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Getting back to work as IT consultant after career break of 3 years

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    #11
    Originally posted by edison View Post
    As others have said, breaking into contracting will be very challenging in the current market. However, even getting back into a perm role will be difficult.

    As someone who has done a lot of hiring in the past, I'm generally sympathetic to people who have taken extended breaks e.g. maternity/paternity leave, sabbatical and so on. However, you'll find a lot of hiring managers and HR advisers will be quite biased against looking at a CV from someone who has been out of the market so long.

    Without knowing your full circumstances, being away for three years in technology is an eternity and things can change so much. You mentioned you couldn't do much during those three years but you should expect to be asked 'so what have you been doing the last few years?' Your answer might put off a lot of people in the hiring process.

    There's also a perceived risk, rightly or wrongly, that after not working for such a long time, you won't be 'job fit.' Why take a risk with you when there are probably lots of qualified and very experienced people who are available. You also mention that you're looking to pick up skills in 'Affiliate marketing, Freelance web/app developer.' If you're not already skilled in those areas, no one will be looking to hire you as a contractor to do those things.

    You might have to lower your sights and start again in a fairly junior role.

    Good luck in your search, January is generally a decent time to start looking for a new role but a lot of people also come onto the market after making a new year resolution to change job.
    Thank you for your answering in detail and giving me a perspective of a hiring person.
    I will keep these points in mind.

    In this break, I was trying stock market day trading and bit of value of investing. But, this is not related to IT skill so may not be good to mention. I did try my hands with affiliate marketing briefly but could not do justice. I have a start-up idea but not yet equipped to venture into it.

    Considering the technologies I was working are still hot in the market, I am hoping I should be able to manage. When contractors leave, companies may have to look for more perms so may be there will be more demand for perms as well. It is going to be tough task but I have no other option but to try. Personally, I don't feel I am out of touch but can understand the HR/recruiters point of view.

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      #12
      Originally posted by GhostofTarbera View Post
      How would your masters benefit a client?
      It wouldn't, and neither would the degree for that matter. At my age, they're just an artefact of an earlier life.
      Scoots still says that Apr 2020 didn't mark the start of a new stock bull market.

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        #13
        Originally posted by DealorNoDeal View Post
        If 3 years out of the game makes you a non-starter, where does it leave an like me who left the IT world 13 years ago?

        I guess I'll have to settle for a part-time job at B&Q or collecting trolleys at the local Tesco.

        No one has 13 years experience in the latest IT buzzwords.

        So while the fast paced changing world of IT is usually a disadvantage in terms of having to keep up with the latest skills, the advantage is the only challenge from having significant time away is getting the first contract (or job if you are a masochist) and then you're back on the hamster wheel as if you'd never been away.

        With the current climate in IT contracting, getting skilled up in a niche where demand outstrips supply that fits your previous experience, is probably one way of breaking back in. If you were run of the mill code monkey then join the queue, it's only a few million long, all the way to India.
        Maybe tomorrow, I'll want to settle down. Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on.

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          #14
          Originally posted by GhostofTarbera View Post

          Unless you want to teach, then it might be handy
          A Masters wouldn't get you into Ye Newe Sloughe of Desponde these days, 10 years ago, maybe, these days PhD or take a hike.

          Things are a bit more relaxed further down the food chain in FE but since the Esteemed Customers are under 18 there's "other" checks required.
          Last edited by DoctorStrangelove; 17 December 2019, 23:31.
          When the fun stops, STOP.

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            #15
            Forget about contracting in the current market in your circumstances. Best case scenario you will get inside IR35 gig at lowish rate, little better than a perm net pay. Only to find the second contract is much harder and fall on hard times.

            Get a junior role in a decent company and climb the ladder there, or jump ship from the security of a permanent employment with paid leave and sick pay.

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              #16
              find a permie job for a company that are disorganised tightwads.

              Probably with some obsolete & obscure technology which you can use your skills to fix.

              Sounds like you have a confidence problem, after a redundancy I found the easiest way to fix that is to talk to old colleagues & managers. A few of them made me realise I was better than I remember, a few interviews later I was working for a bunch of idiots fixing some obscure code but using technologies I wanted to use.

              A year later I was earning more than ever and working fewer hours for a nicer team. You only need one employer to bring you back in, you do need all your courage & confidence to get there.

              Construct a narrative as to why you were out for 3 years, it should be true & believable but does not have to be complete.
              Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.

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                #17
                Originally posted by vetran View Post
                find a permie job for a company that are disorganised tightwads.

                Probably with some obsolete & obscure technology which you can use your skills to fix.

                Sounds like you have a confidence problem, after a redundancy I found the easiest way to fix that is to talk to old colleagues & managers. A few of them made me realise I was better than I remember, a few interviews later I was working for a bunch of idiots fixing some obscure code but using technologies I wanted to use.

                A year later I was earning more than ever and working fewer hours for a nicer team. You only need one employer to bring you back in, you do need all your courage & confidence to get there.

                Construct a narrative as to why you were out for 3 years, it should be true & believable but does not have to be complete.
                I have been in touch with my old colleagues and they really gave a me a big boost of confidence.
                I got 2 permie offers and did not accept them. I may get few more offers in coming weeks and I should be able to accept one of them.

                Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

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                  #18
                  I wouldn't wait. There are droves of contractors leaving their gigs in the next 4 weeks. Could possibly the worst month to look for a perm job in a decade.
                  'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

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                    #19
                    Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
                    I wouldn't wait. There are droves of contractors leaving their gigs in the next 4 weeks. Could possibly the worst month to look for a perm job in a decade.
                    Oh ok. Thanks for alerting and giving me a context !

                    I have even got few calls for contracting but IR 35 to replace the previous outgoing outside IR 35 ones. But, yet to have the final rounds !

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                      #20
                      Originally posted by stit View Post

                      I have been in touch with my old colleagues and they really gave a me a big boost of confidence.
                      I got 2 permie offers and did not accept them. I may get few more offers in coming weeks and I should be able to accept one of them.

                      Thanks for all the help and suggestions.
                      Just getting back here after 2 years. While I was about to join, I had to travel back to my home country because of a medical emergency in my family. Then the corona lockdown completely sealed any possibility of joining back to work. Lost a family member too and getting back to work and career etc. again took a far back seat. Some of my friends offered me work from home IT jobs but it was simply not possible.

                      After all the storm settled (I thought but now the Ukraine crisis began !), I started my prep for a new innings.
                      My prep is almost complete now and I am kind of ready for the interviews.

                      Before I start my job hunt this time, I have a few questions that I need help from experts here.
                      1. Permanent jobs have a rigorous tech interview process - tech phone interviews, some coding project homework, onsite coding exercise etc. Do contract jobs also have the same process?
                      2. Has anything changed on the IR 35 for the last 2 years that makes it easier now for IT contractors? I am keen to explore contracting if it is easier to get in first and then take a call after sometime.
                      3. If I get a contracting offer, I don't want to start my own company etc. to begin with and my friends are ok to bill from their company and pay me. Any issues with this approach?
                      4. Considering that I am getting back to work after 4-5 years, I want to start off at a mid level (otherwise, I would have been in senior level) . Can I quote a lower contracting rate so that I have more chances to get in quickly? I would like to revise the rates based on how it goes. For example: For my experience, the market rate is 350 to 450 GBP/day , can I quote 250-300 GBP/per day? Or, even 200 to 250 GBP/day, for a few weeks !
                      5. If I have both inside and outside IR 35 options, which one should I prefer and why? What should be the% billing rate difference between Inside and outside IR 35 for the same net pay?
                      Thanks in advance for any help here.

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