first contract stuck before it starts

[john1973]

Hi, Guys,

I signed my first contract couple of weeks ago and wait for the job to start.

But after waiting for few days, being told the client not sure when the job will start, it might be few weeks delay and it might be few months.

Agent suggest me(only verbal) to find another job rather then waiting for this one.
I called the IT manager and got the same reply.

Now if I started looking for another contract, will I get into trouble since I already put my name on the contract?

If one day, the agent comes back and ask me to start the contract, do I have to follow them?

Please give advice, not feeling very lucky for first time contractor.

Thank you all in advance.

[sal]

Check what the notice period on your side is in the contract if it's more than 2 weeks negotiate with the Agent/client to reduce it to 2 or better 1 week in the light of this delays.

After that start looking and when asked about your availability - state the above number. If you get an offer for another role serve your notice for termination of the first contract and sign the second one.

[northernladuk]

It's not uncommon for a gig (NOT a job!!!) to be delayed but it is pretty common for a delayed gig to evaporate. Never stop looking for work until you are sat at your desk at the clients site on day one.

Normally the agent will do everything to keep you stringing along to get his cash so if the agent is telling you to go look then he doesn't have much confidence this will come off so take his advice.

You won't find one straight away so you have a nice buffer to work with anyway. Forget this one for now, go and look for more work. One of two things will happen. This gig will start before you find work so happy days. The other thing is you find work first. I am assuming at best this will take a week or two which is more than enough time for them to sort their tulip out. If they haven't by then then it's tough, you are no longer available. They might moan a little bit but there is no loss so can't hold you to anything. If they are being unreasonable they have to expect it's gonna come back and bite them.

Take their advice and carry on looking for work but in future don't stop until you are sitting at the client on day one.

[TheFaQQer]

Take their advice and carry on looking for work but in future don't stop until you are sitting at the client on day one.

Even then, don't stop looking until you've had your first invoice paid, just in case.

[TheFaQQer]

Even then, don't stop looking until you've had your first invoice paid, just in case.

Actually, keep looking until you've had more than one invoice paid, just to be sure.

[TheFaQQer]

Actually, keep looking until you've had more than one invoice paid, just to be sure.

To be pedantic, you want to keep looking right up to the point that your last invoice gets paid.

[TheFaQQer]

To be pedantic, you want to keep looking right up to the point that your last invoice gets paid.

OK, just to be ultra, ultra sure - keep looking for a new job until your last invoice has been paid, and any warranty period in the contract has passed.

Then you can stop looking.

[northernladuk]

LOL.. I was waiting for someone to mention the first invoice but A+ for effort with the rest....

[northernladuk]

P.S to the OP. That post is pretty appalling even if English isn't your first language.

[TheFaQQer]

LOL.. I was waiting for someone to mention the first invoice but A+ for effort with the rest....

If I could remember any of my sockie logins, I was going to do it as the four Yorkshiremen.

Well, of course, we had it tough...