Professional Career Change while contracting

[northernladuk]

This. There's junior, normal and senior analysts, etc. in permie world but contractors are all assumed to have the skills/experience to be senior when many clearly are not.

Exactly!

[Snarf]

We have been interviewing at my clients for the last few months and I'm sick of getting CVs in with people that have had less than 4 years experience before they went contracting or people that have switched roles in their contracting career. They offer me absolutely nothing above and beyond a mediocre permie. Falling in to a new skill set whilst being a contractor means you can follow the process that your client uses but really fail when it comes to have a good grasp in the profession that you are representing. A good example is a BA that's managed to switch in to PM. Just because they have spent a year in PM contracts does not make them a skilled PM. I've seen 9 CVs like this and it's apparent the person is not skilled in the profession they purport to represent. It's been a real eye opener for me and I see now why some people spend so much time on the bench.

Switching skills as you wish to with no chance how to learn to do it properly first means you are going to struggle for gigs for years to come. Switching with no skills at all is most certainly not going to end well and you will be spending a long time in the bench in between gigs for a long time.

Invest some time in a permanent role to gain saleable skills and then come back contracting. Treat it as short term investment to a career that will last much longer.

I agree with this, I had been thinking about contracting since 2009 but with only 5 years professional experience didn't feel that I had enough to offer, I only took the plunge last year with 10 solid years experience (and a few years worth of education/hobby/freelance experience) I can't see anyone giving you a decent day rate without a proven track record.

[MrMarkyMark]

I can't see anyone giving you a decent day rate without a proven track record.

Not the case anymore I'm afraid.
I think its one of the factors that could kill contracting completely

[pr1]

I can't see anyone giving you a decent day rate without a proven track record.

supply and demand is king

[Cirrus]

I started contracting as a developer. I was mainly working with one consultancy. As time went on I became a lead developer then an applications manager (responsible for a number of client systems). Come 1997 they pulled in a big Y2K programme and their chosen programme manager suddenly upped and left. They stuck me in to fill the gap and heh presto I was now worth £600 per day. Before they put me in I would never got such a role in a month of Sundays. After that one (successful) entry on my CV I slipped effortlessly into roles with the biggest players.

Just as well, as my developer skills tanked in the market at the start of the new millenium

[Snarf]

supply and demand is king

But who is demanding tulip people?

[pr1]

But who is demanding tulip people?

short supply means the bar needs to be lowered

[northernladuk]

short supply means the bar needs to be lowered

Not necessarily. Getting the wrong people in will cause more problems than having no one in in the short term. In some cases maybe but as a blanket statement then no.

There are also a number of threads about the market being quiet and plenty of people on the bench you are incorrect in your statement the demand is there for everyone to get a gig regardless of levels of skills...

Flashing two unqualified statements with no further context doesn't help anyone really.

[LondonManc]

It's very simple. If the interviewer isn't good, you'll get the best salesperson rather than the best person for the job.

[SueEllen]

Not necessarily. Getting the wrong people in will cause more problems than having no one in in the short term. In some cases maybe but as a blanket statement then no.

There are also a number of threads about the market being quiet and plenty of people on the bench you are incorrect in your statement the demand is there for everyone to get a gig regardless of levels of skills...

Flashing two unqualified statements with no further context doesn't help anyone really.

The market is is not quiet in all skills.