When do you start looking?

**Lockhouse** · 17 October 2006, 07:14

Be prepared to take a couple of weeks off after Xmas if you can't find anything beforehand. Generally nothing much happens until the second week of January when all the permie decision makers have returned to the office.

**ChimpMaster** · 17 October 2006, 09:44

I would say that it depends largely on your area of expertise. For example, if you have a marketable skill such as Java, C++ etc then you can leave it quite late to find another contract. If you have these skills and can afford to hang out for a couple of weeks, then wait until mid-Jan to start looking seriously.

However, if you have a very specialised skill (as do I) then life is that much more difficult. In this situation I would start keeping my eyes open within the next month, and if you find something then you can always negiotiate to leave your current contract a little early and move onto the new contract.

Of course it's always worth sounding out your current client to find out if there's a chance of an extension. Do this before December comes around.

**kramer** · 17 October 2006, 10:03

i am enjoying my contract loads at the minute... i really don't want to leave.
The last one was the total opposite and I turned down work with them in the end..

I am finishing first week in January... i would probably start browsing in decemeber but start in earnest in January as the contract finishes..

**Weltchy** · 17 October 2006, 10:28

I tend to mail bomb jobserve in the last week of my contract. Normally the tuesday, before 9am. Tend to get a flood of phone calls between 9-11 over the next couple of days as the recruitment guys wake up, get into work and start phoning. Interview on a Friday afternoon and in a new job for Monday.

Very simple, no fuss, no messing.

**ChimpMaster** · 17 October 2006, 11:04

Originally posted by Weltchy

I tend to mail bomb jobserve in the last week of my contract. Normally the tuesday, before 9am. Tend to get a flood of phone calls between 9-11 over the next couple of days as the recruitment guys wake up, get into work and start phoning. Interview on a Friday afternoon and in a new job for Monday.

Very simple, no fuss, no messing.

Weltchy what do you work in to receive such acclaim from agents?

**cojak** · 17 October 2006, 19:52

December's always a tricky time - contracts slow down around this time so I tend to go with the holiday spirit and look in ernest in the New Year. This doesn't mean that I stop looking before though as there tends to be a last minute spurt around the 20th to get people in for the 1st Jan.

Generally I start looking during the last month and get serious over the last 2 weeks. The secret is, Chaps & Chappesses - DO NOT PANIC - we are contractors, not permies! If I finish the contract there are jobs out there that require an immediate start - I am in the perfect position to snap them up.

Everything's an opportunity in this life!

(Oh, and if you've got kids and can't afford to do this - you've spent too much on a big house and a flash car and need to be a permie...

)

HTH

**rootsnall** · 18 October 2006, 10:04

Depends how desperate you are to get work straight away !? I reckon the majority of contracts need you to be available immediately and would often start immediately and sending out early CVs is a waste of time but you never know. I may have a browse in my last couple of weeks for local stuff or particularly good contracts and it has worked once or twice.

**TheMonkey** · 18 October 2006, 10:19

Well I just refused to renew last Friday so we'll see how long it takes to land something.

**rootsnall** · 18 October 2006, 10:24

The other big plus point of going for immediate start stuff is a lot of managers are suddenly a lot less fussy about your specific experience and its a good way of learning new skills on the the fly.

When do you start looking?