Looking for a new contract

[KathyWoolfe]

I am currently nearing the end of my original contract with this employer and I have already got an extension until the end of the year.
My query is - at what stage during the contract do you start looking for another contract.
If you start looking while the end-date of the contract you are on is still considerably in the future then agents will be reluctant to look at you as they usually want contractors to start within a week or two.
On the other hand, if you start looking too near the end of your contract you run the risk of being out of work for a period before getting more work (which can be a trifle traumatic when you're used to being a permie and you've been able to pay the bills).
An alternative is to continue to look for work throughout the lifetime of your contract and if you find something good then finish before your contract is due to finish - but I feel that this is not only unethical but hardly the action of a "professional" (to use the current buzzword) and you're unlikely to get work from that employer again!
So, is there an ideal time to start looking for more work

[Muttley08]

Have some time off first...then start looking...

Muttley been in a contract too long and wants a break mood....

[DBA_bloke]

I'd say 2 weeks before current gig ends. Think about putting aside a day, or two, in case of face-to-face interviews, and do this well in advance. Your last 2 weeks may be pretty full, if you are required to hand over the controls to others before you leave.

Good luck!

[KathyWoolfe]

I'd say 2 weeks before current gig ends. Think about putting aside a day, or two, in case of face-to-face interviews, and do this well in advance. Your last 2 weeks may be pretty full, if you are required to hand over the controls to others before you leave.

Good luck!

I'm not actively looking at the moment because I've got another 3 months to go yet - I was just trying to get an idea of the best time to start looking..... and your advice seems the best so far!

[Bluebird]

4 weeks before, depending on the type of work you're doing you should be able to negotiate an early termination with the client if required...

[Muttley08]

3 months???

Typical woman planning ahead and not leaving it until the last minute as any sensible bloke would....tsk tsk

[lukemg]

I normally take a casual look with 4 weeks to go, maybe only apply for roles which are perfect match, rate, location at that stage. Will gradually wind this up as the weeks pass. Key thing is to appear available so put a close end date (even if it is a lie) and when you speak to the agent tell him you are defo finishing/project ending/budget gone etc etc, if they think you will get extended they will put someone else in who is available so they don't get messed about (read same for permies dipping toe in contract water). These things usually take a few weeks to sort anyway/arrange interviews etc. Once they want you for the role, 90% of the time they won't squash it for the odd week delay (certain roles are an exception to this). Claim you are committed to leaving the current role in a perfect handover state and need the extra time to ensure this (looks good to the next client that you are so keen to complete)

[b0redom]

I, along with all the other contractors in my department, got laid off just before Christmas last year. It was a bit traumatic for a while, as no one wants to hire around the holiday period. What I did was to write a PERL script to grab all the unique names from jobserve and spam them with a copy of my CV.

A lot of dross back, but eventually I found something. 4 weeks is probably a good rule of thumb, but you might want to start looking a little sooner if you're going to be on the bench over the Christmas period.

Alternatively save up a bit of cash and have an extended Christmas!

[NotAllThere]

I start looking once the contract is finished. I prefer to work 40 weeks in the year.

[stan2484]

I normally take a casual look with 4 weeks to go, maybe only apply for roles which are perfect match, rate, location at that stage. Will gradually wind this up as the weeks pass. Key thing is to appear available so put a close end date (even if it is a lie) and when you speak to the agent tell him you are defo finishing/project ending/budget gone etc etc, if they think you will get extended they will put someone else in who is available so they don't get messed about (read same for permies dipping toe in contract water). These things usually take a few weeks to sort anyway/arrange interviews etc. Once they want you for the role, 90% of the time they won't squash it for the odd week delay (certain roles are an exception to this). Claim you are committed to leaving the current role in a perfect handover state and need the extra time to ensure this (looks good to the next client that you are so keen to complete)

That is exactly how I do it too, and it has worked for me so far with no time on the bench to date. A lot of roles advertised saying "ASAP" in reality will probably wait a week or two if they want you, as for Banking it can take 3-4 weeks to sort out all the paperwork and checks, so any roles in this sector are prime for applying 4 weeks before end of contract. And they usually pay good dollars