Oh Dear: it's finally happening - they're trying to seduce me to the dark side

[milanbenes]

well it's like this folks, 14 years .net contracting

and there's a .net architect role ten minutes down the road coming
up, and they are offering very good $$

I am doing my best not to get the role, not quite 'Ted' style but not far off

here's the deal....

I promised the wife, after this contract I would lower the utilisation and have breaks between contracts, that means two things,

from the end of this contract onwards, not looking for the next contract until this one ends, because in the past i'd always secured the next one before the end of the first one and finished on friday and started on monday - back to back, so by not looking for the next contract until after this one ends, I force a break between the contracts


taking shorter contracts, like 3 monthers or 4 monthers or 5 monthers, problem is in .net they normally run and run, so I need to figure that out


anyway there's this permy role, with good pay and conditions and 5 weeks holiday

two problems with it

it's an architect role, means turning my back on technical work

based on the $$$ what I would bank each year would be the same as if I contracted only 6 months of each year


I am leaning towards staying contracting and lowering the utilisation using the techniques described above

so I'll do my best to get this permy role, and see what happens if I am offered it and what to do for the final answer


What does the congregation think,

Milan.

[EternalOptimist]

It's a no brainer. Your missus wants you to take time off, so your contacting strategy is the way to go. In addition you will be able to stick with the technical side, which you clearly love and you will be able to pick the jobs that you like the look of. Of course, the jobs do tend to run on, which means that you may as well be a permie, and if you take a break it may become longer than intended, in fact it may become permenant. TA is a new skill, close to home, paid holidays ? it's a no-brainer, take the permenant job

[milanbenes]

thanks Dad

I am really unsure on this

because my area of .Net is doing fine, and touch wood etc etc etc I don't see that situation changing and contracting with breaks looks attractive and I like being techy

on the other side,

Techy Architect is an area which is getting more popular, for .Net there are also a lot of tech arch contracts on job serve

they've said there will be vendor training each year and visiting the most important vendor events to keep knowledge up and they've said I can do some technical work


my strategy will be this, I'll tell them my worries, tell them what I want, and we can go from there. got through the first round of interviews this morning and waiting for the next round, but I think safest will be a strategy of open honesty, otherwise, if I get the role and don't like it that will waste everybody's time


Milan.

[vetran]

how can you take time off those tapes need changing every day

My brother is doing this (taking longer breaks to work on plan b) and loving it.

Stick on the tools, this people programming is hard work

[milanbenes]

i gotta say, Benes Plan B is going well, the third loaf of bread is in the oven and will be going on sale soon


I tried to use that as a way not to get the role, I said to the agency I have this plan b, surely you can't be their employee and have a plan b, agency said, no that's fine


deep down I think staying deep techy contractor with breaks will be best,

on the other side I am tempted by this role

oh well

anyway probably I'll fail the next round of interviews

Milan.

[BlasterBates]

I´ve been thinking about this as well. Ideally I would like to do short contracts close to home. The problem is that except in very rare cases, most contracts are long term, at least a year and usually roll on longer, and almost impossible to get a contract close by. Not only that, but I´m seeing rates are generally poor, so in those cases, if you have travelling expenses, it isn´t financially worth while. I was on an hourly rate, which was probably the main reason I stayed so long but these days it´s all day rates, which sucks as far as I´m concerned, so hard to negotiate working overtime to take days off.

I think you could now take a break and just look for a short term contract but clients aren´t going to like it when you leave after a 3 or 5 months. Basically you´d be halfway through a project.

I think either you have to continue as you are or get a permie job. Though you could take extended breaks between longterm contracts.

A permie job isn´t necessarily permanent, you could see how it goes.

[milanbenes]

yep

thanks

Milan.

[Ketchup]

14 years .net experience, very impressive. Wasn't .net released in 2002?

[BlasterBates]

oh and trying not to get the job has the opposite effect....

I´ve just been through the same thing. Permie job don´t really want it but "hey" it´s just round the corner so I´ll have to go around and see so I behave badly, telling them bluntly with a huge smile that I know "nothing" and telling them my faults in graphic detail so I don´t get the job...but they all roll about laughing on the floor...and then offer me the job because of "entertainment" value.

[milanbenes]

yeah that's right

that was me this morning, have you ever done this, no, know nothing about that, ok not to worry next question.....

telling them my faults weaknesses, they still loved it

i gotta say, it is not easy to change the habit of a lifetime and start telling the truth !

feck's sake

Milan.