It’s nice to get parental advice on something that’s really bothering you. As I’ve gotten older and branched out into the current career I’m in now, the way I go about it has pretty much precluded my parents from offering much advice, simply because it’s not something they’re familiar with.

Last weekend I got something off my chest though, which was good.

I’d been struggling with the idea of asking for what to most people my age is a ridiculous amount of money to go back to HP-CDS, simply because I know that, if I were to get it, I’d be working alongside people that I respected and who were good at their jobs, yet who would be on a much lower rate than I.

This bothered me greatly, and I talked it out with my Dad. We eventually decided that in my case as a contractor, I should just go for whatever I can get out of any deal offered – after all, the companies I deal with won’t hesitate to ditch me if they should need to, so I may as well take what I can get and run with it. I guess I felt that by doing so, it would compromise my integrity as a person and regardless of what people think of me, I ultimately have to answer to myself.

I’m happier now, knowing that should I ask for – and get – a much higher rate, that I will simply be taking what is offered and reaping the reward for taking that chance/opportunity. After all, I am good at what I do and if people want to pay me a lot of money for it, I’d be an idiot not to take it.

Just as long as I don’t let that sort of attitude encroach onto personal matters – and I don’t think it would – then things’ll be fine

Speaking of which, I got a not-unexpected phone call yesterday to inform me that my current contract will be finishing next week, so either way I need to find some more work!!

I got a bit of a surprise today, whilst waiting in line for my Italian B.M.T. Subway roll. No, it wasn’t that the food looked really appetizing (after I decided that Subway was crap a few years back), rather it was the phonecall that interrupted my culinary musings.

The voice at the other end of the line was familiar to me, and so it should have been, as it was the recruitment agent that had offered me my previous role at HP-CDS. He had information that said I was out of work at present (long story, but I know how he got that impression); information which I quickly corrected. What followed did surprise me somewhat.

It turns out that he received a personal request from management to ‘get [me] to come back’. Actually I think the actual words used were “What rate will get you to come back?”
I ummed and errred for a few seconds before sensibly going for the “I’ll think about it and let you know” response. I’ll be speaking to him on Monday.

This is pretty big for me. I’ve only been contracting for a year, and working full-time for just over three, and yet here is an arm of a massive multinational IT company specifically asking for me, and what’s more asking me to name my price!!

I will be giving it some thought this weekend. The main reason I left was that I couldn’t really afford to live in the area, and they wouldn’t pay expenses. So the goal is to secure a high enough rate to make it worth my while, and also living expenses.

Whilst those of you reading this who are following the more conventional routes into jobs and still can’t wrap your heads around the concept of contracting may feel the urge to kick my teeth in for being such a jammy bastard, I can say this:

There is no magic ingredient, no secret handshake, no hidden network.

All I have ever done for any of my employers is work as hard as required, try and push my learning and understanding, get involved where necessary and be myself – which usually means getting on with – or trying to at the very least – as many people as I can.
I’m also good at my job. (I enjoy saying that, because I’m not the most confident of people.)

We’ll see where all this goes. If my price is too high, then fine. I can live with that – I want to be in Cardiff anyway. But if they’re fine with it, then fantastic. I can go back to a place I know well, where I can continue to improve my knowledge and experience, and make some damn good money at the same time.