When your rate gets cut: an IT contractor's guide

All you need to know about pay cuts; who's at risk, how they hurt and when to jump.

Contractors' Questions: What if my Purchase Order has lapsed?

No steps to terminate smacks of an IT contractor suffering a slip-up, not a stalling.

Fighting HMRC pays off 'more than half the time'

Almost 60% of decisions get altered or annulled when taxpayers challenge.

'Sex ban' IT consultant loses in court

Former techie still forced to tell police 24 hours before he wants to have sex.

Contractors' Questions: Can brollies take unused expenses out of pay?

April rule changes let umbrellas swallow leftovers from your food expenses pot.

Top IT contractor training courses: Brexit Special

Non-EU nations have spent the first half of 2016 looking to get tech certified in…

Contractors' Questions: Can non UK-residents work in England if already in Ireland?

Expert tax tips on getting started, for an IT contractor feeling the lure of London.

Digital tax plan lost on almost half of tiny firms

And even those who know about it say HMRC isn't providing enough information.

Lack of details may delay LISA launch

An information shortage seems to make April 6th a tall order for LISA providers.

How to avoid personally paying your Ltd's tax bill

'Flipping' tax debts from a PSC to its persons is a growing business for HMRC.

How to avoid personally paying your Ltd's tax bill

'Flipping' tax debts from a PSC to its persons is a growing business for HMRC.

Slump in business CCJs on back of court fee hike

'A very real issue' appears to be keeping small firms from going to court.

David Ramsden, PCG co-founder, dies aged 77

Friendly and trusted business champion who put contractors on the political map.

IR35 reform plan: last chance for you to help stop it

Today's the day to tell the taxman how he'll hurt public sector contracting.

Contractors' Questions: What if the rate I was extended on is reneged?

Legal aid for a contractor who rejected a rival's higher rate after spotting it in his renewed contract.

Shrewd IT contractors will make hay while the sun shines

As Brexit clouds are only on the horizon (not overhead), IT contracting conditions are still good.

No let-off for PSCs from quarterly tax reporting

HMRC refuses to exempt incorporated businesses from online accounts in 2018. 

Contractors' Questions: Will being inside IR35 trump using a brolly?

Next year's tax clampdown has already got one public PSC weighing up his options.

Contractor body hands PM six-point Brexit plan

Reject unnecessary red tape and reform complex tax rules to make ‘Leave' a success – IPSE.

One-man bands 'to win quarterly tax reporting waiver'

Revenue retreats on its plan to mandate digital accounts for all self-employed.

Public sector disapproves IR35 plan

HR managers warn the IR35 changes will cost them money and talent.

5 Tips for Getting a Job After College Fast

Getting a job after graduation is not very hard, but finding the one you really want will take some extra effort.

Of course you want a well-written resume, but there are several way ways you can ensure your success in landing a better job when you graduate.

Here are five tips, why you should try them and where you should start when you do.

1. Get involved with social media

LinkedIn is the place you should start if you want to enter the professional working world. The social media platform is nothing special, but it is well-known. It allows other members to see your profile, view your resume and check out credentials without having to “Friend” you.

Why? It is not actually about the magical effects of LinkedIn — it is about the people who use it. Corporate HR staff have to research into you as fully as possible via means other than your resume if they want to put you forward to be hired. LinkedIn is the biggest cheat that human resources can use since the invention of Google.

Starting point: Make sure every resume and email you send has a reference to your LinkedIn profile. Spend some time filling out your profile and make as many meaningful connections on there as possible.

2. Start blogging

Do not start a blog about your favorite Kardashian; start it about your chosen discipline. Show the world just how much you know. Post at least twice per month, but it needs to be a good one. You cannot afford to draft any old bunk. Your work needs to be high quality so that your potential employer can click on any one of them and see how great you are.

Why? It allows you to show the world that your qualifications actually mean something. It can be used to demonstrate your expertise and show that the information on your resume is correct. It may even pop up during the HR staff’s Google search, which will work heavily in your favor. HR staff love an Internet trail.

Starting point: You have files and files of school/college/university essays that are just sitting there. Edit them to make them perfect and publish them. If they’re long, break them into 500 word posts and publish them as a series.

3. Become an intern

An internship can be a good baby step into a future career. Some students want to have three or more internships prior to graduating.

Why? It does offer you a valuable bit of experience, but part of the reason is that it is an American tradition. Almost all career people have their intern stories. Unless you are entering a discipline such as the medical field, an internship is not needed, but it is still beneficial.

Starting point: Consult your guidance counselor and discuss your options. Check in with a favorite teacher who might have some ideas as well. Otherwise discuss it with an independent guidance company. They will put you on the right track for your chosen career, for the internships in your area and for your state.

4. Consult a guidance counselor

They get a lot of negative attention because people often set their expectations too high, and the bad ones give the rest a bad name. Nevertheless, there is a big chance that your school’s careers guidance counselor knows more about your chosen profession than you do.

Why? They know the small details. They know how you should apply and where. They also know the laws of your state, which will dictate what internships you can legally apply for. They also are often connected with big firms in the area that are looking for entry-level applicants.

Starting point: Set up an appointment with your school’s counselor. Find and contact a third-party careers guidance counselor.

5. Join an industry-specific group

There are lots of them for almost every field. There are groups if you want to be a jeweler, work in the concrete trade or write newspaper columns. Even the professions that do not have specific group will often still have a professional development group for you to join.

Why? It is a good way of immersing yourself in the industry and the people in it. Think of it like a person learning Spanish moving to Spain. The long-term benefits are quite unknown, but always positive.

Starting point: The industry groups are hardly shy about advertising their existence. A little digging around in an industry magazine and website or two will produce good results. Your careers guidance counselor may suggest a few groups, but you should make a point of asking him or her to be sure.

Final Thoughts

Graduating and moving into the “real world” can seem overwhelming at times, but breaking things up into manageable chunks like this can help you in getting a job you really want.

Do you have any advice for the graduate looking for their first job? Let us know in the comments!

 

Tiny traders promised better banking

Contractors' concerns seem to have been listened to (and acted on) by a banking probe.

The tax refunds limited company contractors won't like

Check why the Revenue's repaying you before you start to celebrate.

Contractors' Questions: Should I opt in or out of Agency Conduct Regs?

The lowdown on why agencies want you to opt out, and how to get them to stop.

HSBC and LGIM cut IT contractor pay rates

August 1st saw another two financial giants axe IT rates, each blaming 'uncertainty.' 

Corbyn condemns contractors over pay

Labour leader picks on a freelance consultant to make a political point about the NHS.

Berlin woos London IT firms in wake of Brexit

UK tech companies have two capitals fighting for their favour.

Contractors' Questions: Will these IT contractors incur local tax overseas?

Techies placed by a UK management consultancy will be hoping it's a one-off.

Contractors' Questions: Will these IT contractors incur local tax overseas?

Techies placed by a UK management consultancy will be hoping it's a one-off.

IT contractor jobs market strengthened in July

Another dataset casts Developers as the techie winners of the Brexit vote.

Win £500 with the ContractorUK Fantasy Football League

Join the league now for your chance to win!

Employment intermediaries' deadline about to expire

HMRC update stipulating penalties of up to £600 a day is made just before today's cut-off.

IR35: Contractors, be careful what you tell the taxman

Experience is everything when it comes to squaring up to HMRC's status inspectors.

Contractors' Questions: Any IR35 risk to client extending my services' scope?

‘Separately costing and scheduling extra work isn't akin to doing whatever crops up.'

Tackling the IR35 elephant in the room

Superimposing the IR35 plan for the public sector on the private sector won't be easy.

What HMRC's latest raid means for contractors

Three advisers are far from alone in feeling the fallout from offshore schemes failing. 

Contractors' Questions: What will public PSCs do about IR35 from April?

Status expert assesses contractors' options - client payroll, umbrella or inside IR35