A contract in hand...

[Andy2]

I am in a situation where I am being offered a 6 months contract locally but the start date is after 1 month.

I am getting another contract offer which is £50 more , for 4 months and starting immediately but I will have to live away from home.
So economically both are same as both are potentially extendable.

which one should I choose ? What would you do ?

[northernladuk]

Christ man. You want us to make a decision on the next 6 months of your life with as little information as that.

Why don't you just toss a coin as that is about as much as we have to go on.

Hope you put more thought in to making whatever decision you make than you did the post....

Have you thought about content of contracts? One better technology?
Chance of extension? Is one a long running project, the other a small piece of work?
Blue chip or unheard of client?
Big office full of totty or small council building with average age of 85?
Even it has a canteen or not...

I am not sure it is within the rules of the prof forums to say but this post fails.

[Friday Blue]

start now, start earning, see if you like it, if not, turn up to the second one after a month?

[SeekingIT]

Exactly

start now, start earning, see if you like it, if not, turn up to the second one after a month?

+1

[northernladuk]

Personally I don't think the idea of playing contracts off like this is very good, makes the rest of us look bad and makes it harder for everyone but you need to check your notice. If you have 2-4 weeks notice on your first contract it means you would have to potentially breach contract to start your second one in time which means obviously you wouldn't get paid for the time on the first one so wasted your time anyway, let alone blackened your name.

Your choice of course though..

[Andy2]

Thanks Guys

Have you thought about content of contracts? One better technology?

Same technology

Chance of extension? Is one a long running project, the other a small piece of work?

both are potentially same duration

Blue chip or unheard of client?

The first one is a bank and second one an internet company. Not sure if banking experience will help in future.

I am not sure it is within the rules of the prof forums to say but this post fails.

Maybe I am not cut out for contracting

start now, start earning, see if you like it, if not, turn up to the second one after a month?

Never tried that. Don't want to piss off the client,what if they sue me.

[Friday Blue]

Thanks Guys


Never tried that. Don't want to piss off the client,what if they sue me.

do it skillfully and you won't. [it is a 7 days notice contract, right?]

(some may argue, what goes around comes around... depends if you are a risk taker)

[northernladuk]

The first one is a bank and second one an internet company. Not sure if banking experience will help in future.

I would certainly consider the banking one hard. They do look at past history in a bank as a very good thing when applying to other finance contracts. Would be even more interested if this was the option that didn't require a stay away from home.

Maybe I am not cut out for contracting

Mehhh, I am sure I never started this one off

Never tried that. Don't want to piss off the client,what if they sue me.

Sue you??? Are you sure you are cut out for contracting....

[Boo]

I am in a situation where I am being offered a 6 months contract locally but the start date is after 1 month.

I am getting another contract offer which is £50 more , for 4 months and starting immediately but I will have to live away from home.
So economically both are same as both are potentially extendable.

which one should I choose ? What would you do ?

Immediate start, no question.

Call me suspicious, but if I were an agent trying to get an opposition front runner out of the frame I'd get a contract in front of him which started in 1 months time, then when I'd filled the immediate role either cancel or delay the "project". Since the contract will undoubtedly be phrased so that it does not commence until the poor sap er I mean contractor actually starts work I have removed him from the frame at no cost to myself.

You don't give enough info to say whether this scenario is possible ? In any case, if you play your contractual cards right and get a contract with say a week or a days notice period then there is nothing preventing you from taking the first month of the earlier contract as a (fully paid) trial period while you tap your new associates for the low down on how long it will actually last. This way you maximise your options and profit both.

Boo

[JoJoGabor]

Go for the middle one!