Ever thought about becoming an IT Contractor?

A natural step for many experienced or qualified IT professionals is to take the next step into the contracting world….

 

But what are the pluses & minuses of becoming an IT Contractor?

What about Tax? When will I get paid? How do I manage financially between contracts?

 

 

Some of the key questions to ask yourself first are:

 

  1. Do I have the people contacts?
  2. Are there some of my ex-employers I could ring up now and know they’d potentially have me back on contract?
  3. Can I financially go between a contract for 2-3 months?
  4. Would my partner want me hanging around home in the downtime?
  5. Do I have software or personal projects I can work on when I'm 'out of contract'?
  6. Am I prepared to get out & network / partner with agencies to secure my next contract?
  7. Am I prepared to be flexible to work on-site & from home or both?
  8. Am I quick to learn a new environment - both technical & company?

 

So what are the Pros?

 

***Variety of projects

***Neutral point of view / detached from the in-house politics

***Hourly or daily pay rate

***Become a Specialist

***Become a Generalist

***Gain a lot of different domain experience in a short time

***Work on cutting edge projects that demand specialist technical skills

***Claim back work / travel / tools / entertainment / expenses

 

 

What are the Cons?

 

***Having to stay current with latest technologies

***Have to learn a new environment very quickly

***Paying your own tax / engaging an accountant

***Setting up as Sole Trader or Limited Company = $160NZD

***Gaps between contracts…

***Delay in payment from time of invoice

***Having to do the jobs that others don’t want to do!

***Time pressure to deliver projects can mean some demanding hours if needed

***Flexible to travel to client sites 

 

It’s not for everyone……But the rewards are great!

 

Paul can give you expert advice on the IT Contract recruitment market & types of assignments on offer, having been a contractor himself for a number of years and as owner of Sunstone Group Limited.

To view live IT Contract roles please click here:

http://www.sunstonetalent.com/it-jobs-nz/

 

Feel free to get in touch for a chat or a coffee now on: 021 532 008 or  paul@sunstonetalent.com






Paul Swettenham1 Comment