The life of a contractor outside of work

As the employment landscape changes rapidly, we’re starting to see many workers take more control of their lives and reap the many rewards and benefits that contracting can offer. In an era of increased flexible working, and in the wake of Brexit, we have seen a surge in contractor numbers across the UK.

The diversity of projects and the financial benefits that contracting can provide you with are two big factors that have influenced many people’s decisions to become contractors. One other benefit that has attracted would be contractors is the freedom it can allow. Working as a contractor means you can determine the projects you work on and the hours you work thus allowing you the freedom and flexibility to pursue other passions and projects in your life.

But what possibilities are out there for you if you decide to enjoy the flexible lifestyle that contracting can potentially bring?

Learn a new language

Learning a new language has always been one of these dreams that many people are always talking about but never have the time or resource to do. As a contractor, working on projects that are flexible to your schedule will give you the time needed to culturally expand your learning through.

Learning a language will also help you enhance your professional profile and help you accrue more complex projects and contracts that require international travel. Language skills are extremely desirable to employers and contracting will give you the time and flexibility to attain them.

Travel

Working full time with your various commitments may only give you a set amount of time to enjoy travelling and holidays abroad. At best, it may be at locations that are slightly more traditional, affordable and only require a short period of time to enjoy the full benefits of a holiday there.

As a contractor, working on projects that are more financially rewarding, gives you the financial freedom to travel to more exotic and adventurous places and for longer periods of time. Speak to many successful contractors today, and they’ll tell you about their travelling exploits in far away places such as Australia, the Far East, and South America.

Pursue your passions

We’ve all talked about that side business we were going to try and start, that novel we were going to write, or that new sport or activity we were going to try. Working full time in a rigid 9 to 5, Monday to Friday, combined with other commitments, doesn’t always give us the time of day to pursue these  passions or goals.

Whatever your passion, contracting can potentially give you both the finance and the flexibility to chase after these dreams. Whether you’re a Yoga fanatic looking to start their own part-time school, a craft beer enthusiast wanting to create their own brand of beer, or a Foodie wanting to turn their blog into a paid enterprise, contracting can give you the time and resource to pursue these ambitions.

Extra training

Working full time unfortunately doesn’t always allow as much professional development as you’d like. If you’re fortunate, your employer may invest in you to do some extra training to keep you up to date skills wise but this isn’t always a guarantee. Other than that, you may have to rely on yourself to enhance your skill set within the framework of your full time role.

Training opportunities are easily accessible today with the online world offering a plethora of free or paid courses you can do at home. The challenge of course is finding the time to do these. Working as a contractor and taking more control of your working life can give you the extra time plus the finances to invest in further training to further develop your professional profile.

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iContract is the new online platform connecting contractors with recruiters. Launching soon, iContract helps contractors take control of their working lives and reap the benefits that contracting can provide.

Pre-register for iContract today and reap the many benefits that working as a contractor can offer.