For some women, they are able to return back to work full time whilst grandparents take care of the baby with no cost incurred. For others though, they have to look for childcare in the form of a registered childminder, or nursery and this cost has to be balanced out with what they would bring home monthly by returning to work.

Many women, especially those on low to middle incomes, stop work after having children because of the high cost of childcare in the UK. A couple who are both earning average wages spend 27% of their income on childcare.

In light of this, would contracting be an option? Contracting offers a flexible alternative and some may even be able to work from home. By choosing to contract, they can choose what work they take on and can choose to have time off at certain times in the year.

Are you a working mother who found contracting the best option for you? We would love to know why you chose to contract and if you would recommend it to other mums that are deciding whether to return to work.

First, she looks at whether there isn’t simply enough opportunity for women to move into IT when studying but she finds that this is not the case; “Women are embraced in education for IT subjects, and there are equal opportunities for women and men to learn new IT skills, take degrees and enhance their development in the field.”

So perhaps there is still negative stereotyping? “It seems that the IT sector is still suffering from a form of backwards negative stereotyping…we still seem to be operating under the unfortunate delusion that IT is a man’s world.”

Women have to be confident they can work in IT and be as good as, if not better than males in the same sector. They should not be put off entering the profession and seek to balance out the inequality.

In conclusion, Goodman says; “The more women decide to choose this lucrative and rewarding career path, the more the traditional stereotypes associated with the industry can be broken down, and women can take their rightful place at the forefront of cutting-edge IT development and services.”

As discussed in previous articles, demand for IT contractors in specific sectors is high and as contracting is attractive to men due to its flexible nature and often higher rates, women such consider moving into contracting.

National Freelancers Day this year wants to highlight freelancing and contracting as a lifestyle choice. On unveiling the focus for this year’s day, John Brazier said:

“The success of last year’s events underlined the growing importance of the freelance community to the economy of the UK. More and more people see freelancing as their ideal 21st century work choice. They see the potential of freelancing as a positive and rewarding choice for their work while enhancing their lifestyle.”

Journalism.co.uk has a section each fortnight called ‘Freelancer of the Fortnight’. Writer, Nadya Anscombe this week talked about the reasons why she chose to become a freelance writer. She decided to go freelance because she knew freelancing was purely about writing. From experience of talking to contractors, this is largely one of their reasons. By choosing to contract, they can concentrate on what they do best and not managing people or office politics etc.

Is this why you became a contractor? We would love to know your reasons behind choosing a contracting lifestyle.

A report suggests that permanent workers are becoming increasingly disillusioned with office-based roles and want to the same flexibility enjoyed by contractors.

The report stated that the ‘social-networking generation’ set to enter the UK workforce within the next few years will be keen to enjoy all the advantages of freelancers or contractors, such as the ability to work flexible hours and do their jobs remotely.

The PCG also commented on another study which suggests that freelancers and contractors are happier than their office-bound permanent employees. 

Tim Harford wrote a piece in the Financial Times in light of research that showed people strive for a degree of independence in their working lives. Commenting on the findings – which were carried out by Andrew Oswald of Warwick University and David Blanchflower, former Monetary Policy Committee member – Mr Harford discussed how satisfied different types of people are.

He observed that the study “looked at evidence on happiness and concluded that the self-employed tend to be happier”.

Independent Contractor Services Ltd (ICS) provide individual accountancy, tax advice and administrative services to professional contractors and freelancers.

Computerworld comments that contract positions will be among the first to see growth as the UK continues its recovery. Companies are turning to consultants to fill the gap left by staff reductions over the past two years.

Contracting can be an option to start working now, whilst continuing to still look for a permanent position. It can improve your marketability and possibly open doors to a permanent position.

Computerworld highlight that; ‘Contracting positions can offer a better opportunity to stay current with the latest technology than permanent slots. When one assignment ends, a new one can begin, exposing you to another company, another business vertical, another IT world.’

Benefits of contracting also include the opportunity to earn more, whilst also providing a more flexible work schedule. Contractors have the unique ability to negotiate each engagement individually based on the project and their skill level and are therefore often able to earn a higher rate than a permanent employee would.

Computerworld advises those IT professionals that are unemployed not to overlook the opportunities IT contracting holds. ‘You owe it to yourself to explore the options. Who knows? Your contracting experience could be the first step toward a fantastic full-time career.’

Recruiter today revealed that a poll concluded that women interview better but barriers to the top jobs remain. The poll of 500 bosses found that 59% agree that women perform best at interview with women outdoing men in 11 out of 18 criteria necessary for successful interviews but when asked why many women do not get the top jobs, almost half said they fear that women will leave to have children.

These highly skilled women who are losing out on that ‘top job’ should consider moving into the contractor marketplace and work for a number of clients of specific projects that utilise their skill set.

The contractor marketplace is growing and increasingly women are choosing to enter this marketplace. There are different factors that convince women to leave their regular, full-time jobs and instead become a contractor, freelancer or consultant. Some of the reasons include; the variety of jobs on offer, the freedom and flexibility and also the potential to increase their income.

When a selection of female contractors, freelancers and consultants were probed, the main reason for many was the flexibility contracting brought. They were able to start their family but also continue working. The work-life balance was stabalised by contracting their services out.

As contractors tend to command higher rate of pay in comparison to a permanent employee, there is also the opportunity to earn more money that if they were in that ‘top job’.

To find out more about contracting, download our Guide to Contracting by clicking here.

Established in 2002, Independent Contractor Services are now one of the UK’s leading accounting and administration consultancies and have helped many hundreds of contractors working in dozens of industry sectors.

It has been widely publicised today, that many fathers believe flexible working can damage careers. This is coupled with the fact though that 40% of felt they spent too little time with their children. Some 20% of men among the 4,500 parents polled feared asking for flexible working would harm their careers.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission study also suggests that six in 10 fathers work more than 40 hours a week and half think they spent too much time at work. One in three of the fathers questioned said the availability of flexible working was important when looking for a new job.

Contracting enables you to take control of your work and your work-life balance. Contractors have a level of flexibility that permanent employees do not have. You can choose to take long periods of time away from work. Contracting enables you to choose what work to do, when to do it, and how to do it.

The Contractors Handbook discusses how contracting can work well for families as it enables you to choose to spend more time with them. The increased money contracting brings can make flexible working possible for many with family commitments who might otherwise not be able to work at all.

Dr James Bellini, Michael van Swaaij and Jon Andrews are all lined up to take part in this webcast. All experts in their field, Dr James Bellini is a respected futurologist, TV broadcaster, author and director of content for The Talent Foundation. He believes that the next ten years could witness one of the biggest societal shifts since the industrial revolution and the freelance/contractor model features prominently in this new society.

Michael van Swaaij is a global technology leader, formerly MD of eBay Europe and currently Chairman of Skype and investor in crunch.co.uk and Jon Andrews is a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and co-author of the 2009 report ‘Managing Tomorrows People’, which examines how business will be redefined by global forces.

John Brazier, managing director of PCG, said: “Clearly the world of work is changing and those companies with foresight will undoubtedly benefit from tapping into an agile, motivated, flexible and professional business community that is made up of freelancers and contractors.

“We are delighted to be hosting this online event in conjunction with such distinguished experts as we mark National Freelancers Day and celebrate the value of freelancers today and acknowledge the importance of their place in the workplace of tomorrow.”

The Professional Contractors Group is hosting the event free of charge. Anyone wishing to take a glimpse into the future can pre-register now at www.nationalfreelancersday.org.uk.

You need to do your research and find out what is out there in the contractor marketplace. Job boards have become very popular over the last few years and should definitely be the first place to look for a contract. By looking through the job boards, it will help you give a sense of the current marketplace and what is out there for contractors like yourself.

Also make use of social networking sites, such as Twitter, where you can ask other contractors how they are finding the current marketplace and also if they know of any contracts or good recruitment agencies. Forums dedicated to contractors will also help you find out what the ‘hot topic’ is in the marketplace and what you should be concerned about.

There will often be a lot of advice from other contractors on there that you may find helpful. However, when it comes to legal and accounting advice, make sure you get expert advice from qualified people. Independent Contractor Services Ltd (ICS) provides accountancy and administration services to the contractor marketplace and can offer expert advice.

When you choose to become a contractor, you also need to research how much other contractors in your field of work are charging their client. This is so you can decide what you will charge clients, whether it is an hourly or daily rate. By using the Permanent to Contract Calculator and Contractor Calculator can also help you to determine your rate.

The contracting market has different cycles that you should be aware of. There are also two annual cycles, which are driven by the financial year and holiday seasons. It is important you get the timing right for your transition into contracting. When you choose to leave your permanent role, you should always try and keep a good relationship with that employer.

It is now time to start searching for your new contract. There are articles on here which offer advice on networking and agencies but also use those job boards you looked at to research the marketplace. Whether you decide to find your new contract yourself or through the help of an agency, ICS can offer accountancy advice once you have secured that new contract. For more information, visit the website or alternatively telephone 0800 195 3750.

The entrepreneurial spirit is even stronger among 25-34 year olds, with three-quarters aspiring to one day run their own company. Glenn Collins, head of business advisory services for ACCA said “It is hugely encouraging that so many respondents – especially so many young people – aspire to be their own boss. This entrepreneurial attitude bodes extremely well for the next generation of business leaders.”

When you make the decision to become a contractor, you often become your own boss. You decide when to take up your next contract, how much to charge for your services and avoid office politics. It is widely thought that people who choose to become a contractor carry entrepreneurial traits. There is no such thing as a typical contractor, but there is a collection of skills, experience and attributes that make it possible for people to choose to become a highly successful contractor.

Dave Chaplin from Contractor Calculator says all the successful contractors he has met are often highly skilled and passionate about their work. They’re not afraid to work hard but aren’t interested in climbing corporate ladders. The hardest part about contracting is making the decision to leave the perceived comfort and security of permanent work and to go and get that first contract. Once that decision has been made, most wonder why they didn’t choose to become a contractor years before.