Contract to Permanent Advice

[Froufou]

Hi everyone,

I am having a stressful time securing my next contract. My savings will nearly finish soon and I may have to declare bankruptcy. I am aiming to apply for permanent roles to mitigiate the worst case scenario.

However, due to my fuzzy brain right now, I am having trouble thinking on how best to position reasons to return permananent on the covering letter. I anticipate that recruiters and employers could see me as a risk (oh she will leave in 3 months if she is offered a contract).

Has anyone been in this situation and how did they put it across to recruiters/employers? If you haven't been in this situation but have suggestions, I am all ears .

thank you for the help
FF

[WTFH]

I am having trouble thinking on how best to position reasons to return permanent on the covering letter.

Why are you preparing a covering letter?

Here's my suggestions:
1. Speak to recruiters, don't just mailshot them.
2. Tailor your CV to the role you are applying for. This is not about lying, this is about emphasising skills.
3. Make sure your CV is short and relevant. No more than 3 pages, doesn't matter how good you think you are. Do not have a covering letter.
4. After you've spoken to the recruiter, tailored and sent in your CV, follow it up a day or two later with a phone call.

As for the question that will come up from the recruiter, and potentially in interviews: "why do you want to take a permanent role?", well, only you can answer that one, but you don't need to put it in any sort of letter.

[simes]

"Starting a family" usually gets the right response, I understand.

[Hobosapien]

I anticipate that recruiters and employers could see me as a risk (oh she will leave in 3 months if she is offered a contract).

If they seem concerned about this tell them you're willing to accept an employment contract which requires several months notice from you, to show that you wouldn't be able to go back to contracting that easily without lots of forward planning.

Downside is you won't be able to go back to contracting that easily, so make sure permiedom is really what you want. If you really want to stay in contracting but need short term money to pay the bills until a contract turns up, get a 'no questions asked or skills required' temp job somewhere local.

[MyUserName]

Has anyone been in this situation and how did they put it across to recruiters/employers? If you haven't been in this situation but have suggestions, I am all ears .

thank you for the help
FF

I was in that situation and I explained that I needed the stability of the permie world now that I had a young family.

[Alf W]

I think you need to be able to answer the question to yourself. If it's just because you are in desperate need of some immediate income then it's probably not a runner and who says finding a permie job in this climate is an easier option?

One option is to say you've always considered both options but recently you've always managed to find a contract before a permanent job came along.

[simes]

………. and who says finding a permie job in this climate is an easier option?

Fair point. I have always found getting a permie job (pre-2000) an unmitigated disaster of a protracted nightmare.

Endless interview cycles coupled with presentations, and the dreaded chat with the most redundant of all departments, HR, exhausted me to the point that even a solid evening drink couldn't resurrect my joie de vivre.

Now, a five minute phone chat and/or a half hour F2F and, away you go.

[BlasterBates]

All you have to say is that you're now looking for a permanent job. In the interview just say you don't like travelling or the uncertainty.

There may well be a disadvantage for some jobs, but there are plenty of others where it won't be an issue, in particular if you have long contracts.