Really Successful Contractor – How to Be One | IT Contractor

Really Successful Contractor

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A reader posted this article, about being a really successful contractor, after one of our articles

Seeking Contracts

I’ve also been in the same situation, loads of job ads but no responses.

But I expected this.

I saved money for the downturn so that I wouldn’t be in a position where I’d have to take the first job that they offered me.

Simply because there are a lot of other candidates seeking contracts at the moment and both agencies and employers will use that to drive down rates.

Practice Interviews

My strategy is to wait them out.

Let them hire the cheapskates now, and when a good contract comes up there won’t be so many people available.

So, I got two interviews late last year.

I didn’t get either of them, but in January in both cases, I was contacted again to be told that the person who had been offered the job was in one case unsuitable and had been ‘let go’ and the other had ‘failed’ to turn up.

I wasn’t interested though, as I only went to those interviews for practice and would have turned the jobs down myself.

Suitable Contract

Then at the end of January, another suitable job came up and four agencies contracted me.

Means: They are running out of candidates.

Rate was still crap though, so I told them again to get back to me with a better rate.

One did, arranged a phone interview, and when I turned down the contract offer this agent was suddenly able to find an extra 15% – which I still righteously turned down.

It’s still too low.

Top Contract Rates

Now I’ve got a couple of interviews lined up offering top rates. – more than last year before the rate cuts, and with very few available candidates since all the mugs have already signed up to dollar-a-day jobs.

But you need balls, and need to know how much risk you can take and how to manage it.

Or do you see a day of downtime as lost wages?

If so, get a permie job.

And do the math.

I could have taken a twelve-month contract in January for five grand a month, but I’d rather wait and take a nine-month contract for eight grand a month.

That’s a better way of being a really successful contractor.