• Firstly, there will be a number of roles out there but you have a better chance of being successful on a contract that :

1. suits your skills, and
   
2. that you are interested in

You are trying to set a reputation for yourself from the start and you’re trying to  establish yourself, so choose something that suits you.

• Secondly, bear in mind that you are a higher cost to a company. This will put you in the spotlight. So no matter how you feel in the morning, you will need to put in a performance day in and day out. This will help guarantee the possibility of a contract extension or if you move on to a new project, you should receive a good reference. This is particularly important on your first contract.

• Use an experienced accountant, ideally somebody that works with other IT contractors. 

• Knowing when you are being paid is very important. Some agencies will not pay for a number of weeks after your work is done. Therefore, it’s important that you know, if you have direct debits going out of your accounts, that you have a financial buffer that ensures these will be paid.

• Lastly, if you know any IT contractors, ask their advice. Ask how they did when they started out, what are the pitfalls that they met and any tips they can give you.

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• This is a common question and there are a few things you need to be clear about. Don’t invest in certifications unless you are clear on your career path. Companies put a lot of store in people with certifications e.g. if there are two similarly skilled candidates for a position, one with certifications and one without, in most cases, a company will pick the certified candidate for interview first. Having certifications displays a willingness and desire on the part of a candidate to learn and continuously improve. They have invested in their own time to learn and develop. This will show a hiring company straight away, the type of person they are dealing with and the attitude of the candidate and this will immediately tick a box for them. 

• Invariably, candidates with certifications are generally paid slightly better salaries. There are a lot of consultancies looking for people with excellent skills who are certified candidates, and they are willing to pay more for this.
  

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• Firstly, turning up late. Some company’s value punctuality very highly as part of their company policy and for anyone turning up late, the interviewer may think “this person is not right for us”. You have already put yourself on the back foot when there is no need for it.

• A lack of research or no research at all shows a lack of interest in the organisation you have applied to. This is how the interviewer will perceive it.

• Be careful to answer the specific question you are asked. You might be eager to get across what you might like the company to know about you and there is a risk you may go off on a tangent.

• Showing a total lack of enthusiasm is a big NO. You are at interview to sell yourself so portray yourself in a positive and professional light. Do not slouch in your sea, sit up and be attentive throughout the entire interview process.

• Finally, do not talk in a derogatory fashion about any former employers. Nobody is interested in hearing your negative feedback and it will not endear you to a potential hiring manager.

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• When you start work as an IT contractor in an organisation there are a few things you need to be aware of on day one.

• Firstly, you may not be set up with security access and you may not have initial access to a PC so you will need to be patient while these are set up for you.

• Also, you will probably have a meet and greet session with your new team. Remember, you have been hired as a contractor because you have some particular expertise and they will rely on you for that expertise. You are likely be asked a lot of questions around your particular skillset / experience from the start.

• You will have to get up to speed with any documentation relating to the organisations processes and procedures and specific project documentation. This could take you anything from a half a day to a number of days. It is critical you read this documentation as it will help get you up to speed, particularly in relation to the project you will be working on and where you are in the project lifecycle.

• Be friendly and approachable. These are two endearing qualities which will help you settle in quickly with your new team and those around you.

• Finally, as you are a contractor, you will be expected to perform from day one of your contract so be aware of this and ensure you do perform.

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• Firstly, make sure you know your CV inside out. It is something that you may not have read in quite a while so from that perspective, it’s important that you have made it easy to read and it’s concise.

• Make sure it’s tailored to the actual role and ensure there are no spelling mistakes. It’s important that you practice potential interview questions and keep going over them. Ask a friend or family member to help you as the more practice you get, the better you will perform as you will gain more confidence knowing you have prepared as well as you can for the interview.

• Also, put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. This will help you think about and possibly predict the questions they might ask you. Prepare yourself to be able to deal with possible tricky questions in the interview by thinking about them in advance and preparing an answer.

• Make sure you focus on your strengths. You are obviously an experienced candidate so bring this experience to the fore. Be aware of your weaknesses also as you will most likely be asked a question about them.

• Finally, applying for a role in an industry or sector that you have experience in will be your best chance of getting a new position. This will be an area you know well and will be passionate about, and this will come across at the interview and will help you get that job.

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• Your CV is really a ticket to an interview.

• First and foremost, you have to ensure that your CV is clear. Make sure it is presented well with a consistent format throughout in terms of fonts, paragraphs, bullet points, layout etc. It should be easy on the eye.

• Make sure it is concise and as mentioned, use bullet points as they are a great way of explaining accountabilities or responsibilities instead of rambling sentences.

• Make sure that your CV is tailored to suit the specific job that you are applying for. This will make it easier for a prospective employer to read it and quickly decide that you are the type of individual they want to interview.

• Something Clients won’t accept on a CV is spelling or grammatical errors which should not happen in this day and age, so ensure you use the technologies at your disposal and perform spell checks and grammar checks throughout the entire process of putting your CV together

• Finally, get a friend or family member to read your CV and run a critical eye over it. They may see if there are any amendments they would make as it is sometimes difficult to spot your own errors.

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• There is no doubt that employers will often throw in a curve ball question, unrelated to the role.

• This is purely to see how you will react under pressure. In most cases, the answer is quite insignificant. There is no real right or wrong answer in these cases as it’s more about your reaction

• The best advice is to answer the question honestly.

•  An employer would much prefer that approach rather than someone who provides a rambling response to the question.

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What are 5 things you must do before handing in your notice?

• The first thing you must do before handing in your notice and changing jobs is to clearly write down the pros and cons of why you are planning to leave your current position. This is an unbelievably powerful exercise that will help clarify why you may be looking at a new role.

• This will also help you assess what things you have the power to change within your current role e.g. there are some things such as location that your employer cannot change, however if there is a scenario in work that you could bring up with your employer to change or approach differently, there may be a chance to save your current position and prevent you from having to go through a stressful process of leaving your current role and company.

• A lot of managers regret not knowing how you are feeling before you decide to hand in your notice. So it’s important you speak to your manager because there is a chance that your situation could be improved. You manager could try to change your role or situation if he/she is given the chance so it’s a worthwhile exercise to speak to your manager.

• Also, speak to your family and friends. Tell them why you are thinking of handing in your notice. They will have a different perspective as they are not working within your environment day to day so they will have an unbiased view. As a result, they will give you honest and truthful advice, while having your best interests at heart

• Finally, never hand in your notice until you have a contract. This is an absolute must.

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What are 5 key benefits of IT Contracting?

• Firstly, as most people will already know, in most cases you will earn more money from IT contracting.

• There are opportunities to travel to other countries as having IT skills is like having a passport as you can travel anywhere in the world but it is the same IT language wherever you go. You also have the ability to work abroad without any long term commitment to staying in that country. Similarly, you can work for a year and then decide to take a few months out to go traveling for example.

• You will also have the ability to work in different sectors and different industries within a relatively short period of time.

• There is also the freedom and flexibility to choose the projects you would like to work on.

• Finally, as many current contractors will be aware of, you are not a permanent employee and therefore you never get involved with office politics within the organisation.

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