Pondering a job change
I'm trying to decide whether to stay at a secure company and go for the 7-8
percent raise every year or make the jump into contracting and shoot for
the $60/hour range. My skillset includes ASP, Visual Basic, VB Script, Java
Script, HTML (by hand) Visual Studio/Interdev, some c++, 10+ years of COBOL.
I'm not concerned about benefits as I get them through my wife. I don't want
to be kicking myself in 3 years because I never gave it a shot...especially
when the time was right to do it. Any thoughts from anyone in this predicament
would be appreciated.
Thanks.
[615 byte] By [
Jim] at [2007-11-9 17:52:38]
# 1 Re: Pondering a job change
Jim,
>I'm trying to decide whether to stay at a secure company and go for the 7-8
>percent raise every year or make the jump into contracting and shoot for
>the $60/hour range.
Personally, I think you need to base your decision not on money or
status, but on your own personality. Consulting (and contracting to a
lesser degree) is a higher-stress environment that your secure company
job. You have to be willing to work to get new assignments, where you
have very little money coming in. Then, when you get an assignment,
you have to prove yourself worth your bill rate every day.
Often, you'll be in less-than-productive environments, and still be
expected to perform highly. You'll have to deal with employees that do
not like the fact that certain positions are being outsourced, and
you'll have to fight even more dangerous political battles.
If stress does not adversely affect you, go for it! If you like the
security, it really is not the occupation for you.
Ciao, Craig
# 2 Re: Pondering a job change
After switching careers involuntarily and comparing options of being
independent versus hired, I found after two 1/2 years of unemployment that
being independent requires a couple of things to maintain security and
ensure success. One is contacts. You would have to enough contacts to be
able to keep busy. Second is finances. I think it usually takes about 2
years to get yourself up and running and profitable. For that one needs
about a two year income in reserve.
If you have both, I would say go for it. I'm working on the two and hope
eventually I can get away from such "benefits" of employment such as
"managerial decisions" and "managers".
good luck,
steve
"Jim" <JStone6507@aol.com> wrote in message news:3974e315$1@news.dev-archive.com...
>
> I'm trying to decide whether to stay at a secure company and go for the
7-8
> percent raise every year or make the jump into contracting and shoot for
> the $60/hour range. My skillset includes ASP, Visual Basic, VB Script,
Java
> Script, HTML (by hand) Visual Studio/Interdev, some c++, 10+ years of
COBOL.
> I'm not concerned about benefits as I get them through my wife. I don't
want
> to be kicking myself in 3 years because I never gave it a
shot...especially
> when the time was right to do it. Any thoughts from anyone in this
predicament
> would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
