International IT contractor - Interview

Daniel Limas (view profile) is a real International IT contractor: a top consultant ready to travel for better rates, better contracts... and a real quality of life!
Originally from Portugal, Daniel currently works in London and flies to more sunny destinations at week-ends. He bets the current crisis will definitely prove freelancing may be more protective than permanent job... Provided you are an expert on your market!

FBC: Daniel, what is YOUR definition of an international contractor ?

An international IT contractor is somebody with a well above average level of knowledge in his/her area of expertise. He is flexible to adjust to geographic challenges and with capacity to deliver quality under usually tougher conditions than normal.
To stay successfully and with a good reputation on the market, he needs to exceed expectation quite often and bring a value increase to any team he might be incorporated at.

FBC: In which different countries have you worked already?

I started in my home country, Portugal, where I learnt the basis of the area where I became an expert. After that I started contracting and had missions in the UK, France, Brazil and Sweden; an interesting variety that gave me exposure to many different challenges. It made me a better professional for sure !

FBC: Is there an argument for you to choose a specific country/contract? What DON'T you wanna do?

Every time I'm offered a new position I always evaluate the balance of several factors: technological update (if the project platform is an old version of the software I work with, I tend to reject it), industry exposure (if it's an industry that I've never worked with or where I can learn new business processes, it becomes more attractive), cultural environment and of course, the rate.

FBC: Rates… what do they usually include?

If the market is not that active and there are more contractors available than positions (as we are facing at the moment), all inclusive rates (where only the customer only pays the hourly/daily rate is offered) are more common.
But when the market is healthier, it's possible to find a few offers where besides money, the customer also pays for accommodation, flights and daily expenses like meals and transportation; these offers usually try to compensate for a tougher location (some remote and less interesting city) that most professionals might reject when they have other opportunities.

FBC: You currently work 4 days in London and 1 day from home, is it the kind of arrangement you may deal easily with clients?

My current deal is quite exceptional and, unfortunately, not usual at all. My project was initially based in another location, and then moved : in order to keep the core team of consultants (that have to commute weekly), they made it as project politic, that one of the working days is based from home.
This is a win-win solution as the project can count on pleased experts for a longer period. And the contractors find a better balance between their professional and family life…


FBC: What do you, as an international IT contractor, bring to your clients?

I try to bring to my customers alternative approaches to achieve their goals.
It's usual that there isn't a single or not even an optimal solution for a given problem. But as companies have common problems that I've seen solved in distinct ways - even in different lines of business -, my accumulated experience allows me to offer a different vision.

Productivity, derived from the technical expertise is also a plus, as I usually need less time to deliver cleaner and high standard solutions. Additionally I also offer flexibility to absorb strong variations in work load, willing to work long hours or weekends within reasonably defined limits when necessary.

FBC: What have you learnt from your experiences abroad?

In Brazil, with their characteristic relaxation towards problems in life, I learnt that keeping the good mood is a great weapon to achieve the objectives - especially at stressful periods close to big delivery dates.
In France, where company structures are more pyramidal, I learnt that persistence and deep knowledge of your customer's requirements are very important for you to be able to convince a heavy structure to change their way of working.
In Sweden I understood why Scandinavians in general are so efficient as I witnessed top managers and full inter-disciplinary teams changing their points of view even when the best option for the project was suggested by somebody with a lower position in the company; all they want is the success of the company even if that means admitting they were wrong in the first place…

FBC: Don't you think at one point of your carreer you will need/want to settle for a while?

In our line of business, even if you are not a contractor, to settle is a dangerous thing : you may lose the will to keep on learning and get satisfied with what you have achieved so far. So a contractor rapidly learns not to make plans with an horizon longer than 6 months.
Of course when you start building a family (for example) and your priorities in life change, you might be tempted to have less or no commuting at all, but it is possible : I know of a lot of examples where contractors stayed in the same project for several (over 5) years, allowing them to combine contracting with a more stable situation.

FBC: Do you think the current crisis will change the way we look at the freelancing market ?

It would be very strange if the market's global situation would not have an impact on the way companies and employees establish their contracts. Even in countries with very protective laws, permanent position is not 100% guaranteed. A small compensation and the unemployment fund may not compensate the fact that employees may face extra problems : profile becoming too specific over the years and recycling being an herculean mission.
On the other hand Companies will give more value to the capability of adjusting their work force depending on the market waves and will be willing to pay for that.
I believe that in the future the percentage of permanent employees will decrease heavily.

FBC: What would you say to a young consultant willing to build a strong international profile?

Have long conversations with as many contractors as you can, so you have the least doubts possible when making a decision.
But be sure that going once a year to Paris for a long weekend gives you nothing when compared to living there for 8 months, sharing a meal with your new french friends regularly, understanding what makes them unique and making those characteristics a little bit part of your own character !

Daniel Limas profile on FBC