Next move

I'm at a crossroads. I have a variety of choices as to my next move. I like challenges, hate travel and crucially LOVE money.

Based on such limited info, which route (followed by the training I sense would be required) should I choose:

IT Security - gain CISSP, CISM

SAP Functional Consulting - various training options

IT Service Management Consulting - ITIL

Business System Analyst - ISEB Certificate in BA

Programme Mgmt - Prince 2

I'm currently a contractor working in the compliance "space".

I'd even welcome input from ZB - it's Friday after all.

If you love money so much, then why not try and make some rather than spending it on near-worthless qualifications?

Cynic,

How?

Thanks,

A

Find another contract?

but i'm only paid £500 per day and understand that the options I've listed pay more. I sense that SAP in particular will pay considerably more....

How many days per year are you 'chargeable' at £500/day? i.e. what is your current income if you don't mind saying.

48 weeks so:

240 * 500 = 120k

prob is that day rates are under massive pressure in my field of work and there are lots of charlatans (sorry zb) entering the market, hoodwinking clients and threatening my income )-:

Flipping heck. You earn £120K and you're actually considering wasting time on getting more qualifications?

£120K is a GOOD income! You must be REALLY driven to want even more!

Can you just negotiate your rate up by £50 or so?

Also, if you don't mind me asking, what sector do you work in and how did you manage to get such a lucrative contract?

I work in IT governance/compliance. I'm not convinced it is such a good rate - it's standard for SOX work. In fact, if you look at the figures here, it's below average for the contract market:

http://www.skillfair.co.uk/info/news.asp?NewsID=263

I am (shallow and) driven by money. However, I am married and have two kids - having this income allows my wife to stay at home and look after them. Families are pexpensive - 120k does not go that far in the south east!

The problem is that the field I work in will not provide equivalent rates for long. Once the compliance frameworks are embedded into BAU, the jobs will become lowly 40k permanent roles. As a result, I'm looking to get trained up and exit into a market with better long term prospects. I understand that rates in the SAP world can top £1k per day. That would be yummy.

I am on a rate of £1,200 doing IT work, but my utilisation is rubbish. Each project is about 10 days max, then I move onto the next one. Income is about £50K. The vast majority of my time is spent finding new contracts. I would love to have your kind of utilisation rate!

Flipping heck indeed. I have a family in London and earn considerably less than 120K. I certainly wouldn't object to earning more, but I'm reasonably comfortable. To suggest that 120K "doesn't go that far in the south-east" is mind-boggling. Yes, families are expensive but most people (even in the south-east!) live on a small fraction of that. If I earned 120K I'd consider myself very well-off.

Have you thought of becoming a premiership footballer? The money's much better and you can be as shallow as you like!