Tips for support contract / put it on CV?

[nfoote]

My current contract is coming to end (read ClientCo funding stream narrowing) but due to me being the only Java dev on the project that is built on Java the ClientCo is wanting me to go onto an Ad Hoc / Support style contract.

We haven't hammered out any details yet but we've talked about maybe a night or two a week or perhaps one or two (part) Saturdays every month. Whatever it is it has to fit in around whatever "9to5" contract I get after this one.

Just wondering if anyone has any tips to include in a support contract? Obviously I don't want them ringing up during the normal working day complaining something is broken, nor do I want them trying to make me work every night of the week. I can also envisage a situation where I turn down social/personal events because "Tuesday night is my work night" only to get to Tuesday night and have ClientCo go, "oh, there's no work for you to do this week" ... brilliant, no pay and no fun Do support contracts sometimes involve a clause about minimum and maximum hours to be charged?

ALSO, additional to that, obviously I need a new "9to5" contract so its time to update the CV. Is it a good idea to put something like "ongoing" under the employment history for this latest contract? IE make it clear to potential new ClientCo's that I have ongoing work/support, this might show I provide commitment and support but also might make them think I won't be 100% focused? What do you think? Recruiters?

[jmo21]

you want the moon on a stick don't you!

the answer is.... it depends!

Do they want to be able to phone you whenever they like? Unless all done via email, they may not want to have to wait til your lunch time, or after 5pm or whatever.

Do they want to be able to ask you to work whenever they like?

Will the work involve strict deadlines, for example 3 hours work, but must be done tonight.

For the CV, I'm sturggling to decide. It might be good to put something like "asked to provide 1 day saturday support ongoing" or something like that.

On the other hand, potential new contract might be put off by that "Is his mind on the job, will he pull a sickie to go off and do something for them" etc....

I am leaning with not putting it on current CV, but in the future mentioning it as a positive for that contract.

[Svalbaard]

If you want to do this work whilst working on another contract, and you don't want either work stream to cross then you need to be stating terms for the part time piece very clearly - just like a proper service provider would. I.e. do not leave this as "ad-hoc".

Stipulate the comms. channels and response times for these support requests, and how soon your client can expect a response to them. On a weekly basis - state the times when you will be available to visit the office. It may be that this is something (maybe just an email?) you need to send your client on a Monday morning so that he can have expectations for delivery; rather than you just showing up when you've nothing better to do. There is no reason you cannot make this work, unless your new contract is many miles away - but it does start with you acting and thinking like a professional service provider, rather than a part time support gopher.

Don't put it on your CV - unless you are desperate.

[nfoote]

Cheers guys

Probably worth mentioning the current contract is totally remote work / work at home so there is no "going into the office" to provide any kind of ongoing support work.

Definitely the comms channels would be almost entirely by email. I'd make it very clear that I wouldn't be answering the phone outside of any hours I'd already said I'd be working for them, after all, they're the ones saying they can't afford me full time any more!

In terms of response times, I think mostly it will have to wait until the agreed weekly "in-office" work times as I'm definitely not agreeing to being available whenever they want, not unless they're going to pay me my hourly rate for all 168 hours in a week

Guess thats another question, at the moment I'm on a fixed daily rate, moving to support I'd work probably in hours, would you tend to bump your rate up slightly from simply day rate divided by 8?

[Svalbaard]

Cheers guys
Guess thats another question, at the moment I'm on a fixed daily rate, moving to support I'd work probably in hours, would you tend to bump your rate up slightly from simply day rate divided by 8?

Depends. If they can't afford you because they have screwed up budgets and project/management costs then maybe. But probabaly not if it were me. If you've got another FT contract then this is simply beer/bonus money yes? If they can't really afford you at present then I see no reason why you should screw them over as it sounds as though that is a surefire way to losing that additional and potentially useful income stream.

Instead, write up and work through the terms of your engagement with them, but dictate your own suitable terms with some room for negotiation. Make a point of stating that you will not be increasing your hourly rate, perhaps in return for a guaranteed number of hours and level of service per week but that you may charge extra for any works over and above that level of service.

NB: I presume you currently work through an agency. Make sure you do make your hourly rate a divisor of that of which the end client pays your agency and not the daily rate that your agency pays you. If in doubt, add 10% to your day rate and use that figure.