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Anyone ever work contract jobs?
- Thread starter beastboy
- Start date
I know someone who has been doing it for years. He does get a very high salary. He`s some type of programmer, don`t really know what he does exactly. lol
He does`nt seem to work 12 months/year every year. I don`t know if that his choosing or not. I think he`s had 6 month and 12 month long contracts. His last one was about $120k for 12 months. In NJ.
He does`nt seem to work 12 months/year every year. I don`t know if that his choosing or not. I think he`s had 6 month and 12 month long contracts. His last one was about $120k for 12 months. In NJ.
ups: more money, a degree of autonomy
downs: no benefits, no seucrity, need to plan ahead more effectively.
I did it a little as an IT guy.
downs: no benefits, no seucrity, need to plan ahead more effectively.
I did it a little as an IT guy.
jh1
New member
Depends....
You can work as an independent contractor and make more money, but you have to provide your own benefits.
You can also works for a contracting company.... and get benefits, and have security if it is a good company that has 'bench time', etc. You won't make 'AS MUCH' money here but you will make more than working for a in house IT department.
Both provide just as much 'experience' and avoid your skills stagnating because you are focused on one company that has tunnel vision.
You can work as an independent contractor and make more money, but you have to provide your own benefits.
You can also works for a contracting company.... and get benefits, and have security if it is a good company that has 'bench time', etc. You won't make 'AS MUCH' money here but you will make more than working for a in house IT department.
Both provide just as much 'experience' and avoid your skills stagnating because you are focused on one company that has tunnel vision.
Why would taxes eat you up? Your pay was still come from a company and be taxed then.....unless you are set up as a DBA, LLC, Inc. etc.......
I'm looking into it as far as design/engineering........I'm not worried about the benefits because as it is now, I just use my wife's......it is getting past the security part of it......one fellow I am aware of says he has no problem finding new contracts thru placement/contract recruiter....and has made more pay with each change.....
I'm contemplating for the purpose of more experience.....and tuning skills and vbecoming more familar with more softwares. Just have to get past the mental aspect of being a "temp".
I'm looking into it as far as design/engineering........I'm not worried about the benefits because as it is now, I just use my wife's......it is getting past the security part of it......one fellow I am aware of says he has no problem finding new contracts thru placement/contract recruiter....and has made more pay with each change.....
I'm contemplating for the purpose of more experience.....and tuning skills and vbecoming more familar with more softwares. Just have to get past the mental aspect of being a "temp".
TheProject
New member
I worked as a contractor a couple of times for a contract company...decent experience, but you really have to lean on them to get decent money unless you fill a real specific niche or they're desparate. They try to sell you on the fact that there's value to their benefits, blah blah blah, and short you on the salary. Being a single guy, I thought about doing the independent contractor thing after I got laid off the last time, but I don't think I could handle the stress of not having a regular paycheck.
Contracting is great when times are good; hell when they aren't. I contracted for 4.5 yrs prior to now. At first people were throwing money at me....$35-50/hr with new offers before the current contract even ended. the last two years I couldn't have given myself away so I took a permanent job. Less money than I made in 2001 but solid as a rock and I *LOVE* my job. I'm sprinting out the door every morning to get to work. Divide your annual salary into an hourly rate then multiply that by three. That's what you'll want to get as a contractor. If you can't get close to that get the hell outta Dodge.
strongsmartsexy
New member
I LOVE contracting! It allows me to use all of the strengths I have to a project without falling into the cracks of corportate game playing. They hire you as a hit man to come in and get something done. Normally when people hire you as a permanent, they hire you for your expertise. Then after a while, you no longer have the same perceived value. You're aclimated to the corporate environment.
As a contractor they're paying you HUGE money to do the same thing you'd do as an employee, except now they HAVE to listen to you or they'd be wasting their money. The most difficult part is extracting yourself from the work after you've done the heavy lifting. Usually they don't like change and are reluctant to let you go. Part of your job is to show them that they can bring in a lower level or less skilled individual to do the follow on, or maintenance work.
I have 3 mantras as a contractor
1) I'm paid by the hour
2) Bad management is my friend
3) They really don't want to get this done...
Everything I've encounterd can be wrapped into those three.
As a contractor they're paying you HUGE money to do the same thing you'd do as an employee, except now they HAVE to listen to you or they'd be wasting their money. The most difficult part is extracting yourself from the work after you've done the heavy lifting. Usually they don't like change and are reluctant to let you go. Part of your job is to show them that they can bring in a lower level or less skilled individual to do the follow on, or maintenance work.
I have 3 mantras as a contractor
1) I'm paid by the hour
2) Bad management is my friend
3) They really don't want to get this done...
Everything I've encounterd can be wrapped into those three.
What field?strongsmartsexy said:I LOVE contracting! It allows me to use all of the strengths I have to a project without falling into the cracks of corportate game playing. They hire you as a hit man to come in and get something done. Normally when people hire you as a permanent, they hire you for your expertise. Then after a while, you no longer have the same perceived value. You're aclimated to the corporate environment.
As a contractor they're paying you HUGE money to do the same thing you'd do as an employee, except now they HAVE to listen to you or they'd be wasting their money. The most difficult part is extracting yourself from the work after you've done the heavy lifting. Usually they don't like change and are reluctant to let you go. Part of your job is to show them that they can bring in a lower level or less skilled individual to do the follow on, or maintenance work.
I have 3 mantras as a contractor
1) I'm paid by the hour
2) Bad management is my friend
3) They really don't want to get this done...
Everything I've encounterd can be wrapped into those three.
TheProject
New member
beastboy said:
My last contract job was $25/hour, and that was for working on a Y2K help desk.
Prior to that, it was $12-$18, but that was at the very beginning of my career.
strongsmartsexy
New member
Programmer, as well as project management.beastboy said:
Damn I thought you guys made more money than that! I guess my buddy has it good with $120k/year. That was a year ago...
Comes out to $57/hour, Holy shit! Think about it though, If you played the game right and make double the money, you can take a YEAR off if you had to looking for work and still come out even. Maybe you get lucky and work straight through and make a killing.
My wife`s co-workers work "Part time" Per Diem and make more than her doing the same job (health field) but they work at 2 different places to make 40+hours a week. Same exact job working side by side but no "Security" and making a ton more money.
There are also companies that offer compensation for NOT taking the benefits they offer. If you use your wife`s health benefits, they can give up to 20% pay increase because you decline coverage from them. I think vacation days may be included as well. Ask your HR department.
Comes out to $57/hour, Holy shit! Think about it though, If you played the game right and make double the money, you can take a YEAR off if you had to looking for work and still come out even. Maybe you get lucky and work straight through and make a killing.
My wife`s co-workers work "Part time" Per Diem and make more than her doing the same job (health field) but they work at 2 different places to make 40+hours a week. Same exact job working side by side but no "Security" and making a ton more money.
There are also companies that offer compensation for NOT taking the benefits they offer. If you use your wife`s health benefits, they can give up to 20% pay increase because you decline coverage from them. I think vacation days may be included as well. Ask your HR department.
That is all I ever do anymore.
Pay is great, jobs can last long time if you know what you are doing and the only difference between contract and direct is two weeks. Of course I have seen it where there is no difference at all. You are really no safer as a direct than a contractor.
Pay is great, jobs can last long time if you know what you are doing and the only difference between contract and direct is two weeks. Of course I have seen it where there is no difference at all. You are really no safer as a direct than a contractor.
What REALLY sucks is when you contract making a low/average wage but don't get paid for holidays. Also, most contracts don't pay a bonus unless it's for project oriented work with a finite completion. I used to work alongside guys that got paid 2/3 of what I made. Once you factor in that I got no vacation, no personal days, no sick days, only a handful of paid holidays and nothing when the company shut down for 2 weeks at Christmas it didn't seem so great.
