Justification for wanting to stay Contract instead of Perm
Discussion
Hi all
Would appreciate peoples thoughts on this one.
Background:
I took my first contracting role (Project Management with public body) at the start of April. My contract is 4 months duration i.e to July end.
The department I work for is reorganising and moving staff to different teams (practically zero redundancies/positions disappearing).
I have been told there will be a permanent position available which I would have to interview for (this doesnt bother me).
To be brutally honest, I am enjoying the financial benefits associated with contracting (note, no flash harry stuff, it's all being saved for sensible things).
I consider myself to be very good at my job and hard working - however I am relatively young and while I have decent PM experience, my only rail per se experience has been the past few months (previously construction/transportation engineering) so I would like to build up more experience here in rail before having to find a new contract role.
I want to broach this with my boss and find out if there is a chance I can extend my current contract rather than go permanent.
In terms of cost to my client, it still costs them the same whether I am contract or permanent (annual leave, pension, sick pay, overhead etc) - however this is hard to explain to non-contractors.
Bold Text So my question is, what are reasonable justifications for staying contract? Bold Text
I don't want to be seen as greedy and just chasing the money, but I do want to make the most of this opportunity, given in the near future I will have to pay towards a wedding, deposit on a house and at some point kids.
Thoughts much appreciated as I know there are plenty of contractors on here.
Cheers
Would appreciate peoples thoughts on this one.
Background:
I took my first contracting role (Project Management with public body) at the start of April. My contract is 4 months duration i.e to July end.
The department I work for is reorganising and moving staff to different teams (practically zero redundancies/positions disappearing).
I have been told there will be a permanent position available which I would have to interview for (this doesnt bother me).
To be brutally honest, I am enjoying the financial benefits associated with contracting (note, no flash harry stuff, it's all being saved for sensible things).
I consider myself to be very good at my job and hard working - however I am relatively young and while I have decent PM experience, my only rail per se experience has been the past few months (previously construction/transportation engineering) so I would like to build up more experience here in rail before having to find a new contract role.
I want to broach this with my boss and find out if there is a chance I can extend my current contract rather than go permanent.
In terms of cost to my client, it still costs them the same whether I am contract or permanent (annual leave, pension, sick pay, overhead etc) - however this is hard to explain to non-contractors.
Bold Text So my question is, what are reasonable justifications for staying contract? Bold Text
I don't want to be seen as greedy and just chasing the money, but I do want to make the most of this opportunity, given in the near future I will have to pay towards a wedding, deposit on a house and at some point kids.
Thoughts much appreciated as I know there are plenty of contractors on here.
Cheers
sparks85 said:
I don't want to be seen as greedy and just chasing the money
Why on earth not? Surely 'Thanks very much, but I'm sure you appreciate that this would be a large drop in income for me' is a perfectly valid response. Put it the other way round - why should they expect you to do the same job but for much less money?As ever, you do of course have to be entirely willing to walk away if they don't extend - and if you're not willing, then perhaps you aren't cut out to be a contractor.
At my interview, I was asked if I was only interested in the 4 month period or if I would be interested in further work - they basically didnt want someone to come in, get up to speed then p
s off.
I've only contracted for a few months to date, so it would be more reverting back to a previous perm salary.
The reticience in just walking away is that I feel this is a good role where I can learn/develop a lot, I like the people and the work is interesting. I know a contractor mentality is more strictly finance orientated but I'm somewhere in between - I appreciate the good working environment etc etc.
Finally, the risk is I walk away and the few months rail experience I have doesn't appear to stand me in good stead at future interviews and I struggle to find another contract position.
Don't take this as me wanting the best of both worlds - I understood the risks and attitude of contracting when I started - I just need to weigh up my options and extending my contract here would be a great 'middle' ground.
s off.I've only contracted for a few months to date, so it would be more reverting back to a previous perm salary.
The reticience in just walking away is that I feel this is a good role where I can learn/develop a lot, I like the people and the work is interesting. I know a contractor mentality is more strictly finance orientated but I'm somewhere in between - I appreciate the good working environment etc etc.
Finally, the risk is I walk away and the few months rail experience I have doesn't appear to stand me in good stead at future interviews and I struggle to find another contract position.
Don't take this as me wanting the best of both worlds - I understood the risks and attitude of contracting when I started - I just need to weigh up my options and extending my contract here would be a great 'middle' ground.
How big is the wage drop?
below 50%? above?
Some people just dont like contractors and see a reorg as a chance to remove them from the department to get more security in the fact the knowledge will stay in house rather than leave with you.
Do you like it there?
What is the job market like?
can you afford to be out of work for 6 months if it all goes south?
below 50%? above?
Some people just dont like contractors and see a reorg as a chance to remove them from the department to get more security in the fact the knowledge will stay in house rather than leave with you.
Do you like it there?
What is the job market like?
can you afford to be out of work for 6 months if it all goes south?
deckster said:
sparks85 said:
I don't want to be seen as greedy and just chasing the money
Why on earth not? Surely 'Thanks very much, but I'm sure you appreciate that this would be a large drop in income for me' is a perfectly valid response. Put it the other way round - why should they expect you to do the same job but for much less money?As ever, you do of course have to be entirely willing to walk away if they don't extend - and if you're not willing, then perhaps you aren't cut out to be a contractor.
On the first point: explain that your circumstances have changed beyond what you could reasonably foresee at the time you accepted the role. If you're good at what you do (and well regarded by those you do it for), their primary concern will (I should hope) be to keep you on.
I'm in a very similar position, but have just had my contract extended for another six months.
Of course, you would do well to line up something else in case your 'employer' turns round and offers you the door.
As ever in the contracting game: always have a Plan B.
A perm wage would be about 40% of the contracting wage, so you can see my reluctance from a financial point of view.
Apparently they are retaining some contractors so the precendent has been set already.
I do like it there tbh.
It took me a good while to find a new job when I looked, not through lack of effort but more to do with being specific about what I wanted to do (plus a very quiet period Nov-Mar in the job market).
I haven't been contracting for long enough to build up a serious safety net financially so I can't just walk away.
I think I am answering my own questions - I will update the CV, have a look around but at some point ask whether they would consider extending my contract opposed to going permanent.
Apparently they are retaining some contractors so the precendent has been set already.
I do like it there tbh.
It took me a good while to find a new job when I looked, not through lack of effort but more to do with being specific about what I wanted to do (plus a very quiet period Nov-Mar in the job market).
I haven't been contracting for long enough to build up a serious safety net financially so I can't just walk away.
I think I am answering my own questions - I will update the CV, have a look around but at some point ask whether they would consider extending my contract opposed to going permanent.
sparks85 said:
A perm wage would be about 40% of the contracting wage, so you can see my reluctance from a financial point of view.
Apparently they are retaining some contractors so the precendent has been set already.
I do like it there tbh.
It took me a good while to find a new job when I looked, not through lack of effort but more to do with being specific about what I wanted to do (plus a very quiet period Nov-Mar in the job market).
I haven't been contracting for long enough to build up a serious safety net financially so I can't just walk away.
I think I am answering my own questions - I will update the CV, have a look around but at some point ask whether they would consider extending my contract opposed to going permanent.
How about telling them you would like an extension of the contract for 6 months or to take you up to a year and then will discuss a permanent move (even if you have no intention of doing so) as you were brought on as a contractor and at the moment you have put a lot of money into setting up as a contractor and its not feasible to walk away to do perm after 4 months.Apparently they are retaining some contractors so the precendent has been set already.
I do like it there tbh.
It took me a good while to find a new job when I looked, not through lack of effort but more to do with being specific about what I wanted to do (plus a very quiet period Nov-Mar in the job market).
I haven't been contracting for long enough to build up a serious safety net financially so I can't just walk away.
I think I am answering my own questions - I will update the CV, have a look around but at some point ask whether they would consider extending my contract opposed to going permanent.
then if they ask what costs you can reel off:
PI Insurance
accountants
Health insurance
setting up the company
etc, etc.
sparks85 said:
I know a contractor mentality is more strictly finance orientated but I'm somewhere in between - I appreciate the good working environment etc etc.
i would disagree with you on that, i have been contracting for just over 6 months now, just 2 places, the first kept asking me back week in week out (i was only meant to me there 4 days) and eventually i had to say no as the new contract was to start. this one has now been extended twice.yes the money is nice (i must put some aside for tax dammit
) but i find i am more motivated by the desire to do a good job. my last place which i was made redundant from i was at for nearly 10 years and worked hard but seemed to get nowhere in the organisation (it wasn't its business). now i am still taken back when people say thanks for silly little stuff being done, or even passing the time of day with me. odd how its beaten out of you i have been asked 3 times to go permanent here, but i have enjoyed my last 6 months and want to go and meet new people and be appreciated for my work. the money just seems to be a bonus at present
wish i had contracted years ago when i was asked to by a mate.
Sorry I didnt mean for it to come across like that re financial motivations - it's just with contracting there is not the promise of longevity and progression within a certain company. To me, doing a good job is not exclusive to perm or contracting, though I agree from experience contractors tend to be more performance motivated people.
My motivations were two fold, a change from the job I was doing, and to get paid in line with the hard work I put in and the performance I deliver (something that was lacking at my previous perm job)
My motivations were two fold, a change from the job I was doing, and to get paid in line with the hard work I put in and the performance I deliver (something that was lacking at my previous perm job)
Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff