Short Term Contract

[pootle]

It seems that certain companies in IB are very reluctant to understand the sometimes short term nature of the contracts on my CV. Sometimes this has been due to illness (which i am reluctant to disclose); but in the main - especially recently with the recession - I have been forced to take pretty much anything on offer, from 1 month upwards. I also have several long term contracts under my belt over the duration of 10 years. I would like to know why - when the IB in question was only offering an initial 3 month contract, that the thinking would be this way. Apparantly the project could have lasted 5 years, but who knows - the goalposts could easily change.
My impression is that contracting testing market is project based and that 3 months can be the average length of a contract.

[curtis]

When I went for the interview for my current contract it was a week rolling contract and got told it would most probably be only up to the most 3 weeks. When my CV got sent over to the client they had voiced their concern to the agent because I had quite a number of short term roles and why was this!!!!???? Bearing in mind my last contract was 15 months and the one before was 6 months!!

I always find this mindset a bit baffling in regards to contractors and not the first time someone had brought it up. I'm a contractor this is my job this is how I work!! I work where there is work it may be a month I may be somewhere a year sometimes it may be a week and what made this one more this was for initially a 3 week contract, what did they want someone with a 30 year solid work background because they would be worried if not they may leave within the 3 weeks!

I'm still here now its turned into a 3 month contract but that should have been the warning sign really as the job\place is not great and I can't wait till its over to be honest, just thinking of the money and keep looking longingly at the end date on the calendar!

[Boo]

It seems that certain companies in IB are very reluctant to understand the sometimes short term nature of the contracts on my CV.

Don't put dates on your CV. And, as a matter of interest, is this "information" directly from the IBs themselves, or relayed via slimeballs ?

Boo

[Wanderer]

It seems that certain companies in IB are very reluctant to understand the sometimes short term nature of the contracts on my CV.

If you did a load of contracts then don't put in the exact dates. Re-write it to put all the short term contracts under one heading as if you were a consultancy business:

Pootle Consultants Limited

Consultancy services to a range of customers in including x, y and z. Doing projects for a, b and c. Blah blah blah. Successfully delivered this and that using these things.


That covers gaps where you weren't working and a number of short term contracts. Give them the impression that you provide ad-hoc consultancy services to your clients as and when needed rather than a permietractor job where you do a 9-5 for 6 months.

[pootle]

Thanks for the advice; I am sure the Consultant approach will view more favourably. Currently waiting to hear whether I’m going to be cut short for no particular reason; was hoping this stint (4 months so far, originally 9), was going to improve the CV - But if re-organising my CV helps next time then maybe I don’t need to worry...

[theroyale]

If you did a load of contracts then don't put in the exact dates. Re-write it to put all the short term contracts under one heading as if you were a consultancy business:

Pootle Consultants Limited

Consultancy services to a range of customers in including x, y and z. Doing projects for a, b and c. Blah blah blah. Successfully delivered this and that using these things.


That covers gaps where you weren't working and a number of short term contracts. Give them the impression that you provide ad-hoc consultancy services to your clients as and when needed rather than a permietractor job where you do a 9-5 for 6 months.

Interesting idea...