Into IT Contracting
Here’s how I got into IT Contracting.
I was a permie for around five and a half years before I went contracting.
I hadn‘t actually heard much about it as there were fewer contractors then.
My first jobs was at Barclays Bank and there was just one contractor there.
My second was at Texaco which had no contractors and my third was at Alfa Laval which had no contractors at all.
First Heard About Contracting
I can‘t remember how I heard about contracting as a possibility.
It might have been from one of the trade newspapers.
I saw the massive amounts of money that they got, with ads of more than double what I got.
I decided to nip out of work to a phone box and call an agent who was advertising for contractors.
Nervous with Recruitment Agency
I was a bit nervous thinking the agency might say something like ‘Don‘t be silly. That kind of money isn‘t for the likes of you. Call us back in 10 years time.
However, the agency was encouraging.
‘What a nice man’ I thought, ‘And so friendly and helpful’.
He told me to send in my CV.
Don’t Contact Other Agencies
He also told me that I shouldn‘t contact any other agencies.
Why would I need to?
I had my own agent now anyway.
Contract Rate
The agency asked me what I was looking for.
I didn‘t dare ask for the kind of money that was quoted in the magazines.
That might be a bit cheeky.
‘What contract rate do you think I should charge?’ I asked my new agent and he told me an amount.
This was a bit less than what had been advertised in the magazines for contractors but it was more than I would have asked for and more than I could have hoped for.
Job Interview
He called me up soon afterwards and told me that he had set me up with a job interview with Computer Express who were just behind Ludgate Hill.
I went for the interview, poke to the manager, and got the contract.
At the end the interviewer said ‘How much was it you were looking for again?’ and said a figure a little less than I had told the agent but I didn‘t want to be too forward so I said ‘Yes, that‘s right’.
I got the contract, handed in my notice and started work a couple of weeks later.
Starting Out as a Contractor
And that was how I got into IT contracting.
And I now had my own agent to boot.
Everything looked very rosy.
If I saved up my money I could be out of it in 3-5 years.
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