A bird in the hand...

[psychocandy]

Fairly common that offers get made this late.

What I'd do:-

Go for these interviews. See what happens. If you get offers, do whats best fro your business.
Current client - if it was that important they should have offered earlier.

For instance, I've got 6 weeks left in current gig and been offered extension. No chance to look for something else. Clients need to realise - get in there early and you'll secure. Fanny about and it leaves contractor with options to look around or indeed forces them to,

[gigahoe]

Long time contractor, or your first contract?

First time.

[gigahoe]

Good luck with the interviews!

If you were to extend your existing contract by another month or so what would you achieve? Will you have delivered something that you can use in the future to sell your services.

Remember if you do really well at the interview and they want you then there is room for negotiation. Both in rate and starting date.

Thanks!
The reason the extension is only for a month is because they want contractors to go permie so have also started conversations about that. I made it clear that I'm not that interested but will of course listen. I genuinely believe that if I reject the permie position they will continue to employee me as a contractor and the next extension should be back to 3 months or preferably more.

[sal]

If you are happy with the current role/project/environment and think that there will be likely another extension following the 1 monther - stay

If you are not happy and some of the roles you have interviews lined up look better - I would be frank with the Client or at least the PM and tell them that because they were so late on the extension offer you already have 2 interviews lined up both at better rates/duration and you intend to go through with them and put their offer of extension on hold until you have feedback. The Client/PM won't be ecstatic about it but if they hold a grudge in this situation, you probably don't want to work for them in the future anyway.

As an added bonus this might provoke them to up their offer for extension in order to keep you on board, if your role is so critical.

There is always the risk (rather high chance) of them pulling back the extension offer, but that's part of the risk of doing business.

[northernladuk]

Thanks!
The reason the extension is only for a month is because they want contractors to go permie so have also started conversations about that. I made it clear that I'm not that interested but will of course listen. I genuinely believe that if I reject the permie position they will continue to employee me as a contractor and the next extension should be back to 3 months or preferably more.

The fact you believe they are employing you and the fact you are filling a position for a permie under a different renumeration method makes you a hidden perm and inside IR35. Did you consider that?

[curtis]

For me it would be all down to whether I am happy in the current role, if not i would interview and go for another if offered and I was happy with it.

If neither interviews come through then I would take the renewal unless I really hated it then I go.

[gigahoe]

The fact you believe they are employing you and the fact you are filling a position for a permie under a different renumeration method makes you a hidden perm and inside IR35. Did you consider that?

The current role is in the Netherlands and the others are both in other non UK countries and all would be via an appropriate umbrella company. So no IR35 concerns.

[gigahoe]

Thanks everyone for your feedback, it has helped.

I've checked re one of the prospective new roles and they have agreed that I could start once this one month contract extension is ended if I'm successful there. That lets me have my cake and eat it (mmm cake!) meaning I get the nice new role and my current client gets some proper hand over time and notice to replace me.

The other prospective role is my favored of the three and I don't think I have have it all my own way there as I doubt they will wait and also I don't expect it will all get sorted before I have to sign my extension or leave, which I cannot really risk. But to complain about that is probably me being way too greedy!

[flipFlop]

I have been applying for other roles for the last few weeks and now have two that are in the interview phase.

Yeah, right.

[gigahoe]

Yeah, right.

Do you want to see my emails? What would be the benefit of me lying about this on an anonymous forum?