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Working as a contractor?

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  • 22-09-2017 12:31pm
    #1
    c_man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,436 ✭✭✭


    Hey guys, I'm based in the UK and am kinda thinking of leaving my current workplace in the New Year. I'm curious about contracting and the world of it. Anyone here do it? Unfortunately there's not much nearby me in terms of my trade (C++ mainly) so I'd have to travel during the week. How do find that? Any thoughts on the move from Permie to Contracting?


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    #2
    14ned
    Registered Users Posts: 768 ✭✭✭14ned


    c_man wrote: »
    Hey guys, I'm based in the UK and am kinda thinking of leaving my current workplace in the New Year. I'm curious about contracting and the world of it. Anyone here do it? Unfortunately there's not much nearby me in terms of my trade (C++ mainly) so I'd have to travel during the week. How do find that? Any thoughts on the move from Permie to Contracting?

    As a professional C++ contractor since 2009, I haven't seen the C++ contracting market as bad in Ireland as currently since the collapse. There was literally not a single new C++ contract in any field anywhere in Ireland last week. It's that bad. I historically tended to bring in remote contracts from the US and UK actually, but that too is severely down recently. Everybody wants permanent hires, not contract right now. People are feeling the uncertainty.

    Now, there are quite a few reasonably well paid permanent roles in C++ in Ireland, but they're all in Dublin, and they'll expect you to relocate to Dublin. Pay is reasonable only compared to Ireland, not anywhere else, and the technologies you work on here tend to be highly unexciting. Expect lots of maintenance of old crusty codebases on legacy hardware with only a touch of C++ 11 in there. Be aware housing in Dublin is non-existent at present. It's not as expensive as London, just there is less of it, and you need to do a cost-benefit of the lower income here (circa 60-70k for a senior C++ engineer) versus your costs and the fact you just can't find housing near Dublin right now.

    All the above may change very rapidly if a hard Brexit become inevitable, but for now, everybody is sitting on their hands. It's quite disspiriting.

    Anyway if I were you, I'd decide if Dublin is tolerable, and if so, try applying for permanent roles and see what turns up. They're quite picky here I'll add, in no rush to hire unless the candidate is a perfect match to their needs. So don't quit your current job until you have a signed contract in your hands.

    And oh, if you do make the move, PM me. There are not many of the C++ leadership in Ireland, but we do all know one another and I could introduce you to a few people.

    Niall


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