So, you’ve decided to venture into the world of professional contracting! You are not alone.
Professional contracting continues to grow rapidly worldwide, with remote working norms accelerating existing trends.
In Ireland, contracting has long been commonplace in the tech, engineering, and pharmaceutical sectors. However we’ve also experienced significant growth in finance, education, healthcare and many other roles.
With contracting on the increase, many people are thinking of becoming contractors for the first time. If you are one of them, here are 5 tips to help you with getting started on your journey with contracting:
1. Get prepared for selling yourself
Selling yourself well gives the best possible opportunity to land the kind of roles which are of most interest to you and of course earn you the most money.
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Selling yourself as a contractor should start with your LinkedIn account. Use keywords that easily describe your experience, skills and education so contract recruiters can find you quickly when searching for candidates. LinkedIn is a recruiter’s key tool for finding candidates. Keep your profile up to date and make it as easy as possible for them to find you. CVNext comes your CV. When companies hire contractors, it is because they have requirements for a specific skill set or experience. Items such as your hobbies or whether you like to do yoga on the weekend is of lesser interest. They want to quickly identify your skills and capabilities. List your skills, professional achievements and work history in the order of most recent. Keep your CV concise and tailor it as much as possible to each role. This might take more time, but it will help your CV stand out. InterviewInterviews can be stressful however they need not be. The hiring company is seeking to confirm if you can do the job and make an impact quickly. Let your skills, education and experience do the talking and remember to: – Do your research – arrive prepared. |
2. Use a good contract recruiter
A good contract recruiter is worth their weight in gold.
Develop a relationship with them and let them know your plans and ambitions for the future. The more you earn, the more they earn, so they have a vested interest in seeing you develop.
A good contract recruiter can know about roles that are coming available in anything up to 9 months in the future. They have in-depth knowledge of the industry and can suggest contracts that will develop your desired skills and earning potential. Having a good contract recruiter in your corner will expedite your development and earning potential.
Keep in touch with them regardless of whether you are seeking new opportunities. A good recruiter is a friend for life.
3. Commit to a lifelong learning journey
The most successful career contractors are the ones who adopt an attitude of lifelong learning.
Investing time and money in continually upskilling will provide a great return over the length of your career; both in terms of increased earning potential due to your range of skills and the variety of contracting opportunities available to you.
Plus, generous tax relief is available to contractors for costs associated with upskilling to ease the financial burden of these activities.
4. Take advantage of the flexibility benefits
Increased flexibility has consistently been one of the most common reasons Fenero hears from people taking up contracting for the first time. We have seen this factor become increasingly prominent during the pandemic. Contracting frequently allows for better work-life balance, time off in-between contracts or to take summers or extended periods off.
5. Use a contractor tax specialist to help you maximise the financial benefits
Professional contractors can earn significantly more than their permanent equivalents. Partnering with tax and financial advisors who specialise in professional contracting will help you to make your additional earning potential work for you in the most tax efficient way. Tax can be complicated, but using a specialist company like Fenero makes it simple.
For anyone starting out contracting for the first time we usually recommend using an Umbrella Company initially due to its simplicity and flexibility. When you get comfortable in the contract, we can discuss the tax planning benefits associated with having your own Personal Limited Company. We are also able to help if you feel that diving straight in with a Personal Limited Company solution is best for you.
Get in touch for more help!
Fenero are multi-award winning friendly tax specialists and experts in all things contracting. We are straight-talking technical experts, with a single-minded mission to deliver market-leading customer experience; fast, friendly, informative service and great value fees.
For more information on getting started in contracting or to get a free illustrative calculation showing how much you can earn as a professional contractor, drop a line to the friendly, expert crew in our Solutions Team on +353 1 6877400 or contact us via email. We look forward to helping you!
