Considering Contracting - HELP!

[matt.m]

I'm currently a tester and considering contracting.

can anyone suggest any hints or tips about the best way to get started in contracting.

To give you a brief overview -

• 3 yrs exp
• exposure to test director, winrunner
• currently working as a tester, also providing project support to clients including agreeing specs, mods and training docs.
• have performed training and go live support
• can use toad, sql server
• used to Pro4 and vb.net enviroments

I guess my experience is a hinderence, but would an ISEB qual make up for that?

any useful suggestions welcome

(mods - hope its ok posting here)

Matt

[Fittster]

The biggest problem I found that people want contractors to start tomorrow, once you start talking about 4 week notice periods the number of people interested seems to drop right off.

Which area are you based in and would you be prepared to stay away from home during the week?

[UpTheIron]

Simple as this:

I want TRUE experts
I want them ready to start at 0700 tomorrow

Ready for it?

[dcb]

matt.m said:

I'm currently a tester and considering contracting.

can anyone suggest any hints or tips about the best way to get started in contracting.

1. Get an accountant.

2. Get enough money together to keep you afloat
for about six to twelve months.
This is your rainy day money.

3. Send your CV to about a dozen agents.

4. Wait for the agents to ring you. They are
middlemen, they are supposed to know the market.

5. Fill in a lot of forms with UK Gov. Enough
to keep a room full of paper pushers in paid work.

1. 1 will guide you through this.

[matt.m]

thanks so far

yeah i can stay over and dont mind travelling at all, i'm based about 5 mins from the M4 in cardiff. my notice period is 2 weeks. maybe less if I sweet talk em!

[Nuclearsquash]

when you say you have had exposure to TestDirector and WinRunner, is that everyday day in day out, or just a brief play around once in a while?

I know a test contractor who doesn't have any ISEB quals, but has said it's something he wants to rectify asap as he feels it is a potential hinderance.

I'm coming up to my 3rd year in testing, and currently work for a very big building society, but ideally i want to get my ISEB practitioners (which i believe is changing shortly) before i start properly thinking about contract testing.

[matt.m]

i used both day in day out for over a year in my last role. my current employer likes the tools held in visual studio

I am looking at the ISEB/ISTQB tester courses - and having to do so myself as my company wont offer any support.

[Nuclearsquash]

Definitely do the Foundation ISEB course, it will formalise a lot of what you probably know already, but you get a nice little qualification, that stands out on a CV. To be fair, you're probably better off (much like me) sticking to a good permie position for another couple of years, but possibly moving companies where they will support your desire to learn more, not just about testing but various techs that you will get your hands on. The main problem is permie testing doesn't pay quite as well as contracting. The contractor i mentioned before is on a day rate of £350, but i know of others who have even better rates.

[trooperiziz]

The ISEB courses are of limited value, apart from being on your CV. However, as you mentioned, your level of experience is a quite low at the moment, so getting ISEB practioner would help to rectify that a little bit. Foundation is ten-a-penny and very easy to get.

Have you used anything other than the Mercury toolset? In Winrunner are you adept in TSL? Have you used QTP?

Can you plan, write and run a test suite from scratch on both a greenfield or established project?

How are you business analysis skills? Can you write software specification and the associated acceptance criteria?

Doing the above should be able to get you an average rate (£300ish in London, £200ish outside), to get higher you'll need to be able to do the above plus be able to work (and prove that you have worked!) at a management/strategy level. Or have a lot of experience in the test automation field.
From what I can see, the current tester market is ok, but even a senior test manager is only getting around £350-400 a day in London on average, there are the occasional contracts at £600+ but I wouldn't do any budgeting using those figures...

Your main problem is location, you can probably get by in the Birmingham or Manchester areas, but if you want to work at anything close to a good wage you need to be in London. Cardiff would be very difficult unless you are lucky.

[Nuclearsquash]

Hey Trooper,

Which direction is you point of view on this (agent, company etc). It's just that i'm hearing different things. ISEB (expecially practitioners) is very well regarded (although the planned changes are not popular dumbing down is but one phrase). Certainly in terms of work the M4 corridor is pretty full of potentials, as are the market rates.

[matt.m]

I'm an employee looking for work

[trooperiziz]

Nuclearsquash said:

Hey Trooper,

Which direction is you point of view on this (agent, company etc). It's just that i'm hearing different things. ISEB (expecially practitioners) is very well regarded (although the planned changes are not popular dumbing down is but one phrase). Certainly in terms of work the M4 corridor is pretty full of potentials, as are the market rates.

This is just my personal opinion as a permanent employee who has hired testers and worked with testing contractors for the past 10 years

ISEB is well regarded by government and large business that are very traditional in their way of working Once you move out of that arena (particulary Agile development which is my ballpark) then they are only in place to be put on the CV. Personally I have never hired someone on the basis of ISEB and it doesn't factor in to my decision.

Rates is a difficult thing to work with though, as what one person considers to be a good rate is very different to another, obviously it's down to your own personal circumstances.

[PLCRTR]

I went into contracting after 18 months of testing experience and with foundation ISEB, I've had three contracts since then and the longest I was out of work was 1 month. I don't yet have any plans to upgrade myself to practitioner level as my skills are building up all the time and I've carved great relationships at every place I've worked.

When I left my permy position I had a 4 week notice period so I just quit without having anything to go on to. By the time the 4 weeks were up I had my first contract secured. For me though, it wasn't such a huge leap, I was living at home so had no massive constraints as far as financial responsibility goes.

I love contracting mainly because of the variety (I was losing the will to live at my first job because the projects were so repetitive) involved and you get to meet a lot of interesting and knowledgeable people. I can see myself continuing like this for many a year yet.

Good luck.

[Nuclearsquash]

It also depends on what area you are working as well. Indeed this big nationwide (cough) company that i work for is very keen on all it's testers having ISEB. The team i'm working on is pioneering agile dev and testing within the company (to rather good effect as well), and it sure makes life easier as a tester, rather than the usual waterfall jobber, where testing of a new system is squeezed into about 2 weeks! I'm looking at you previous employer!

[Nish]

Hi Matt,

I've been contracting in LoadRunner for the past 2.5 years, was permies for 18 months before that.

If you can I would suggest getting skilled up on QTP and/or Loadrunner. To me these seem the most in demand in terms of testing.

In terms of Loadrunner, average rates are around 400-500 in london. Demand is high, I haven't been out of work for longer then 2 weeks, and quite often get other companies trying to poach me before my contract ends! (Never do this, regardless of money offered, burning bridges etc)

Like some have mentioned, make sure you have a cintingency fund and try not to go wild with your spending for the first year or so.

You should have a good grasp of the market after a year and judge how best to invest (buy property etc) and have fun (nutty cars!).

I have no regrets, the cash boost is instantaneous and allows you to do many things which may otherwise take 10 years plus to achieve.

Just be aware of the potential downsides.

[matt.m]

thanks all -

Im def looking into the ISEB side of things.

currently working in media - particularly BMS systems to tv stations. however I have also worked on chip and pin for one of the major banks, so I havent limited myself to just the one area.

I agree permie is great for the guarenteed work/pay - though my company is small enough that there can/is a bit of uncertainty - but the same routine and the same mad way of working things does get to you after a while

[freddies_dad]

In all honesty, the best way to start contracting is to throw your CV out there and see what comes back.

www.jobserve.co.uk

Search relevant jobs, send your CV out, see if you get interviews/jobs and then go from there. None of this contracting business is hard, really.

2 weeks notice won't be a problem if you're the right person for the role. I had 4 weeks from my last place to my current contract.

Give it a go with the job search - you've nothing to lose and don't have to take any jobs offered.