Does anyone here do contract I.T work? I've been thinking about doing this next year.

I've got a degree in I.T but after passing I went to work in management then into tourism, so I'm a bit out of touch with technology, been 8 years since uni!!! I'm sure I'll pick things up quick enough though.

So any tips on contract work or best things to study up on. Any info really

 

Go and spend a few years in a junior support role to get some experience. Forget contracting for now, we don't need any more crappy post-grads in the industry

 

i've just got out of IT; IMO mainstream IT isnt what it was; especially contracting work

some specialist roles are paying less than they were 5/6 years ago - the maket is flooded with suppose "IT" people

 

I was contracting for about a year a year ago, still money there depending what field you are in. Decided to go permanent due to job security etc though and money wasnt a great deal less but i got benefits etc!!

 

there are too many average people out there which floods the market and makes it not what it used to be.

there is a distinct lack of really good people in the industruy tho. if you really know your shit and have a good work ethic then you be pretty sure to walk into a well paying job with ease.

a post grad IT student thats got no experience is unlikely to become a well paid contractor tho... lol

 

agree totally

it doesnt help with adverts on the telly advertising IT courses & then saying you will earn 25+ plus a year

 

To me "IT Contractor" I still think of as the way in which I did it, ie as a very well paid expert at something, selling skills companies didnt have in house and were prepared to pay for.

An awful lot of IT Contract roles now though, are just a cheap way of getting average staff on board for a little while who have no rights if you need to get rid of them, essentially just an office temp who knows a bit about computers.


you're only going to manage the latter of those two IMHO

 

I agree too

I finished my IT degree and got a job in first line support 2 weeks later for a london law firm, paying Ł16 an hr contract rate, which by london standards is pretty low. Luckily after 6 months they offered me a permanent role on 31K so I actually got a pay rise from being offered a permanent role Much better as I get paid leave, pension and quarterly bonus

 

just hopefully waiting on my Ł20 an hr IT Job and thats up in cumbria, but its about time tbh i've been doing this for 11yrs and this would be the right step forward to a properly well paid job

 

Cheers for the replies everyone, not many posotives there though I really need a change of direction in my career and this is one option I've been thinking about and need to look more into.

 

never truer words said.

i get phone calls every day for people offering me jobs!

 

give em my number