Tricky Situation..but I am happy to be in.!! Any advice highly appreciated...

[northernladyuk]

Are you getting it professionally reviewed?

The car park attendant gave it the once over.

[Lance]

The car park attendant gave me the once over.

FTFY

[Mordac]

I am in a bit of tricky situation, but I am glad I am in this after few months in bench...

I have seen people asking help in situations like this, but never thought I will be in this

1. Offer-1
Contract signed, very long contract (years) waiting for SC process completion and start date is 2 weeks away (provided SC is completed). Rate is good . Got 1 Hour train travel cost to be considered. Contract I signed already and doesn't allow me to give any notice at all, I have to provide 'satisfactory' replacement!

Pros : Long term, secure job for years especially current market conditions and expected down fall due to Brexit. Very professional agency (so far)
Cons : 1 Hour train travel so mostly need to leave home @ 7:30 AM not much flexibility due as train commute, need to depend partner to drop to station and pick-up in the evening, secure site so no WFH, Govt department work

2. Offer-2
Verbally agreed for a 6 months contract, rate is Offer-1 + 5%, will take next 10 days to complete client's on-boarding process includes some checks. 40 minutes drive. Not sure what's in contract as I am waiting to see details.

Pros : Client I worked many times before, will be able to drive to office so more flexible
Cons : 6 months only, heavily dependet on market conditions, unknown contract terms (as of now)

What should I do in next 2 weeks..? What you will do if you were in my situation (Honestly I am really enjoying this after few months in bench)

1. Keep on applying and attending interviews (& signing contracts) until you land on your office chair
2. Sign Offer-2 contract as well, because first one got SC process dependency and could delay if that process takes long
3. Join which ever role starts first takes you to your office desk. And say sorry to the other one and face legal issues if the agency press as you already signed contract. Also may face life long black list by the agency.
4. First one is signed already, so put all eggs in that basket and take risk by not signing second one though SC could be delayed

Please suggest what you will do..?. I am thinking of doing 1,2 &3.

Please help. Thanks.

A myth - no agency will blacklist you, an individual recruiter might, if you caused him or her to lose their monthly bonus, but unless you do something criminal or you're really crap, they'll forget the past very quickly if they can make some money out of placing you. Donkeys years ago, I was approached by a recruiter I had quite a good rapport with, about a job which was fairly vague but he gave me enough details to work out who the client was. I knew the likely hiring manager (having worked with him on a previous project) called him up, and went direct.
The recruiter (rather surprisingly, as it doesn't normally happen) rang me up a few days later in apologetic mode, saying the role had been filled internally. I corrected him, admitting I had by-passed him and gone direct. He called me a sneaky little something-or-other, and told me I owed him a beer. We met up a few weeks later, the debt was duly paid, and we're still in touch. I've worked for him since, and I'd have no hesitation in helping him out if he asked. Business is business, believe it or not some agents actually do understand that concept.

[Darren_Test]

Are you getting it professionally reviewed?

Nope, I can handle a contract, though I messed up one a bit.

[northernladuk]

Nope, I can handle a contract, though I messed up one a bit.

Doesn't your IR35 insurance require you to have a checked contract?

Are you going to make sure the substitution clause is fettered?

[Darren_Test]

A myth - no agency will blacklist you, an individual recruiter might, if you caused him or her to lose their monthly bonus, but unless you do something criminal or you're really crap, they'll forget the past very quickly if they can make some money out of placing you. Donkeys years ago, I was approached by a recruiter I had quite a good rapport with, about a job which was fairly vague but he gave me enough details to work out who the client was. I knew the likely hiring manager (having worked with him on a previous project) called him up, and went direct.
The recruiter (rather surprisingly, as it doesn't normally happen) rang me up a few days later in apologetic mode, saying the role had been filled internally. I corrected him, admitting I had by-passed him and gone direct. He called me a sneaky little something-or-other, and told me I owed him a beer. We met up a few weeks later, the debt was duly paid, and we're still in touch. I've worked for him since, and I'd have no hesitation in helping him out if he asked. Business is business, believe it or not some agents actually do understand that concept.

Ohh that's good to hear, this case is not that bad. I am fair to everyone involved.

[Darren_Test]

Or you take the contract that is immediately available and stick with it if you can't take the risk of waiting. Having said that, it's not my discipline so maybe a hotshot manager of testers can lick things into shape pretty rapidly and leave a legacy after a short crisp engagement:

Day 1
- BAM! Found the car park - change at the ready.

No issue with car park @ Option-2. Plenty of place s there, sure will get a secure place for my Lambo!

[Darren_Test]

If you have already signed contract 1, are you not reneging on that commitment ? Should you not have thought about the consequences when you signed the contract ?

Contract -1 will be void if they can't get me start by the promised contract start date. But I will fair to them, so will offer my services in new year. Sure that will make everyone happy. win-win for all involved.

[Darren_Test]

If a client hired me for a three month forklift infrastructure upgrade, I got two weeks in (pretty much the time it takes to onboard you and familiarise yourself with their infra) and I then handed in my notice, that wouldn't be helpful in the slightest! All doing that does is delay your clients project while you have a couple of easy weeks at a desk learning the specifics of the environment you're in.

Contracting is tough! Whilst you were on the bench you should've been doing what I said earlier; greasing up your contacts, working your LinkedIn profile, hell - go and do some voluntary work! You never know who you may meet as a result of doing things like that.

I've been in a situation where i've been between jobs (not gigs, this was back in permie land) and to cover off some of my shortfall I went and worked on a building site for a few weeks. If you're that desperate for the money, there are better ways to make up the shortfall than shafting clients in our industry.

Oh and one more thing - people with no ethics like you give the rest of us a bad name; if you have a client who doesn't use contractors that often and you screw them over, they are far less likely to consider using a contractor again because they got burnt the first time. So well done - your tulip approach to business doesn't just effect you, but all of us to some extent.

I have a plan to make this win-win for all involved.

[northernladuk]

Contract -1 will be void if they can't get me start by the promised contract start date..

WTF is wrong with you? Are you completely brain dead or something. No it won't!!

Using your some logic. If the SC comes though and the date you can start after you've worked your two weeks notice is after the start date does that make it void? If there is such a thing.