Leaving permanent Job to go contracting...mad?

Flinty

Hi All,

Just would like advice if anyone has a minute. I have been in an IT job for the last 6/7 years. I did an interview yesterday and was offered the job. The only thing is, its a 10 month contract.

Am I mad to leave a permanent job for the uncertainties of contract work? The money is better and I am pretty fed up where i am, but i would still consider it a risk, especially if, in 10 months time I found it difficult to get another contract.

I have no mortgage or major loans, so, I could take a month or two out of work.

So, any opinions would be great.

Am I mad?

Cheers

fatboypee

Flinty wrote:

Hi All,

Just would like advice if anyone has a minute. I have been in an IT job for the last 6/7 years. I did an interview yesterday and was offered the job. The only thing is, its a 10 month contract.

Am I mad to leave a permanent job for the uncertainties of contract work? The money is better and I am pretty fed up where i am, but i would still consider it a risk, especially if, in 10 months time I found it difficult to get another contract.

I have no mortgage or major loans, so, I could take a month or two out of work.

So, any opinions would be great.

Am I mad?

Cheers

Well you must have decided in your mind that you're ready to make the move otherwise you would'nt have gone for the interview...

The market is improving day on day, especially in Dublin and the surrounds, depending on what you're doing I would not think you'd have much of an issue getting another role or permy if push came to shove...

Contracting for me was a great experience, I learned alot about myself, met new people, was exposed to sooo many different ways of working (not all of them good )..

In practical terms unless you stick at contracting for 3 years getting a mortgage will be more difficult (not impossible mind you)..

But it has the benefits of enabling you to build up a nice little pot for use if you're ever out of contract or for a deposit on a house in the future...

Also working as a contractor can often require a thicker skin (remember, time is money now and staying late should only be undertaken when pay is forthcoming or its an utter necessity)...


FBP..

tred

Flinty wrote:

Hi All,

Just would like advice if anyone has a minute. I have been in an IT job for the last 6/7 years. I did an interview yesterday and was offered the job. The only thing is, its a 10 month contract.

Am I mad to leave a permanent job for the uncertainties of contract work? The money is better and I am pretty fed up where i am, but i would still consider it a risk, especially if, in 10 months time I found it difficult to get another contract.

I have no mortgage or major loans, so, I could take a month or two out of work.

So, any opinions would be great.

Am I mad?

Cheers

safe enough in dublin i would say. If the money is a lot better and your hapy with the work. it might be 10months now ,but if u do a good job it might be longer. your only ever gauranteed 4 weeks employed in this business permy or contract once ur working for a private organization...

9lives

Fair play to you. I've just resigned from my 8 year IT job in the bank - secure and pensioned - to join a start-up. Likewise I could be out on my ear in under 12 months but I just find the bank such a turgid place to work and feel so unhappy, that the associated risk is worth it.

It's a brave thing to do but life is too short not to. The only thing you'll ever regret are the things you don't try, a wise sage once said.

Good luck.

-9L

Flinty

Cheers for the advice folks. Leaving is something i've wanted to do for a long time. I think it's just that I have to tell my manager, etc now, that i am feeling a bit nervous and aprehensive about it. I just need to be pushed I guess.

Flinty

9lives wrote:

Fair play to you. I've just resigned from my 8 year IT job in the bank - secure and pensioned - to join a start-up. Likewise I could be out on my ear in under 12 months but I just find the bank such a turgid place to work and feel so unhappy, that the associated risk is worth it.

It's a brave thing to do but life is too short not to. The only thing you'll ever regret are the things you don't try, a wise sage once said.

Good luck.

-9L

Cheers 9L, i really do feel its something I need to do regardless of the consequences. I'll hopefully do well and it will work out. Worst comes to worst, I guess this is the roote out of computers i've been looking for, for the last few years

...now, where did I put that plan B????

ifah

hey flinty

i did just the same as you - left a perm job after 8.5 years to go contract - my feeling is that I'm good enough (or better) based on the people i hired as contractors during that 8.5 years - and good people will always find work (or rather work will find them). My situation is different than yours - I have a wife, child, mortgage but decided that it was still best to take the plunge. My first contract was a 4 month one (only 7 weeks in) - that company have already asked me to extend - and also in the time since i left i've had 2-3 other offers from people i worked with over the last few years wanting me to go join them.
Simple fact is if your work ethic is there you will never be out of work.

Flinty

Cheers for sharing your experience ifah. I'd say it took a lot more courage than its taken me, when you have the responsibility of a family and mortgage.

I'm going to go for it anyway and see how it goes.

Eoin

Also, remember that a bad IT market - like a few years ago - does not necessarily mean that it is a bad market for contractors.

When times are tough, a lot of companies will take on contractors instead of permanent staff (or let some of their staff go and get contractors in) because they don't have to pay PRSI, Pension contributions etc.

Best of luck with it anyway, I handed in my notice this afternoon and I found it to be more nerve wracking than I had expected!

dazberry

Ultimately it depends on what you do Flinty. If there's an active demand for what you do definitely get out there. If not, I would be inclined not to look at the contract market.

D.

Magic_Roundabou

9lives wrote:

Fair play to you. I've just resigned from my 8 year IT job in the bank - secure and pensioned - to join a start-up. Likewise I could be out on my ear in under 12 months but I just find the bank such a turgid place to work and feel so unhappy, that the associated risk is worth it.

It's a brave thing to do but life is too short not to. The only thing you'll ever regret are the things you don't try, a wise sage once said.

Good luck.

-9L

Lifes too short is the thing to remember. I was working in a bank for 7 years and I just thought if I didn't give contracting a lash once in my life, I'd regret it. That was a year ago and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. The moneys great and I was able to take a couple of months to go to Australia, something they probably wouldn't allow in a permie role.

Go for it.

Flinty

Cheers all... Handed in my notice on friday evening and feel great about it now. It could be tough, but sure it could also be great. I'm really looking forward to the change of scene anyway, although I will be leaving a lot of good firends in this place.
I'd say closer to the time, i'll be more nervous about it, but i won't regret it. I'd say it'll also keep me on my toes more, having to look out for another job and all.

Blinder

hi
Good look flintly with the new job

contacting is something that I have being thinking of doing myself but haven't got the guts to do yet.

I have a mortgage that I'm paying on my own , so that at the moment is weighing out all the pro's of contracting.

Can anyone tell me the approx. daily rate for c++/java engineers with 9 years exp?
What happens if you have signed for 6 months but a holiday falls in the middle of it? Do you cancel the holiday or just not get paid for those days, and continue working on the contract after the holiday?

Thanks

-Blinder


ETA:
I found this salary survey http://www.cpl.ie/pdf/cpl_salaryguide.pdf which says for c++ contracting average is €250 ( €300/day specialist)
Is that realistic?

I'm getting about €200/day now in permanent job, so the €250 doesn't seem like that much more.

empirix

Hey Blinder,

I would imagine you could command a lot better rate than that, i was a developer but have decided to go down the testing route(handier to get into a management role) and i am getting €300 a day, i assumed developers get more

Blinder wrote:

hi
Good look flintly with the new job

contacting is something that I have being thinking of doing myself but haven't got the guts to do yet.

I have a mortgage that I'm paying on my own , so that at the moment is weighing out all the pro's of contracting.

Can anyone tell me the approx. daily rate for c++/java engineers with 9 years exp?
What happens if you have signed for 6 months but a holiday falls in the middle of it? Do you cancel the holiday or just not get paid for those days, and continue working on the contract after the holiday?

Thanks

-Blinder


ETA:
I found this salary survey http://www.cpl.ie/pdf/cpl_salaryguide.pdf which says for c++ contracting average is €250 ( €300/day specialist)
Is that realistic?

I'm getting about €200/day now in permanent job, so the €250 doesn't seem like that much more.