Must start next week

[thunderlizard]

If the agent says you have to be able to start within the next week, then you have to be able to start within the next week. Why would we make it harder for ourselves to find the right people??

Partly because you try to add value, and partly because of "Always Be Closing". Maybe you aren't as agressive as most agents in that respect.
If a client says they want someone with 3 years' experience of Pac Man, the agent will try and get someone with 4. If they need someone within a month, and they say then need someone "ASAP", the agent will try and get someone who can start within the week, and move heaven and earth to get them on site before it's easy for the client to change their mind.

[pmeswani]

I've had a pending Interview with a Japanese Bank since before Christmas. They say they wont interview me unless I'm able to start immediately. I've been phoned by 7 other agents about this job so I must be a fairly good fit.

This is always a difficult subject. If any agent said that to me when contacting me, I would turn around and say no can do. Have other commitments.

I'm under contract to another bank with a 4 week notice period, contract ends in February. I've said I'd make best efforts to finish early but cant make any promises. I'd prefer to finish the contract here but timing jobs seems to be a tricky business.

Good plan. Don't walk away from an existing contract, no matter how tempting the new opportunity is (unless you have a very good reason to walk).

I've been told by agents that clients prefer candidates to be in employment as they see it as being "risky" to take on somebody who hasn't got a gig.

I've been told by Jack that his beanstalk is real. If you have been out of a gig for too long, it can be seen as a person being out of touch. But if you can demonstrate you are reskilling yourself and have the aptitude to do the work, then you will be ok.

I'm pretty confident they wont find anybody else with the skills they want, especially with immediate availablility, I'm certainly not going up to my current boss and ask him if they'll let me go IF I get the job!

Don't be too sure. There's bound to be someone on the bench waiting to take that particular contract.

However, what you should do is tell a small lie to the agent about your availability. Go to the interview, if you get it, and you can't take it, just tell the agent that due to personal circumstances, you are unable to take the role. Or at least find some reason not to take the role (such as the contract is not IR35 friendly, or something that is genuine). I don't normally advocate lying, but if you want to open doors, you have to take risks. You can always approach your current client and ask for an early exit (with a reasonable handover period) before going to the next gig.

What's the worst thing that can happen? You will lose any further opportunity to work for that particular bank (or their partnering banks).

[Thejacka1]

However, what you should do is tell a small lie to the agent about your availability. Go to the interview, if you get it, and you can't take it, just tell the agent that due to personal circumstances, you are unable to take the role. Or at least find some reason not to take the role (such as the contract is not IR35 friendly, or something that is genuine). I don't normally advocate lying, but if you want to open doors, you have to take risks. You can always approach your current client and ask for an early exit (with a reasonable handover period) before going to the next gig.

What's the worst thing that can happen? You will lose any further opportunity to work for that particular bank (or their partnering banks).

If I was in the last month of my contract I'd be more economical with the truth. The opportunity has come a bit early for my liking, if they'd have got their act together and interviewed before the New Year I could have walked before I signed a two month extension.

The most frustrating thing is that they won't interview me and establish that I'm suitable for the job. in the meantime they are contacting all agencies to try and get somebody in, and guess who they all phone, yes me! I've had another 3 calls about the role this afternoon.

[psychocandy]

We've all turned up for "urgent jobs" and had no PC to use for two or three weeks. It doesn't stop the client Co's insisting that the jobs are urgent even when I know they're not. It's largely part of the deal I reckon and I'm quite happy invoicing while I wait for the client PC to trun up.

Yep. Thats going to be me at the moment. How do you amuse yourself during this time?

I reckon Im going to be going nuts after a few days sitting here reading manuals !!!!!!

Or do you just daydream about your cash ????

[Scrag Meister]

I agree with TAV largely, one of your main selling points as a skilled contractor is that you are available immediately and that you are productive for the client within a couple of hours of arriving on the first morning after they have managed to get all your network access, VS 2010, email and other crap sorted out.

FTFY