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Should I make the move in to contracting?

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    Should I make the move in to contracting?

    Ok given the current economic climate is a move in to the contracting world a good one?

    Background - I 30 years old and am currently sat in a very cushy all be it slow and boring civil service job earning 40k a year. I have a strong Information Security background specialising in 27001 and MSc in Information Security and Computer Crime and various other qualifications inc PRINCE. For the past 2 years I have really felt that the civil service is not the place for me.

    The Future - I split between making the move in to contracting in the new year after complete three courses one of which is CISSP (its what all the employers are asking for) or possibly approaching a big player such as KPMG, Detica, BAE etc.

    What with the constant reporting of economic downturn is now the right time to go?

    Appreciate any advice from anyone working in this area!

    #2
    I work in infosec (web app sec, info sec and IT Security), and having just returned to the UK am trying out contracting. Seems to me there is a lot of infosec related work about for people with good experience, especially given the propensity of big organisations to lose sensitive data - its great advertising and keeps the momentum up.

    You seem to have a good skillset.. try Barclaysimpson.com, nice bunch of people though more permie role based they also do advertise contracts.

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      #3
      If someone asks "should I become a contractor" my response is always an emphatic no. Contracting isn't something you should go into without being fully aware of the risks and being committed to a quantum shift in lifestyle.

      On the other hand when people ask me HOW to become a contractor because they've decided they want to then I will give them all the info I can.

      If you have to ask then the answer is very much NO.

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        #4
        There's quite a few infosec roles on the mainland at the moment...
        B00med!

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          #5
          Originally posted by TykeMerc View Post
          If someone asks "should I become a contractor" my response is always an emphatic no. Contracting isn't something you should go into without being fully aware of the risks and being committed to a quantum shift in lifestyle.

          On the other hand when people ask me HOW to become a contractor because they've decided they want to then I will give them all the info I can.

          If you have to ask then the answer is very much NO.
          Fair point, and good advice.

          My own position was very different - no job and nothing to lose, plus I have always wanted to run my own business. I have a long term plan to gain a small number of clients working in a niche industry.

          If I had been in your shoes, as I have previously, I would consider very carefully the pros and cons before leaving your current role.

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            #6
            From reading your pitch it would seem that one of your main selling points is your MSc. I too have an MSc, same age etc, but after 2 years contracting I've found that this doesn't really go far in the contracting world as the client is mainly interested in specific skills to do specific jobs (i.e. certifications and experience etc). The MSc only works as a bonus to kind of guarantee them that you can do work to a higher standard, so don't expect people to pick you based on that.

            If you pull together a CV for contracting roles, they need to be based around skills/experience, check on the site here there is an excellent guide to writing a contractor style CV, it differs a bit from your perm type CV. Having stuff like ISO 27001 experience etc will be very useful for clients seeking expertiese in this area, so use this as much as anything to sell yourself. Try jobserve.co.uk and jobsite.co.uk to get a feel for what is out there, if you can travel and stay away a few nights a week to get stuff under your belt then it might pay off, the amount you would earn would easily cover such costs.
            The cycle of life: born > learn > work > learn > dead.

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              #7
              Originally posted by TouchSpark View Post

              I have a strong Information Security background !
              Are you the one responsible for carrying around all the data disks for various govt departments?
              Let us not forget EU open doors immigration benefits IT contractors more than anyone

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                #8
                You need to careful about the agents out there. Oh, hi DA

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by BA to the Stars View Post
                  You need to careful about the agents out there. Oh, hi DA

                  We'll look after you
                  Let us not forget EU open doors immigration benefits IT contractors more than anyone

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                    #10
                    If anyone with InfoSec skills asks whether they should go contracting I say no. Mainly because I want the pool of skilled, experienced people to remain small.

                    It's a really rotten market right now so if I were you, join one of the big consultancies...
                    Older and ...well, just older!!

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