Contracting might go pear-shaped for the next two years, most perm jobs might go to younger guys if it does, and by the time it rights itself you might be seen as too old. There's no guarantees with the perm job, either, of course, but it's more secure than contracting.
So, it depends. If your 30 years of perm has given you a pretty solid pension base and let you get your mortgage paid off, and you aren't going to starve even if the whole thing turns upside down, do whatever you want to do. You'll be ok.
If you have a massive mortgage and your pension plan was weak, and you have no way to pay off that mortgage without earning good money for the next 12-15 years, and you might be hungry and cold in retirement, best go perm, at least until the contract market looks healthier.
You're probably somewhere in between those two extremes. But you are probably closer to one than the other. The risk in the contract role is probably much higher. The reward also is higher. How much does the risk matter to you in your circumstances, and how much does the reward matter to you in your circumstances?
I jumped from perm at about your age. But honestly, I could have retired, if what I wanted to do wasn't more fun.
So, it depends. If your 30 years of perm has given you a pretty solid pension base and let you get your mortgage paid off, and you aren't going to starve even if the whole thing turns upside down, do whatever you want to do. You'll be ok.
If you have a massive mortgage and your pension plan was weak, and you have no way to pay off that mortgage without earning good money for the next 12-15 years, and you might be hungry and cold in retirement, best go perm, at least until the contract market looks healthier.
You're probably somewhere in between those two extremes. But you are probably closer to one than the other. The risk in the contract role is probably much higher. The reward also is higher. How much does the risk matter to you in your circumstances, and how much does the reward matter to you in your circumstances?
I jumped from perm at about your age. But honestly, I could have retired, if what I wanted to do wasn't more fun.
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