Nudging manager about extension

[NibblyPig]

Absolute bulltulip.

Depends on industry. If you take banking, for example, it takes 4-5 weeks to get security clearance.
If you start looking 6 weeks before, you can get the role lined up and have the clearence done, before finishing the last role.

People do it all the time.

4 weeks is way too early, even 4 days is pushing it sometimes.

It might take 4-5 weeks to get clearance but that doesn't mean they're looking to have someone start in 4-5 weeks. They tend to always want someone to start the next day.

[moneymoney]

4 weeks is way too early, even 4 days is pushing it sometimes.

It might take 4-5 weeks to get clearance but that doesn't mean they're looking to have someone start in 4-5 weeks. They tend to always want someone to start the next day.

Not in FS, if you started looking today for a role on monday you'd have no chance. I've never heard of anyone getting a turnaround that quick in FS (in London anyway), even when I was working in a big bank and doing the hiring, we could never turn something around that quick. 4 weeks sounds around right to be looking for something else at the moment.

[northernladuk]

Absolute bulltulip.

Depends on industry. If you take banking, for example, it takes 4-5 weeks to get security clearance.
If you start looking 6 weeks before, you can get the role lined up and have the clearence done, before finishing the last role.

People do it all the time.

I wouldnt say is absolute crap. What PC does hold some water. I've just walked out of an interview where the guy has dropped a 4 week notice on us and although he looked OK we aren't interested in that so he's wasted a days billing coming to see us. We've interviewed 6 people and two of them have us 4 weeks and went in the bin.

Feel free to try, you might get lucky but you're going to lose some billing days for it.

[northernladuk]

It would offend pedants everywhere. There isn't a 31st of November.

Good call sir!!

[unixman]

I wouldnt say is absolute crap. What PC does hold some water. I've just walked out of an interview where the guy has dropped a 4 week notice on us and although he looked OK we aren't interested in that so he's wasted a days billing coming to see us. We've interviewed 6 people and two of them have us 4 weeks and went in the bin.

Feel free to try, you might get lucky but you're going to lose some billing days for it.

Depends what you are looking for too. I always look for contracts commutable, finding one can take ages because of my skill/location. So I sort of look starting very early.

[clearedforlanding]

4 weeks is way too early, even 4 days is pushing it sometimes.

It might take 4-5 weeks to get clearance but that doesn't mean they're looking to have someone start in 4-5 weeks. They tend to always want someone to start the next day.

Starting the process at 4 weeks helps mitigate the risk of spending time on the bench. My strategy has always been only to consider the "next day" jobs in the last two weeks, in reality these always end up being next monday or the beginning of next month as requests for network access, physical security badges etc need to be sorted out at the Clientco side as well as negotiating the contract with the agency.

I work globally, so the client has to set up accommodation, car, flights, visas, work permits etc which are things that don't apply to everyone; often I will start looking 3 months before contract end.

[clearedforlanding]

It would offend pedants everywhere. There isn't a 31st of November.

Boy I have some explaining to do on the last 24 years invoices if I ever get audited.

[LondonManc]

I wouldnt say is absolute crap. What PC does hold some water. I've just walked out of an interview where the guy has dropped a 4 week notice on us and although he looked OK we aren't interested in that so he's wasted a days billing coming to see us. We've interviewed 6 people and two of them have us 4 weeks and went in the bin.

Feel free to try, you might get lucky but you're going to lose some billing days for it.

Banks can take four weeks to onboard - I was interviewed in the first week of June for a July start (current at the time contract was ending at the end of June and work was dying off so time was right to move on).

As Mark says, it's very much about lead time. Other industries have been two-day turn around so it's about knowing the client.

As for the OP, talk to them, explain that you want to plan travel, etc, so would like to know if there will be an extension forthcoming. If you can't talk to your hiring manager, then it's probably not worth carrying on anyway.

[clearedforlanding]

I wouldnt say is absolute crap. What PC does hold some water. I've just walked out of an interview where the guy has dropped a 4 week notice on us and although he looked OK we aren't interested in that so he's wasted a days billing coming to see us. We've interviewed 6 people and two of them have us 4 weeks and went in the bin..

If you are time sensitive, sure, this applies. However when recruiting for niche skills and senior roles 4 weeks isn't a barrier to me.

I overlooked the face 2 face in the UK. This really isn't a thing on the international circuit (and I have picked up quite a few UK contracts without showing up as I was on the other side of the world at interview time). My last face 2 face was 2006 and the one before that in 1998. Everything is conducted by telephone or on occasion Skype. - So no lost billable days.

[MrMarkyMark]

4 weeks is way too early, even 4 days is pushing it sometimes.

It might take 4-5 weeks to get clearance but that doesn't mean they're looking to have someone start in 4-5 weeks. They tend to always want someone to start the next day.

Sorry, you can't start at most IBs these days without clearance. I should know, I work in that industry and have helped recruit at least 15-20 people while I have been here.

I wouldnt say is absolute crap.

I didn't say it was, I said it depended on industry.
As others have said it depends on seniority and other factors as well, I have known contract roles open for 3 months and many interviewed.
I know that for a fact, as I then went on to get the role, it was for a Lead Architect, they were very fussy and rightly so. I even manged to get them to increase the budget, for my role, happy days.
The guys there were some of the best I have ever worked with and I learnt a lot, also .