First Time Contracting Advice

[LondonManc]

Thanks all for the advice and guidance - much appreciated.

I don't need to leave the contract early as the other client are willing to wait and set the start date to be from the end of my current date. I understand the risk of the offer disappearing but I hope that because I know the client and hiring manager very well they are unlikely to pull it (but I know in this business nothing is certain).

I do feel some guilt however in not renewing at the current client. Genuinely I feel that I have nothing tangible to be working on (and won't leave a huge gap) but still feel like I will be l leaving them in the lurch somehow. Would seeing out your current contract and declining a renewal be seen as burning a bridge with that client?

Likewise having a 3 month stint on my CV doesn't look good - and I'm not sure whether future clients who ask about it will appreciate my explanation of "they wanted to renew but I went elsewhere"?

Guilt over not renewing is quite understandable when you've enjoyed working with people. Ultimately, though, you're now in business for yourself. Build business relationships and think of a way that you can leave but not risk not being asked to return.

Given that you can leave at the end of the contract, then let them make the first move on the extension. If they haven't mentioned it by middle of Feb, then send them a polite email explaining that given you've not received any word of an extension then you've unfortunately had to make yourself available to other clients. While others on here may tell you that it doesn't matter too much how you leave, you're ultimately managing a business relationship and if you can say, yep, I've left on good terms, then being asked back shouldn't be an issue.

The 12-month gig sounds like a nice bit of solidity but make sure that you have the contract checked out by someone like QDOS for its IR35 position.

[stek]

The offer isn't formal yet - the role has been created and the budget approved. The client manager responsible for the hiring has stated he wants me to fill it (having worked with me before) and has been contacting me for the last few months to make a concrete decision on it.

So no it's not an actual offer yet - but it's more than the situation of hearing a potential role from an agency.

Risky. I've seen possibles like this just disappear many times.

[DannyF1966]

I've had clients before who've asked me to stay on a month before the contract is due to end, but I've also read on here about people who haven't had an extension offered until their last day.

If I were you, I wouldn't say anything to your current client until they're pestering you for an answer, by which time you should know if the 12 month offer is more concrete or not. Bear in mind that contracts can be pulled any time before the start date, and sometimes even after the start date but before the invoice date. If you've not been contracting long then you might not have much in the warchest, and it might be better for you financially to stick with your current contract, seeing as how it's actually bringing in some money at the moment.

Your current contract ends at the end of Feb and there's nothing wrong with leaving at that date. You can say on your CV that it was a three-month contract and you saw it through to the end, no harm, no foul.