Hi Nathan, I've been working as a contractor for over 3 years since leaving MM and I haven't had any problem with finding work in that time. Until recently, all my contracting has been in CF development or training. The good thing about contracting is you can always give it up for a full time position if the right one comes along. That's always been my intention, it just hasn't happened yet!
I think a large part of the decision really comes down to personal preference. Some people just don't like the uncertainty of having to find a new contract every few months. My average CF development contract length has been about 4-5 months. Plenty of people work multiple smaller contracts at the same time, but I've always prefered taking one bigger contract at a time. I prefer working onsite and the hours tend to be better. Again, that's just my personal preference. If you go down the contracting route there's a few things I'd consider: 1. Do the sums on providing your own super, insurance, holiday and sickness benefits and accounting fees. Also consider the time for book keeping, BAS statements etc. If your rate is below $50 an hour, you're probably better off working full time. If it's under $30 an hour, you're better off driving a cab! 2. Get a lawyer to review all your contracts before you sign them. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff people try on, and I've never had a problem asking for ammendments. 3. Avoid working through recruitment agents wherever possible. They usually take at least 20% + charge payroll tax to employers which effectively comes out of your rate. The tax implications for super can also be nasty if you work through a recruitment agent without your own company. 4. It can be cheaper to set yourself up as a sole trader than a full pty ltd company. However, make sure you've got professional indemnity/public liability insurance cover. A lot of employers require this anyway. Hope that helps Tim --- You are currently subscribed to cfaussie as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Aussie Macromedia Developers: http://lists.daemon.com.au/
