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How to find work as a Contractor

How to find work as a Contractor

How to find work as a Contractor

(OP)
I have 11 years of experience and have been working contract for the past 3 years as a mechanical/ocean engineer.  I spend about 1/3 of the year traveling, mostly oversees typically a month at a time and the rest of the time working from my home office.  About 95% of my work has come from one client and they have been keeping me busy enough I really haven't been able to take on any other clients.  They have informed me that management has decided to no longer use contractors after the end of the year, so I need to come up with some new clients.  I have my own S-Corp so I don't want to be an employee of a contract firm, but I have found one contract firm that seems at least interested in marketing me for a portion of the proceeds.  How much remains to be seen.  What advice and methods would you recommend for locating new clients?  Do any of you use a recruiter or contracting firm?   

RE: How to find work as a Contractor

I have worked contract for about 1/4 of my career (mechanical design).  First job was by answering an ad.  Now I maintain relationships with a handful of solid contract firms.  I've never been completely independent.

RE: How to find work as a Contractor

What your looking for is you want to be a vendor to a company supply engineering resources rather than be a contractor.

Contractors are employed by a contract house, while vendors are corporations that are contracted to do work for a company.

RE: How to find work as a Contractor

(OP)
That is a better way to put it.  My biggest issue is most of my experience is in offshore oilfield from when I lived in Houston.  I currently live up on the east coast and many of the companies I have cold called have said they don't mind using hired guns, but they need to be local.

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