Returned to the darkside and it's doing my head in!

[Dark Black]

Given the dearth of contracts recently, and the wish to get back on the housing ladder (and needing a small mortgage) I took a permie *cough* *spit* role a few weeks back.

It's doing my head in already....

CV is flying but there's really not a lot of gigs out there at the moment it appears.

I'm trying really really hard to resist the temptation to just leave anyway and enjoy the summer - trying to stick it out long enough to find the right house and get the mortgage signed off. But every day it's getting harder to get up and drive in.

[GillsMan]

What is it that's doing your head in? I'm ex-Permie on my first contract and loving it, so I can certainly see why people love contracting, but I quite enjoyed my time as a Permie. Mainly because I took the piss with time keeping which I couldn't do now I suppose.

[kaiser78]

Depends on how much you need the money. If you have just started then stick it out for a bit. If you don't like it and have enough finances to fall back on, then no brainer.

I personally would always stay on the 'bright' side than go back permie - I take the view that a contract will always turn up sooner or later

[bf2]

It's dried up completely. This week there is hardly anything happening on the job sites.

As I mentioned in another thread, I was looking hard for my first contract, but I'm getting loads of calls on permie roles, and the money is not bad either.

Looks like I'll have to remain permie for the time being and wait for the opportunity to jump ship again.

So question to you old-timers: when it dries up like this, why do you prefer to have gaps in your CVs to a temporary return to the dark side? It's only temporary, right?

Thanks.

[d000hg]

All these contractors who start going mad after a few weeks having a real job... either they're working in really crap environments (in which case I doubt the middle-managers would be much better to contractors) or they go out of their way to make it difficult.

Grow a pair, stop trying to prove a point and just get some work done. If you just take a job as an interlude, then no need to work too hard to impress anyone, just keep busy and coast along.

[lukemg]

So question to you old-timers: when it dries up like this, why do you prefer to have gaps in your CVs to a temporary return to the dark side? It's only temporary, right?

Thanks.

There are a number of reasons:
It can all turn round in 1 phone call and you are back in the game.
Even if it goes on years, short term nature of contracts and thought of being able to walk means you can put up with nobbers and all the other irritations which if you were perm would edge you towards ‘postal’ – bit like why getting married is so different from shacking up.
The money tends to be quite a step down (especially after tax).
Even though it’s largely an illusion, you kind of like the ‘my own business’ angle and it feels like a failure if you go native.
There are barriers to exit when you get there e.g. notice period.
There are barriers to entry – they know you are a contractor, don’t trust you and want to do 3 interviews and test you on ‘soft’ skills which you don’t have. Contractors always think the perm jobs are begging them to come back like a safety net – it isn’t true.
But most of all – Periodic performance appraisals by some middle management Teflon, who spends all his time trying to impress anyone more senior.

[nomadd]

There are a number of reasons:
It can all turn round in 1 phone call and you are back in the game.
Even if it goes on years, short term nature of contracts and thought of being able to walk means you can put up with nobbers and all the other irritations which if you were perm would edge you towards ‘postal’ – bit like why getting married is so different from shacking up.
The money tends to be quite a step down (especially after tax).
Even though it’s largely an illusion, you kind of like the ‘my own business’ angle and it feels like a failure if you go native.
There are barriers to exit when you get there e.g. notice period.
There are barriers to entry – they know you are a contractor, don’t trust you and want to do 3 interviews and test you on ‘soft’ skills which you don’t have. Contractors always think the perm jobs are begging them to come back like a safety net – it isn’t true.
But most of all – Periodic performance appraisals by some middle management Teflon, who spends all his time trying to impress anyone more senior.

Ouch. That list is painfully truthful. My last experience of permie work was nearly 22 years ago. Your list has reminded me why. I must blow it up, print it off, and stick it on my office wall.

[lukemg]

Agreed, it's hard to keep the faith when you are benched, you sometimes need a reminder !

[Not So Wise]

So question to you old-timers: when it dries up like this, why do you prefer to have gaps in your CVs to a temporary return to the dark side? It's only temporary, right?

Thanks.

Prefer not to have unplanned gap's in my cv, period. And if they come up prefer to have the finances to cover them, if i don't not been doing things right

But main reason (besides fact I think would kill myself first) i don't like to go back to the dark side temporarily is because it's a bit of tulip thing to, to the employer. They want a permie, not a contractor looking for a safe harbour in a storm, cost of hiring is a lot greater to them than hiring a contractor and if employee only stays a short while they end up losing out.

And also you make it a lot harder for contractors who want to return to permiedom properly, even before the recession many places had a policy of not employing for permie positions ex contractors due to the scenario above. Once recession is over and all those permie contractors jump ship it will get a lot worse, virtually making the transition from permie to contractor a one way trip

While i have no intention of ever returning, can see many contractors wanting to return as life moves on (wife, kids so forth) and wanting the stability

[Dark Black]

There are a number of reasons:
It can all turn round in 1 phone call and you are back in the game.
Even if it goes on years, short term nature of contracts and thought of being able to walk means you can put up with nobbers and all the other irritations which if you were perm would edge you towards ‘postal’ – bit like why getting married is so different from shacking up.
The money tends to be quite a step down (especially after tax).
Even though it’s largely an illusion, you kind of like the ‘my own business’ angle and it feels like a failure if you go native.
There are barriers to exit when you get there e.g. notice period.
There are barriers to entry – they know you are a contractor, don’t trust you and want to do 3 interviews and test you on ‘soft’ skills which you don’t have. Contractors always think the perm jobs are begging them to come back like a safety net – it isn’t true.
But most of all – Periodic performance appraisals by some middle management Teflon, who spends all his time trying to impress anyone more senior.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell.

Anyway I resigned today (and boy did it feel good) - having a week off and then I start a new contract and on my best rate yet