my IT Contracts Blog

A few years ago Fixed Term Contracts had a slight stigma about them. They were neither one nor the other and the pro rata salaries turned off a lot of IT Contractors, because it just didn’t add up. A below average salary would be on offer which would be spread over a 6 - 12 month period. It seemed no more than a low paid contract role. Now however we are seeing a number of fixed term contracts being offered that are worth a good look at. Not forgetting when taking on a FTC you will get all the benefits of being a permanent employee. True it will never be a £500 a day gig but sometimes they are good stepping stones for perm employees looking for that transition into the IT Contracting world.

It seems most IT Contractors will at some point operate through an Umbrella Company when IT Contracting, most only ever use this service. An Umbrella will take care of all your ‘ messy stuff ‘ ( paper work/taxes ) and will leave you free to contract. There are many on the market and you should always shop around to see who is offering the deals. Here are a few suggestions, we have no affiliation to these companies but they have stood the test of time and have a proven service to IT Contracting:

JSA: WWW.JSAGROUP.CO.UK              Parasol: www.parasolgroup.co.uk           Danbro: www.danbro.co.uk

Feel free to suggest others 

A CV gets you an interview. That’s it’s sole purpose in life and with that in mind how does your CV stand up in the cold light of day? Someone who probably hasn’t met you before will read about your skills and work history and come to a decision based on the facts in front of them. Its your selling tool that sells you to a potential employer. Many people fall into the trap of cramming every single bit of information into their CV but recent studies prove that a clear concise CV which projects an overview of employment history comes out top. Check your dates and facts on your CV and then check them again. 

* Use bullet points to highlight your experience or key skills

Don’t be afraid to bold a few words if you think they are relevant. If people are happy to reference you, say so. Ideally get references from each contract you do, and put them on your CV after each job listed.

Don’t try and be clever with fonts, keep fonts consistent in your CV, slight changes on sizes for heading etc. Look at your CV, is it easy on the eye, is it easy to take in the information I am trying to get across to the reader. If you have linkage to work online, include it, make sure the URL is live. Even better have a central site set up of all your work, an extension of your CV.

I’m not going to lie to you, the UK market is in a dip, fact. So let’s build a bridge and get over it and move forward. Wherever there is a dip you will find in the distance a peak, law of averages they tell me.

But take this on board. Opportunity sits deep in the dip, you just have to locate it, that’s the trick.

If you are a client seeking a Contractor, you will have a bigger pool of talent to select from and more often than not can work on those freelance rates. If you are Mrs Contractor, most of your competition will fall to the wayside, because quality rules OK in good times and bad.

If you have thought ahead and added strings to your bow, you can take on that chameleon guise and adapt. Or if you have burrowed a niche in the industry, you will always be wanted and loved.

Ride the storm as ahead is blue skies - May the wind always be at your back and the sunshine on your face.

So how many strings do you have on your bow?

As an IT Contractor, clients expect their Freelance guys to walk through the door with a few tricks in their back pocket. Being a Web Designer who has some Development skills like PHP up their sleeve could be the difference to securing that contract ahead of others. A Project Manager who has taken time to get a Prince or ITIL Qualification will help her stand out above the rest. The IT Contracting world can be a very rewarding one but at the same time a very competitive one. Getting into a comfort zone whilst contracting is not recommended, keeping ahead of the game and adding strings to your bow is most definitely encouraged.

Now, go and have a close look at your CV ?

It’s a jungle out there, what with the credit crunch and screaming high petrol prices and general high cost of living. It’s never been more important to place yourself in prime position when seeking your next IT Contract Job. More people are chasing the same IT Contract, the shift of power between client and candidate is firmly in the ‘clients’ court. Clients can now be more picky when selecting candidates; they know IT Contractors are not necessarily going to go off the market quicker than they did say a year ago. They can squeeze rates down knowing that the current climate is their leverage of power. As an IT Contractor you normally have two bridges to cross. Now unless you are direct into a client you will have to engage with an IT agency who will be handling the IT recruitment.

Don’t underestimate the need to impress an IT Agency. Most times an agent will have a quota of CV’s she can send to the client for review. Showing enthusiasm for the role, presenting a clear and concise CV and making regular contact with the agent will all be beneficial at this selection stage. Ask the agent if they are on a preferred supplier list to the client. Ask for a job spec and see how your CV stands up. Ask about timescales in regards to CV review, Interview stages and offer. Stay in daily contact with the agent throughout the process, call at the end of the day and make the call personable. If you get to the interview stage, the agent has done her job and now it’s over to you.

Have a present from us

A present from us to you. Everyone loves a present don’t they? However, I shall spoil the surprise and tell you whats inside, its a gift wrapped piece of opportunity. We decided against a pair of slippers as opportunity is much more rewarding. Now are you going to open it up?

Our site is dedicated to IT Contractors, all the jobs you see are indeed, IT Contracts. You will find lots more opportunity on our daily updated job pages, spread the word if you like us, throw caution to the wind and even sign up to our RSS feeds and bookmark the site.

Welcome to the myitcontracts.com mouthpiece.