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First Timer Worries

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    First Timer Worries

    Hi Guys,

    After about 3 years in two major consultancies, I decided to go contracting!

    For the past 8 months I have been doing transition PM work which I really enjoy, prior to that I have been doing technical development work (J2EE) which I enjoyed but less so. I would definitely like to continue my career as a preferably non-technical PM.

    However, I have accepted a rolling 3 month contract as a developer in the City, mainly because of the rate and not the actual work. I don't know if it's just first timer worries, but I am concerned that in the contracting world, it will be hard to develop a "career". My main concern is how easy (or difficult) it will be to find a PM contract role after my initial 3 months as a developer.

    Is it normal for a contractor to sell themselves on multiple skill sets? For example I can do dev work or PM work specifically - or is it better to stick to one skill set and develop that until you become accomplished?

    Any advice would be much appreciated.

    Peter

    #2
    the most common approach to selling youself in different skillsets to have several tailored CVs.

    If you were go for a PM position after your 3 monther I would either lose the 3month contract from the CV (went travelling ....), or embelish what you did to give it a PM slant (Ive never herd of them being checked up on).

    Re your "Career", as a contracor you are paid because the customer requires someone who can already do the job. IF this is not what you want then get back on the permie salary + benefits train.

    I personally fell into contracting, in that I was looking for a job at a quiet time in the market, and per chance a contract came up, I don;t look back. THe thing I like is flexibility and not having yo deal with corporate bolotics and all that HR paperwork

    MG
    Your parents ruin the first half of your life and your kids ruin the second half

    Comment


      #3
      Permie != Contractor

      Hi Peter,

      Contracting is business. Your goal as a contractor is to find out what the market is, what your potential clients need. The need for technical skills is much larger than project management skills in our industry.

      The main reason why a company wants a permanent project manager is because a permie is meant to stay, while a contractor is meant to leave as soon as possible (too expensive). A product lifecycle can last for years, and a company will not pay you for that time, they will hire a permie to handle that kind of job.

      If you are looking for some hands off roles, you may do pure consultancy, but you generally need a very high profile and at least 10 years of experience. Some fields are better than others for this kind of stuff, and the market is very small (and usually eaten up by big consultancy firms: Price Waterhouse Cooper, Ernst & Young, etc.)

      I was once interested by project management, but I realized that as a contractor, it's extremely difficult. So I gave up and went the techie way!

      Cheers,

      Fabrice

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by triboix
        I was once interested by project management, but I realized that as a contractor, it's extremely difficult. So I gave up and went the techie way!

        Cheers,

        Fabrice
        Doesn't look like there is a shortage of contracts for project managers. Indeed, perhaps at the moment they are the better paid ones.
        I've seen much of the rest of the world. It is brutal and cruel and dark, Rome is the light.

        Comment


          #5
          Definately PM work out there, just as developers can be hired for a project, PM's can be also and last the length of the project. Tailor your CV accordingly but you need to make a choice when you get a foot in the door and specialise if possible.
          In a slump I started to look at mgmt roles in permie land (yeah I know but times were hard after a 60% pay drop !). CV was doctored accordingly to dig out any team leading work. Turned out I was good at the job so no one cared how I got it. Moved on again to Service Delivery contract and ditched the staff (CV adjusted to show all possible SD work).
          Point is, if necessary, fake it till you make it.

          Comment


            #6
            I'm in a similar situation. My tech skills are Oracle & PL/SQL development on UNIX but I've also done project management, business analysis and consultancy and managed all sorts of teams (DBA, web, support, dev). My last contract was PL/SQL, which I enjoy.

            I spent some time on the pure consultancy approach - going direct to potential clients with marketing material but most orgs want safe hands which they see as being larger firms. Eg. I narrowly lost my last bid to the NCC Group. My field is major charities, but there are only so many of them and most are tied up with existing consulting firms or won't pay contract rates, preferring to struggle with permies instead.

            Trouble is, because my broad range of skills and experience are diluted by each other it's more difficult to be a complete expert at anything - which is really what's needed for contracting.

            I'm also at a stage where I too need to choose a specialism. I'm tempted to go for the PL/SQL work, but I'd like to grow my company, which I think will be a bit difficult if I always end up working inside someone elses development team instead of being say, a freelance project manager or a systems consultant. There seems no shortage of PM roles on contract, but I find it so boring ! Especially PRINCE2 !!
            It's my opinion and I'm entitled to it. www.areyoupopular.mobi

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by oraclesmith
              Especially PRINCE2 !!
              Say you prefer RUP.
              I've seen much of the rest of the world. It is brutal and cruel and dark, Rome is the light.

              Comment


                #8
                Common dilemma Peter, I had been weighing up the chance to stay permie and become a PM or stay techie but go contracting again. When I worked out projected earnings over the next 3-5 years and compared the two the "career choice" would have left me massively behind financially and unable to achieve any real goals.
                At the end of the day the worst case scenario is being a techie in a perm role in your mid 40s earning sod all when everything is outsourced.
                You want to be sat in a nice big detached house with a tiny/non-exisitent mortgage and, if not semi-retired at least be able to live comfortably by contracting no more than 6 months of the year. The rest of the time you'll be swanning around in boats and fast cars and stuff.
                Or at worst in a piss easy public sector PM job with 50 days holiday and 100 days official sick leave per year (which can be rolled over to the next year if you don't take enough sick days off)

                Pleased to have grabbed PRINCE2 Practitioner while still a perm, it is tedious alright. I hope to move into PM work well before it expires in 5 years time, if I'm still even in IT that is.

                Good advice from MrsGoof IMO, the trouble is if you specialise and pigeon hole yourself too much then you may get high rates for a time but you are buggered when a certain technology falls out of favour.
                The downside of the tailored CV thing is if the same agency, or even company, gets hold of two totally different CVs from yourself. They are going to mark you out as a bulltulipter.
                Last edited by GreenerGrass; 16 August 2006, 10:15.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by GreenerGrass
                  The downside of the tailored CV thing is if the same agency, or even company, gets hold of two totally different CVs from yourself. They are going to mark you out as a bulltulipter.
                  Bloody nerve considering what they do to your CV!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I am a PM and there is plenty of work out there. Providing, of course, you are good and that you can confidently articulate that at interview.

                    Xeno in 'who's ya daddy?' mode
                    Rule #76: No excuses. Play like a champion.

                    Comment

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