiter was trying his best to persuade me lol and told him no and that if the role is still theremin 2 months I will go for it.

recruiter said how even though i signed contract it dont mean anything till i start? he probably right but i sure as hell aint a nasty person that will do such a thing to my current client and risk my rep
 
jonneymendoza said:
Had some recruiter begging to reapply to another role just now. Longer contract but no thanks already accepted one. The recruiter was trying his best to persuade me lol and told him no and that if the role is still theremin 2 months I will go for it.

recruiter said how even though i signed contract it dont mean anything till i start? he probably right but i sure as hell aint a nasty person that will do such a thing to my current client and risk my rep
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It goes both ways, as a contractor said client can kick you to the curb at any moment too. Not much different from a newly wed pemie though. Still, while I'm sure the bubble of london it may be common, I'd bite the hand off for £400 p/d.
 
jonneymendoza said:
Had some recruiter begging to reapply to another role just now. Longer contract but no thanks already accepted one. The recruiter was trying his best to persuade me lol and told him no and that if the role is still theremin 2 months I will go for it.

recruiter said how even though i signed contract it dont mean anything till i start? he probably right but i sure as hell aint a nasty person that will do such a thing to my current client and risk my rep
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Congratulations, I always honour my contract although some contractors are rather ruthless and just chop and change when it suits them. Myself I rather get good relationships with clients so that I would be the person they call should more work come up.
 
Contracting since 2006 - and luckily not had a break in all that time in that I've seemed to move from one contract to the next. Rates are low at the moment with a lot of people being out of work and people undercutting each other for work. But yes things I try to stick to

Get all the insurances
Save enough to see you comfortably through 6 months sat at home (I got myself one of those flexible mortgages so I can overpay and if I ever need some back borrow it back)
Remember you run your company and decide when its time to move on
Remain independent from any permanent employees at your client
Dont let your manager treat you like the other permanent employees

I also make it a point to not use employee kit unless I have to (e.g security or H&S reasons). Dont use company facilities, dont accept inhouse training and I generally dont join in with permanent staff parties / lunches etc. That doesnt mean that I dont go to the pub with other contractors who you will find you spending most of your time with.

Sometimes you will face employees with a general issue with contractors - just dont get involved with office politics.

Do the job you have been hired for then move to the next contract. I've been places where contrators have been there 10 years plus and thats not a good place to be if HMRC come knocking
 
So I thought I'd knock this is here rather than another thread.

I'm on contract at the moment, I like it. I've been here since Oct '11, so coming up 18months now. We have some interesting stuff coming up, such as our SharePoint 2013 project, but you can get samey, you try and make a change and get nowhere, often and I don't think my team is run well, at all. I'm trying to change that though.

This week I was called about another contract, until the end of the year (what my current contract is anyway) only about a mile further down the road in Basel for an Architect position, another pharma company and they're very keen.

Now, the money in the other role is good (880CHF a day, plus 4 weeks paid holiday, which I don't get now!) and the position is nice. They have a business case, know what they're hoping to achieve and have a greenfield installation they want. Bonus. On the flipside though, I get some great benefits here (phone paid for, flexible working, travel about all paid, laptops, tablets etc etc.) as well as I currently have a great agent as well, who I'd lose.

I'm torn at the moment on what to do, but I think I'll see if they're interested and then use that to try and barter with my current employer and agent. We have just lost 2 members of our small team, and I'm the nuts (2 awards since I've been here, takes a bow) and the agent won't want to lose me either, as he'll lose his cut.
I don't just want to ask for more money though, that's the easy part, I want to ask for more in my role, so I get more out of it, but obviously I can't go nuts with this.

I'd like them to allow me more time to do my PMP studies and them to pay for my exam (it's only 500EUR but still) and I would like to ask them for more strategic focus in the job, defining what we're doing and why in the bigger picture. When I write this though, it sounds much like I want my managers job haha and so how to phrase it when bringing it up is a toughie, especially as a contractor!
 
I doubt we would be much help here Randomshenans as what you want is exactly what we don't want from a contracting role as it would get us into trouble with the tax man as you would be working as a disguised employee and not a contractor if you were in the UK.
 
randomshenans said:
Me...?*shifty eyes*
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Yes, you.

Unless you want suprise rape from the taxman in the UK, you need to act as a seperate entinity from the business you are contracted to. Both roles you spoke about wouldn't really be considered contracting in the eyes of our Government. That being said, it doesn't sound like you're in the UK, so our advice is largely useless.
 
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Exactly. no one here can help u out.

Me, my firs contract is sounding like a good one. i have to for instance bring and use my own laptop. Again that will help distinguise me as a contractor offering a service, not another employee/perm
 
jonneymendoza said:
Exactly. no one here can help u out.

Me, my firs contract is sounding like a good one. i have to for instance bring and use my own laptop. Again that will help distinguise me as a contractor offering a service, not another employee/perm
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Having PI insurance and the right of substitution tends to cover IR35. I work on implementation projects and because they have specific deliverables and are deemed risky, it always works in my favour.
 
jonneymendoza said:
the right for substitution is where i can ask my mate to come replace and work for the client for me innit?
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Yes but it has to be genuine, as its been tested in court before, so your mate the plumber is no good if you work in software etc.
 
jonneymendoza said:
the right for substitution is where i can ask my mate to come replace and work for the client for me innit?
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Contractors have no job security, so while your contract states that, testing it might not be the grandest idea in the world.
 
aln said:
Contractors have no job security, so while your contract states that, testing it might not be the grandest idea in the world.
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Whats that got to do with job security? Its not a job is a contract between two companies but in essence you wouldn't do this much more than a few days mid contract or as an option when you want to leave early. Either way the client normally has to approve the substitute if its an onsite gig.
 
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