There are some great general threads about early termination, the gist of which seems to be that it's a judgement call based on balancing relationships, reputation, what you've got and what's on offer. With that in mind, and given that I only started contracting last year, I'd appreciate some more experienced opinions on this specific situation.
I'm on my first renewal of a 3 month contract. It pays decent market rates and isn't too stressful: I work from home, have a good relationship with the client and have been told to expect another renewal. My main issue is boredom—it's mostly maintenance/marketing work and I'm not learning or improving my skills.
Another opportunity has come up: 9 months, 50% better day rate, an easy commute and they use technologies that I'm very interested in. Honestly, it's tempting.
My current contract expires mid-February with a week's notice. The new contract would start late January. I'm considering if I can negotiate ending this contract 2–3 weeks early.
I've reached out to a couple of more experienced contractors I know for advice. They've said I should go for it, but I'd welcome some impartial perspectives. My main concerns are:
--
Future readers: some of the other threads I read offering good general discussion on this topic are:
You will note, as I did, that there is a broad variety of opinions, many are extremely subjective and the more even-handed responses indicate that it is fundamentally a judgement call. Yay, subjectivity!
I'm on my first renewal of a 3 month contract. It pays decent market rates and isn't too stressful: I work from home, have a good relationship with the client and have been told to expect another renewal. My main issue is boredom—it's mostly maintenance/marketing work and I'm not learning or improving my skills.
Another opportunity has come up: 9 months, 50% better day rate, an easy commute and they use technologies that I'm very interested in. Honestly, it's tempting.
My current contract expires mid-February with a week's notice. The new contract would start late January. I'm considering if I can negotiate ending this contract 2–3 weeks early.
I've reached out to a couple of more experienced contractors I know for advice. They've said I should go for it, but I'd welcome some impartial perspectives. My main concerns are:
- Is negotiating an early finish likely to have a negative impact on my reputation or finding work in future?
- What would you do in my shoes?
- Are there any questions I should be asking, but lack the experience to consider?
--
Future readers: some of the other threads I read offering good general discussion on this topic are:
- Contractor vs client notice periods
- Would you ever leave a contract early?
- Leaving a contract early—moral dilemma (A specific situation, but with a few similarities to this one and useful general observations.)
You will note, as I did, that there is a broad variety of opinions, many are extremely subjective and the more even-handed responses indicate that it is fundamentally a judgement call. Yay, subjectivity!
Comment