Does a 12 month IT developer contract exist anymore?

[Scrag Meister]

12 month contracts may have disappeared, my first 4 years were all 12 month contracts, but since then has been 6 months initial + 6 month extensions.

What does it matter as long as you are in contract.

[RedSauce]

12 month contracts may have disappeared, my first 4 years were all 12 month contracts, but since then has been 6 months initial + 6 month extensions.

What does it matter as long as you are in contract.

Plus extensions look better on CV

[MyUserName]

I am in the process of negotiating another 3 month renewal which will take me up to two years. I know another contractor who has been at the same place for 7 (or maybe 8 now). I did 6 months in London and was offered a renewal for 6 more months etc.

[Manz]

There are some developer contractors in the current company I'm at that have been here for 7 years and 10 years etc.. one of them just recently left for a permie role.

[Cenobite]

I think short contracts (even when they consistently get renewed) could affect your ability to get a mortgage as a contractor. I checked one of the contractor mortgage Web sites I've seen in these forums (can't remember which one) and it stated that you needed at least six months left on your current contract to apply for a mortgage through them.

This worries me because although my contracts have lasted more than six months, I only had a six month contract on paper once, so really I've never had at least six months left to run on paper.

Most of my contract paperwork has been three months, only had one six month, and am even getting a lot of fortnight ones now. (I find this worrying because it normally takes some time to learn the ropes as a developer, and in a large project with the absence of pair programming where you're made to just sit in front of a computer on your own all day, it can take some time to do anything particularly useful).

I know people going for IT contracts as opposed to software development, and from what they tell me, year long contracts seem to be the norm.

[darmstadt]

Current one is 3 months, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 6+6 months and now 12 months so 4 years so far. 24 month rule don't affect me...



(Actually its not really months but days so the latest is 210 days and I only do 3-5 days a week depending...)

[MyUserName]

Current one is 3 months, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 6+6 months and now 12 months so 4 years so far. 24 month rule don't affect me...

Why doesn't the 24 month rule affect you? I thought it kicked in once you were going to be at a client site (or a client site in a 'similar' area) for 24 months?

[eek]

Why doesn't the 24 month rule affect you? I thought it kicked in once you were going to be at a client site (or a client site in a 'similar' area) for 24 months?

He doesn't live in the uk

[MyUserName]

He doesn't live in the uk

Ah, I see.

[russell]

Hello All

It's been a long time since I have been here. The last post I think was late June 2013, I think.

I have been reading the utterly "Depressing" thread and it is a bit upsetting. All the advice, which I read over there, is bloody relevant. I will just add that if you stop "looking" then you will never find what you are looking for.

Is there anyone out there who has or knows somebody with a long It developer contract? I mean genuine 12 months long or so.

For what I have witnessed, I signed a 6 months contract at the beginning of year, but it was stopped by the client at just under 4 months. My current 3 months contract was suddenly whittled down to end of December. I started in the middle of October. Is it just me or is everybody feeling the sob story "Your contract has been stopped due to commercial pressures beyond my control. Sorry"

Yes. I know contracting is gambling and that is how it goes. However, is there some body out there who can gives a light at the end of tunnel, who can give up hope? There is person is doing it and doing it well and successfully. Is there anybody, who can say that contracting is really working for them and they either have had four 3 month contracts renewals in succession or 2 renewals of a 6 months contract or even had that lucrative rare one year contract deal? Is there that person out there who is rosy dandy? (I am being satirical, but you know what I mean)

Been at my current place since last Feb, initially was a 3 monther then another 3 monther etc, you get the picture. I also think I will be there till next summer as there is lots of work to do. Which thread is the depressing thread BTW?