Originally, when I was first starting this post, I had intended it to be an update of how well my transition into the world of contracting has gone.
Unfortunately, I have now experienced the downside of being a contractor.
It is now 9 months since I became a contractor, and I have been enjoying every minute of it. That was until last Friday, when I was told that my contract was up. The situation had been uncertain since before Christmas when we were told that there would be a 20% reduction in workforce globally across the company.
Some sites have been worse hit than others, and it was just unfortunate that I was one of the last contractors to be brought into the company. So therefore, I was one of the first out. The relationship with the client has been good, and they have left the door open to return there in the future should the situation improve in the automotive industry.
I suppose that you have to take the rough with the smooth in the contracting world.
At the moment I am getting my CV out to recruitment agencies and contacting other companies. There appears to be a variety of positions available, I just hope that something bites.
If anyone knows of a company requiring the services of a CAD designer with experience in CATIA V5, SDRC I-DEAS then ask them to get in touch with me.
I’ll keep you updated over the coming days about my progress.
Monday saw me start my new career as a Contract Design Engineer.
As first days go it was a pretty quiet affair. I arrived nice and early and met up with my new boss. After a few formalities, I then had the obligatory Health and Safety induction which is pretty much the same wherever you go. This lasted about an hour and then it was back to the office to get accustomed to the workstations.
Once I had about an hour getting settled in and getting access to the correct CAD systems it was time to break for lunch. For my first day I decided that I’d try out the canteen. Its the first place that I’ve worked that has had a full canteen. There was a few choices of meals, and I decided that I’d have Toad in the Hole, with Potatoes and Veg. All things considering it wasn’t too bad. I’m not planning to eat there everyday, but it gives me another option.
Anyway, after lunch it was back to my desk to get some familiarity with the new products that I’ll be designing. The new company are in the business of designing exhaust systems, so a bit of familiarity would be beneficial as I don’t have a great deal of experience of these systems. I soon realised that there is a lot more to an exhaust system than meets to eye. It’s going to be a good challenge, really looking forward to it.
The afternoon passed pretty quickly, and soon it was time to head home. It felt good to get home, feeling revitalised and looking forward to going back the next day.
PS: My second day was spent with a 2.5 hour training session on the company’s product data management system before being let loose on re-designing some parts. Looking good so far.
It’s now only one week until I begin my new job as a Contract Design Engineer. I’m really looking forward to it, as it is going to be the start of an exciting new chapter in my life.
When the opportunity came along, trying to decide whether to make the jump seemed to be a scary proposition. A few decisions had to be made.
One of the most important of these was whether to form my own Limited Company, or to join an Umbrella Company.
After a bit of research and weighing up on the pros and cons of both options, (a good source of information can be found at Umbrella Supermarket) I decided that the best option for me was to go for the Umbrella option.
The company that I have gone with is Brookson. They were recommended by another contractor at the company that I’m going to be working for.
I am new to contracting, and I think going for the Umbrella route is the safer option at this stage. Nearly all of the paperwork is taken care of by the umbrella company, and so therefore there should be less chance of me falling foul of too much government red-tape. You don’t have to worry about paying your tax bills on time like you would with forming your own Limited Company, so there is less pressure for the first time contractor. It would also allow me the freedom to get out should I not like the lifestyle of a contractor and go back to a permanent job.
Who knows what the future holds?
Maybe in 6 months time I’ll find that I like the way that it is all working out, and want to have the greater flexibility that the Ltd Company option gives to the contractor. But with greater flexibility comes greater responsibility. Once I have made up my mind that this is how I want to work then I will make the next step and form my Ltd company.
So I’m going to take it one step at a time, and see how things go. The next update will be after a few days of the new job.
Yesterday I handed in my notice at my current employer because I’ve got a new job.
The new job has come out of the blue, I didn’t even go looking for it, it came looking for me. It’s great because in effect, I’ve been head-hunted. That is a really great feeling.
So, I’ve got 5 weeks left here before I start my new job as a Contract Designer. I will still be involved in the automotive industry, but now I will be designing exhaust systems.
It is a little scary as I will be employed as a contractor, rather than a permanent member of staff. It is going to be an exciting time.
There are plenty of things to sort out before I start. There is the contract to sort out, how I’m going to set myself up – whether that is as a Limited Company, or as part of an umbrella company. My initial thoughts are to go with the umbrella company, as it will remove a lot of the initial hassle and paperwork that would come with setting up my Limited Company. If I enjoy the life contracting then it will be something to look at in the future.
The new company is near Preston and so I’ll be commuting. Hopefully this will not be too bad. When I went for the interview it took me about an hour, and this was when the roads are at their busiest. I hope to leave earlier than that when I start so that I can beat the traffic. It should be possible to do in 45 mins.
In the meantime I’ve got a few loose ends to tie up. I need to get the CAD system upgraded before I leave and make sure that everything is in place for the next CAD Engineer coming in. I’ll also need to give a helping hand to finding a replacement.
So a busy few weeks ahead, but it will all be worth it in the end. 
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