sri14
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Registered: 24th Nov 04
Location: Derbyshire
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Easy,
I come on here a bit but dont normally bother posting, but thought i would about this. I'm a Technician working for a large consultant engineering firm working on all sizes of schemes. Now i finish my Day release course (Foundation Degree, which has replaced the old HND) in June and have been thinking about goin self employed and working through an agency in about 6 months time.
Was just wondering if any 1 on here has done it/ is doing it? I'v been there for about 4 years now and am fancying a change of scenery and a decent pay rise, if i stay where i am i'l be on about 18K come september but this is fook all really. If i went agency what do you think i could earn- about 25K?
Any help appriciated  
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Fonz
Premium Member
Registered: 12th May 06
Location: Newbury, Berks
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personally i would have thought a CAD operator wouldnt be taken on as a contractor, not permanently if you get me - three month trail......
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Brett
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Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
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No offence Fonz, but you clearly don't know what you're talking about. How the hell can a contractor be permanant? It'd obviously be on a 3, 6, 12 month basis, as that's the whole nature of being a contractor.
[Edited on 16-04-2008 by loafofbrett]
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sri14
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Registered: 24th Nov 04
Location: Derbyshire
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Can get permanent places, we have a few at wrk, but most are just short contracts like a few months to a year. Its basically just to bring in extra man power to hit a deadline.
The reason its done is cos its easier for a firm to pay a contractor a bit more for 2-6months then employ a new member of staff if the work will dry up in a few month because its too hard to sack people these days.
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Brett
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Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
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If it was permanent then it'd be a staff position.
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sri14
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Registered: 24th Nov 04
Location: Derbyshire
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by permanent i meant long term. We'v had an agency CAD tech for ten years at our place!!
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Brett
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Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
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Yeah, people need to brush up on their lingo tbh.
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sri14
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Registered: 24th Nov 04
Location: Derbyshire
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Have you got any experiance of it then?
Think i read an old post with you in talkin about doin it
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Aaron
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Registered: 9th Aug 04
Location: Cottingham, East Riding
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G to the E to the E to the K to the D to the A to the Y
TBH
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Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
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I've been doing it for the past 8yrs, I know all about it. Have my own limited company, etc. People really need to get their lingo right.
Just because a "contractor" has been there for 10yrs, doesn't mean it's a permanent role. He can still be fucked off with only a weeks notice (unless it states otherwise in the contract).
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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What software do you use? I know that there is a big market for freelance Solidworks operators as I have done a lot and made a good ammount of money doing it. All you need for that is the qualification for the software and the reseller will put your name forward as an operator when people phone up and ask. You can search for jobs on thier website too...
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sri14
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Registered: 24th Nov 04
Location: Derbyshire
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Sounds like you know a bit about it then, any chance of PM'ing me some info and how to go about it to start with?
And yeah my lingo wasnt right, meant long term, just wasnt thinkin properly. Your right tho he can be fucked off with only a weeks notice, he isnt involved in any training and doesnt get paid for A/L but bet he's on close to 30k
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sri14
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Registered: 24th Nov 04
Location: Derbyshire
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Ed - Just AutoCAD and all associated addons like Auto-track and auto-sign. Have used software like Bently MX a bit but am far from a pro at using it.
Was thinking about doin a course in one of the Mech eng programms but not sure i know enough about it.
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Fonz
Premium Member
Registered: 12th May 06
Location: Newbury, Berks
User status: Online
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quote:
Originally posted by loafofbrett
No offence Fonz, but you clearly don't know what you're talking about. How the hell can a contractor be permanant? It'd obviously be on a 3, 6, 12 month basis, as that's the whole nature of being a contractor.
[Edited on 16-04-2008 by loafofbrett]
ok background
3 years at university studying BEng Mechanical Engineering, graduated with a 2:1 with Honours.
2 years in industry, working for BOC Edwards, the leading competitor outside of USA for vacuum pumps as a Development Engineer, currently working for Marshall Aerospace, THE name in Hercules maintenance, modification and general know how, second largest name in military Aerospace Engineering in the UK, if not Europe to BAE Systems.
i know engineering.
a Contractor in both places can be brought in for 3 weeks, months or years, paid as a contractor and not as a full time permanent staff. a chap left us here after 2 years when the project ended, he was a contractor, was paid as such, along with his benefits. contractors can be "permanent"
your point about a contractor not being permanent is exactly what my comment was saying
going through the agency route (contractor) i cant imagine a CAD operator would be taken on. Permanent is preferred in my experience in this line of work. its a specialist skill, one where experience is a great qualification.
my point that a contractor wouldnt be taken on permanently is that there is no advantage for a employer to employ a contractor over such a long period (ie permanent) when a permanent position would suit both parties
summary: CAD contractors would be trailed for 3months before being offered a permanent position, thats how i would do this
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Brett
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Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
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Someone get Fonz a fuckin medal ffs  Enough of the life story 
I don't think attending uni or BOC for 2yrs qualifies you in any aspect of knowing about contracting in engineering. SRI, you CAN work as a tracer using CAD. You can expect to receive between £15-25 an hour in the North-West with your own limited company, lots more down south.
Seeing as we're naming companies we've worked at (fonz might of heard of these ):
BNFL
Atkins
AMEC
AMEC Spie
Jacobs
Costain
D&Z
Simon Carves
Railtrack
Faithful & Gould
EVERY ONE OF THOSE companies had tracers, who are basically guys sat using CAD all day doing mods to drawings, etc. Easy stuff if you know AutoCAD. No qualifications required (Yes! You don't need to waste time at uni getting into debt!), simply know CAD and you're in. Experience helps obviously, but once you've got your foot in the door at a decent company, you can go anywhere.
The way every place i've worked at is...
Staff people - Self explanitory really. Get all the benefits like paid sick, paid holidays, pension, etc.
Agency people - These are generally high street agencies like Reed, etc. They generally pay shite wages and aren't engineering specific. Usually used for admin roles.
Contractors - These are people who use proper engineering agencies, like NES, Roevin, etc. They generally work through limited companies, pay way less tax and get resented by the staff people because they earn so much more. I'm one of those people I'm betting you're staff Fonz?
u2u me if you want info. CBA with a debate over whose worked at the better engineering companies or who has honours in being a student debter.
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Fonz
Premium Member
Registered: 12th May 06
Location: Newbury, Berks
User status: Online
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sorry, for some reason i read CAM techninicians, would never have called a CAD operator, a technician, always a design engineer apologies for confusion!
this will hence my arguement.
- which now can be ignored
as a designer i will agree, ppl come in and out all the bloddy time!!
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Tiesto
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: Hinckley, Leicestershire
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I work as a Technician for an Consulting Engineering company and can't see myself going into a freelance contract basis, even after five years.
Id try find work with a smaller consultant like i am with as you get to dabble into absolutely everything, like i have using AutoCAD, PDS, Microdrainage, Lighting Reality to name but a few. Bascially design full sites from top to bottom dealing with clients/adoptions etc.
That would be the best route i think for you, gain more experience then go into contracts at a later date. Thats my view anyway.
I also gained an HNC through day realease.
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Bart
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Registered: 19th Aug 02
Location: Midsomer Norton, Bristol Avon
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I too gained a HNC through my current employer.
We are mechanical/electrical contractors to the likes of Costains, aggregate industries, (all major water authorities), black and veatch, dean & dyball etc etc
In terms of CAD technicans we seem to be going down the route of getting a young lad in, pay him a low wage while he's learning, do the nitty gritty stuff (as built mods/ site mods) and send them off to college.
This is what happened to me 5 years ago, I've gone from 9k per year to 30k.
SRI. 18k is a bit low, so i've got a few questions,
-are there many people doing what you do?
-are you self sufficient (i.e completely work alone, dont require much input from anyone else?)
-do you specialise in anything particular, are you being used as a dogs body?
As Loaf mentioned above, its easy to get the dogs bodies in, but someone who is specific to a certain area, is good at what he does and works in a small enviornment is harder to come accross, so i would expect you to get paid in the late 20's if this is the case.
[Edited on 16-04-2008 by Bart]
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Jules S
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Registered: 24th Dec 03
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Hmmmmm,
To me CAD is a tool, I use it to put ideas on digital 'paper'
If i got a paper and pen out, then had a tracer put it into (lets say) dwg format what we would be the point in that?
For what its worth, i've got an 'agency' chap working for me...and he's been full time with us for 10 years. Suits us just fine, we throw all the shite work his way, he can hardly complain can he?
Saying that, I've lost count of the amount of agency staff I've had...95% of them have been useless. I may aswell of done the drawings myself given the revisions i have had to do afterwards 
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Steve
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Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
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easy
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Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Steve
easy
You just failed to phone interview
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Bart
Member
Registered: 19th Aug 02
Location: Midsomer Norton, Bristol Avon
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Jules S
Saying that, I've lost count of the amount of agency staff I've had...95% of them have been useless. I may aswell of done the drawings myself given the revisions i have had to do afterwards
my point above.
What do you do Jules? (website?)
http://www.bridgesltd.co.uk
[Edited on 17-04-2008 by Bart]
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Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
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I'm a senior Architectural assistant...so i design buildings visually and technically.
I'm not an 'Architect' a such, because i dont have that design 'flair'....I just make Architects 'fantasies' come to life, whilst trying to take on board all the M&E etc.
In saying that, I could teach 95% of the consultants/contractors i know a few things...right now I'm running a job where I have:-
One consultant (landscape architect) that doesn't use CAD whatsoever
Another that is still on R2002
A couple on 2004
And none of the consultants know what an xref is....
My job is hard work some times 
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