How you all got started?

[Hardgraft]

Hi all

I'm currently retraining as a C# dev (1 year in). Working as a permie in a junior role learning my trade after several years contracting in an unrelated industry.

Interested in how you all gained your skills and how long it took to get to the point of being experienced enough to have initially moved into IT contracting? Computer Science degree followed by junior perm positions? Self taught then blagged the 1st contract?

Be interesting to hear some rags to riches stories

[Dallas]

First Timers Guide - for IT Contractors :: Contractor UK

Like we are going to tell you

[Mich the Tester]

Studied geography, beer and girls at Poly, moved to Holland to play rugby for half a season for a Dutch club that was hiring a few mercenaries to stay in the premier division, met Lady Tester and worked on building sites until I'd learnt the language and then got a job at a water board doing population and water needs modelling; very interesting, quite an intelligent bunch of people, but severely underpaid. Then along came a chappy installing software that I had to test and his boss offered me a job, a company car I couldn't otherwise afford and a decent salary with bonus and training to do DBA work, so I was off. Then moved back to testing with an insultancy firm, then went freelance when I found that customers were phoning me instead of the 'account manager'.

[DodgyAgent]

Hi all

I'm currently retraining as a C# dev (1 year in). Working as a permie in a junior role learning my trade after several years contracting in an unrelated industry.

Interested in how you all gained your skills and how long it took to get to the point of being experienced enough to have initially moved into IT contracting? Computer Science degree followed by junior perm positions? Self taught then blagged the 1st contract?

Be interesting to hear some rags to riches stories

Started selling golf ball finders and moved on to minefield detectors. Boomed ever since

[eek]

The internet arrived and I discovered I was one of the few experts in the country....

[MyUserName]

Grew up in small Welsh town and went to University and picked a sandwich course so I could work for a year. Got a job doing the maths on the holograms that you get on fighter pilot's visors but when I arrived they told me that they had lost that contract but would I mind helping with a computer program. I learned C++, MFC, OLE and Windows programming on the job alongside a contractor who really did not want me there and would lie through his teeth, refuse to document code, refuse to answer questions etc.

Went back to my degree and hated it as I realised it was pointless. Got a job in mid England as a programmer and moved down there. Forward 13 years of experience and I lost 2 perm jobs in the same year (one redundancy after numerous promises it would not happen and the other because the CTO did not want Windows programmers in his company ... and he had some mates who wanted jobs).

After being bullied out by that CTO and backstabbed by the other company I decided no one was ever going to do that to me again and I began applying for contract positions.

I got an interview, in which I did well and I also knew people on the team so I got in. The work was no harder than when I was a permie and I had not promised anything I could not deliver. They offered a renewal but I got a better offer which has renewed a few times and I am still there now.

[Paddy]

Didn’t know anything about IT but one night I went to a very strange night club in Amsterdam. I met an agent who offered me PM role if he would take me up the arse in the back alleyway.

[Hairy]

Blagged first one, been blagging since

[amcdonald]

Got bored with the tedious bit of being a Dungeon Master in the 80's and started writing applications on my ZX80, then ZX Spectrum to automate stuff

Spent over a decade as a accountant, got terminally bored and moved into software development instead (not via lion taming though)

[Jog On]

At about age 25 decided I probably should get a proper job/career so went to job centre to ask for some training in IT. Did their basic IT course (word excel etc) and instructors noticed I had a natural affinity so sent me on 2 week work placement in IT dept at Citi.

Spent a couple of weeks building NT4 PCs and shadowing helpdesk bods until they gave me a temp summer job. From that got another perm job and permed in a few places for about 10 or so years, got a few certs then went contracting as soon as I could get one and get around the permie notice period thing.

I'm a BA now