On the bench, timeline.

[SallyAnne]

Hi all,

What would you lot do if you were on the bench for months on end?

At what month would you start to panic?
When would the insecurities set in?
When would you consider cross training? month 3? Month 6? a year?
How long would you give it before you started looking for permie work?

[Burdock]

You're still all cosy up in York, are you not SA?

Anyway, to answer your question...I would panic 1 month before hitting bottom of overdraft, and throw myself at the mercy of Adecco (stacking shelves, factory lines, I aint shy!)

[SallyAnne]

18 months, the last time... and I'm still a permie now...

Really?

I had no idea Zeity - I'm so sorry

[SallyAnne]

You're still all cosy up in York, are you not SA?

I'm still cosy in York yes, only for 3 more weeks though (of course, they've said that before...)

[freakydancer]

I've got enough saved to cover 6 months mortgage payments. After that, I'd have to sell up and move back to my parents.

I've been lucky that I've always gone straight into another contract - however, when this one ends in November, I'm gonna take December off.

[OrangeHopper]

2 years last time.

[SallyAnne]

2 years last time.

Really? Do you work in a niche area or something?

[rootsnall]

I thought I would never panic but the only time I genuinely couldn't get a gig I was starting to fret a bit after 3 months and resorted to scanning Jobserve from 8am and then on the hour. In the end I was out of action from xmas to start of the new tax year when some new budgets were released. Luckily it's only happened the once but it wasn't much fun. I'm about to be benched I think and will take on a building project that I ramp up or down depending on if I get a new contract. We'd have to have a major armagedon style world recession for me to go permie !

[Geek_Bird]

I had 18 months benched a couple of years ago. Fortunately I had a friend who worked in a local community college and I spent most of that 18 months teaching beginner/intermediate Excel to adults at night school.

I think I only got back into a contract by passing a technical test at interview. Before that, I started to wonder if I'd ever get back into my field. Mr Geek Bloke was a rock when my income dropped.

[Xenophon]

2 months is longest out and have been contracting for 3 years. Could probably get by for about a year now, but that would clear me out.