New to contracting - should it take this long??

**DS23** · 5 November 2009, 14:30

it's not your first contract yet.

**Rupert** · 5 November 2009, 14:36

I take it you mean you think it could fall through...?

**singhr** · 5 November 2009, 15:07

first rule of contracting: don't tell anyone where you are going until you are there, sitting at your desk and logged on. If you have been offered, I would expect agent to get contract under your nose within a day in case you wander off somewhere else. After a week I would be requesting a face to face to understand situ.

**sparkymark** · 5 November 2009, 16:00

DS23 - Brilliant response, laughed my tits off

As to expecting a contract within a day, I know nobody who has had this quick a response with a large corporate. Having worked for EDS, Accenture, IBM, MoD, Fujitsu, ...... I can say from my experience that the quickest I've had a contract after the offer is a fortnight & the longest 6 weeks.

Good luck with yours

**Darren_Test** · 5 November 2009, 16:24

Originally posted by Rupert View Post

Hi there

I went for an interview with Virgin Media last week and they offered me the contract. Since then i've heard nothing. It's been over a week now - shouldn't I have had some stuff though, like a contract (for example!), or at least a start date?

My experience with Virgin was very bad..Last year I was offered a role directly to me at the end of interview, I had to inform agency abt the result..! Next day agency also got confirmation through preferred supplier the same. Next Monday I got news that Offer is withdrawn...!! So expect the best & prepare for the worst..!!

**The Agents View** · 5 November 2009, 17:27

In our place (which is neither quick, or slow really for processing these things):

Offer closed Monday
Contract generated Monday
Gets collated and signed off by me, and my line manager Tuesday and goes in the post.

We are in the middle of a postal strike right now though - so I would suggest to the agent a digital copy of the contract so that you can read through the terms. If they refuse, the contract hasn't actually been confirmed, and the alarm bells should start ringing - especially if the agent isn't keeping you in the loop.

Hope that helps
TAV

**nomadd** · 5 November 2009, 18:33

Originally posted by Rupert View Post

I've spoken to the agent and he doesn't seem too concerned.

Sounds more like he can't be a55ed. As things stand - and others have pointed out - you have no contract offer. What was said to you at the interview means nothing, as they could have interviewed a better candidate at a cheaper price 5 minutes after you left...

Stay positive, but keep looking around elsewhere in case it all goes wrong. In 20 years of contracting, I've never had to wait more than a day or two after the interview for the paperwork to start coming through - and it's usually digital these days. Still, I may have just been lucky?

Nomadd

**kaiser78** · 5 November 2009, 21:00

If need be ask the agent to email you a copy of the contract at least. If he doesn't do this within the hour start worrying...

**BarbarianAtTheDoor** · 5 November 2009, 22:16

Originally posted by sparkymark View Post

As to expecting a contract within a day, I know nobody who has had this quick a response with a large corporate.

I've only had 2 contracts with large corporate clients, but for the first one it was less than a week (I in fact started working there before contract was properly signed, was haggling on IR35 things, but it was a smallish consultancy), for the second one they did more vetting, so even though the first bits of the paperwork started coming around in 2 days, the whole process took about 2 weeks, and I was only allowed to start working there after everything has been sorted.

Both IBs though, so not sure about others.

As for a smaller one, had the interview on a Wednesday, started working Monday.

New to contracting - should it take this long??