Three years already, a good amount of projects and companies. Lots of short time colleagues and team!
I am happy as a contractor in London as I have been learning a lot in a short time. Every project is a challenge. Well some of them are easy challenge when an agency hires you for what you can do. But some other choose you because they believe in you to make their digital concept to life.
Learning opportunities
I had the chance to work for great agencies with well-known clients. Meeting and working very talented people.
It’s really interesting to see how different agencies work. What tool they use and which one work best for certain project.
Most of the time I don’t know what happen with the end result of the projects. Some projects got awarded and either I hear it months after or never.
Building a network
Switching and knowing agencies is interesting. You notice that there is a kind of circle of agencies, they are often “rival” agencies, where people move between one to an other. After a while, people recommend you and it’s nice.
It’s also the case with freelancers, many freelancers I met have been to the same places.
About recruitment agencies, they have their list of clients who regularly hire freelancer and it doesn’t change much. At least it’s my feeling for my domain.
Timing and moving
On the down side, it’s you are always on the move. I tend to do contracts not too long so it’s always hard to know where I will be in a few weeks time. Even when something is planned, it can always change. And it happened a few times, project cancelled, or on hold and you can get without work by “surprise”, and out as quick as an agency can get you in.
What I miss is the strong relation you build with coworker when you are permanent. Of course you can made friends, but it’s not as easy and hard to maintain connection as after you leave a contract you don’t see the people everyday. And you don’t attend to all the corporate cool event. Sometimes you do, which is nice from agencies to let you to.
The market
The market is weird and unpredictable. Recently it has been quiet, you spend your time looking and wasting your day but sometimes there are lots of needs. That’s part of the game.
Conclusion
It’s a balance with pros and cons obviously. Good to learn, good to earn, not very stable, very tiring. Overall, it works for me at the moment and I love the freedom of moving.