what reflects better?

[scooby]

i've been contracting since March last year, and am on my third contract. 1st one was 5mths and worked dried up (DII Transition), 2nd one was for 3mths + 3mth extension that ended due to client being taken over and a project freeze happening and this current one for 6mths (end in June this year).

My CV shows the short contracts but no reason for ending. i already have the possiblilty of an extension at the end of this, possibly for 6mths and then maybe longer. however, i hate this place, am bored, and the rate is low. altho location is good and it is laid back.

would 3 contracts in 18mths look poor altho i have legitimate reasons why the last ones ended? should i take the extension if offered just to get a long gig on my CV?

[malvolio]

i've been contracting since March last year, and am on my third contract. 1st one was 5mths and worked dried up (DII Transition), 2nd one was for 3mths + 3mth extension that ended due to client being taken over and a project freeze happening and this current one for 6mths (end in June this year).

My CV shows the short contracts but no reason for ending. i already have the possiblilty of an extension at the end of this, possibly for 6mths and then maybe longer. however, i hate this place, am bored, and the rate is low. altho location is good and it is laid back.

would 3 contracts in 18mths look poor altho i have legitimate reasons why the last ones ended? should i take the extension if offered just to get a long gig on my CV?

You miss the point. You are a contractor, you stop work when the job is done or there is no more job to do. Longevity is good for permies, not contractors. You've just given good answers why you've had short haul gigs that you can repeat if anyone asks; you could add them to the CV for clarity, but 90% of people won't care.

[TheFaQQer]

As long as you can explain what happened, then I see no reason to stay where you don't want to be.

I have a couple of one month contracts on my CV - I was brought in to solve some specific problems, then leave. I have to explain this to pimps occasionally about what happened - maybe if they read the description a bit more it would be obvious.

[scooby]

just asked the same question of a chap i know who is a resource manager for a large IT services co. he has said they like to see long term roles as this shows commitment and staying power...

i thought the same as you guys have said, i'm a contractor paid to do what i'm asked, not commit to a client for life.

it seems that some people dont understand what a contractor is.

[moorfield]

A dielectric mirror reflects better.

HTH.

[Ardesco]

Proof of a couple of extensions is always useful IMHO. If you have never been extended it may start the alarm bells ringing with some hirers. It's not the be all and end all though.

[scooby]

ok, so put a comment in my CV about 3 contract + 3mth extension? show it there to get me in the door?

not overly fussed to tell the truth as its not holding me back from getting giggs. i had 2 wks on bench at the end of last contract, but that was due to me beign unarsed and not having any time off in the previous 12mths...

just wondered what others thought?

[SueEllen]

ok, so put a comment in my CV about 3 contract + 3mth extension? show it there to get me in the door?

No point.

Most agents think contracts are 3 months long. So if you are there for over that time then you must have had an extension.....

[Turion]

3 contracts in 18 months is fine. Nothing to explain, you're a contractor, right.

Overal though, clients and agents do not like lots of very short contracts and after I started to get questions regarding this I re-jigged the CV to show contract lengths greater than 3 months only. Just shift things around a bit as necessary and make sure all the skills you need are well represented. Same for any large gaps in work. Just fill them in.

[NotAllThere]

When I was a hiring manager, I liked to see extensions - not that it showed staying power or commitment (I'd hire a permie for those ) - but because it showed the client liked them. If someone has been contracting ten years, and never had repeat business, then I'd be concerned. But, generally, if I didn't see renewals, if the skill set was right, I'd simply ask for the reasons at interviews.