Contractor top-tips
for clinical pharma contractors

As contractors you may often feel a breed apart from your fellow colleagues, friends and even family. To make your life a bit easier we are compiling a list of top-tips. And this is where the list resides in all it's glory! Send us your top-tips now!

 

Another interview elsewhere? Don't tell your agent!

Do not tell any other agents you have an interview lined up, particularly where it is. If another agent knows you have another interview this weakens your chances with them. They might not won't to risk one of their valuable interview spots by putting you forward.

If you tell them where it is you can bet your life they will phone the place and try and get a candidate in there, possibly ruining your chances. The more scrupulous ones could even sour your reputation to enhance their chances.

Spilling the beans to another agent about where you are being interviewed will risk your chances of securing the contract. Don't do it.

 

Internet access away from home

Trying to get internet access whilst away from home, particularly abroad can be a real pain. There are two ways to get access (apart from your work desk!):

Help! I'm going abroad - will my mobile work? How do I keep in touch with my agencies and friends?

Most mobile networks can arrange for your phone to work abroad, although some networks will charge you a small fortune. And with some networks such as Virgin, you need to contact well in advance. Another option is to get an international prepaid sim card which will allow you to avoid roaming charges. One contractor (who wants to remain anon - we'll call him 'Fred') has suggested a service from www.0044.uk.com. They claim to sell a range of international prepaid sim cards which cab save you up to 80%. We don't know much about them, so if you've used them, let us know!

 

I want a 'net presence' - I want companies to find my CV/services online - how do I go about it? And I hate computers!!

Well in order to get a 'presence' on the net you do really need a computer and a bit of software (Frontpage, Dreamweaver etc). But if you can email us with your questions, then you can also post your CV on a multitude of jobsites such as Monster, Jobserv e etc.

If you want your own website, you can either do it yourself as software like Frontpage Express is loaded with most computers these days and is fairly straight-forward. You can also approach a web developer, but they may prove a bit pricey. Then, there is also the option of online website development tools including Lycos (Tripod), Webitsmart or Premier Site Builder (We highly suggest giving the Free Trial a try, you have nothing to lose and your business has everything to gain). These sites allow anyone to design his or her own website with the easiest homepage designer and tools on the market - they are as easy as using an ordinary word processing program. You may also wish to read our CV Guide on CV distribution.

 

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I am moving back to Australia and have been offered the chance to carry on programming for my cleint on an "as required basis" working from home. However we don't have access to broadband in the country and I don't want to lose this fantastic contract opportunity.

We suggest you check with your client to see whether you require high speed access to their servers - are you able to do your programming off-line and submitting your work to them in batch mode? If not, have you checked with Optus or Telstra to see whether their broadband services have reached your home town?

If not, then you don't have to kiss that contract goodbye. We have come across ONSPEED. This provides an alternative to broadband which just requires a software download and increases your existing Internet connection speed by up to 5 times. Features:

 

I am contracting in the UK but am originally from Australia and with little little time for lon term telephone contracts, I am looking for a cheap way I can stay in touch with friends and family back in Melbourne. Apart from email and fax what can I do? I don't want to be tied up with long term landline contracts.

Staying in touch can be a bit more of a challenge when abroad, but there are options available to you. There are a number of international pre paid phone cards on the market which are often the cheapest way of making long distance international phone calls from the United Kingdom. A number of contractors have told us about the calling cards from 1st Phonecards which also allow you to make discounted international calls from your mobile, home or business phone. Their phone card rates are as low as 1p per minute.

Alternatively check out the One.Tel (www.onetel.co.uk) charge card which allows contractors to use it from anywhere in the world. And for those contractors who are looking for cheap landline calls (local, national, and international calls) we suggest you have a look at the other services that One.Tel are offering.

 

 

Help! I'm working in France as a DBA and quite frankly I'm bored. The job itself is unchallenging and the after work social scene is like a night out in Timbuktoo. I'm looking to do an online course to keep me from going insane but I'm reluctant to throw my money at just any online 'education' site. Please help my from going insane! I'm looking to do something in IT or even get qualified to teach English to the locals.

We assume you have checked out any social clubs both within the company and town/city you work in? Short of cutting your contract, getting another focus such as e-learning is an excellent option.

There are a number of online home study courses that allow you to study at your own pace with no need to take time off work or change your lifestyle to fit in with college timetables. Study courses can be taught either with CD and online courses using interactive software which tailors each course to your individual needs. And as a contractor it's important to use a service which allows for flexible learning. We suggest you have a look at the following services, both accredited.