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Recently qualified - Looking for contracting

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  • 10-02-2013 12:57am
    #1
    MagicWanderer
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭


    Contracting is a good way to branch out of practice and
    gain exposure to different companies and operating
    systems by working
    for different companies in different roles.

    How do I go about gaining experience as a contractor?, particularly contracts for 3-6 months duration.
    No interest in Practise work.
    Is there any particular recruiting agencies or companies I should be looking toward?


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    #2
    Jim2007
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 10,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jim2007


    MagicWanderer wrote: »
    Contracting is a good way to branch out of practice and
    gain exposure to different companies and operating
    systems by working
    for different companies in different roles.

    How do I go about gaining experience as a contractor?, particularly contracts for 3-6 months duration.
    No interest in Practise work.
    Is there any particular recruiting agencies or companies I should be looking toward?

    Companies contract out work in two situations, they need specialist skills for a short while or there is a lot of crap work that has to be done - if you have not got the specialist skills already, guess what will be on offer...

    Furthermore, no one is going to train you or provide a career path to the next level, so you'll be in the same situation five years later.


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    #3
    Theboinkmaster
    Registered Users Posts: 3,970 ✭✭✭Theboinkmaster


    MagicWanderer wrote: »
    Contracting is a good way to branch out of practice and
    gain exposure to different companies and operating
    systems by working
    for different companies in different roles.

    How do I go about gaining experience as a contractor?, particularly contracts for 3-6 months duration.
    No interest in Practise work.
    Is there any particular recruiting agencies or companies I should be looking toward?

    Be wary of contracting as your CV will be very unattractive to potential employers a few years down the line....

    They want to see steady career progression through permanent positions 3-5 years duration each.


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    #4
    MagicWanderer
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭MagicWanderer


    Thank=you


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    #5
    Johnny_Fontane
    Registered Users Posts: 3,093 ✭✭✭Johnny_Fontane


    Theboinkmaster wrote: »
    Be wary of contracting as your CV will be very unattractive to potential employers a few years down the line....

    They want to see steady career progression through permanent positions 3-5 years duration each.

    As a recruiter who only recruits for Contract Accountants (since 2001), I feel I can add to this.

    You are right to a point about permanent positions and having a steady 3-5 years, its nice to see. But in practice, particularly in current times (since say 2008) that has proved more difficult.

    Getting contract work at the beginning of your career is sometimes the only move that people can make - the perm market is very tight as we all know. My advice would be if you are trying to move into industry from practice (non big 4), go and take a first contract role in industry and then that will give you a timeframe to then try and go and get something permanent (say a 6-9 month contract).

    Becoming a 'contractor' as a newly qualified accountant is rare, most of the people I work with have a very particular specialisation and at least 10 years PQE honing that specialisation.


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