Should I quit my current job before looking for contracts?

[kevinlam]

Hi all,

I am in a permie position at the moment and wanting to go contracting, but as you know, most companies want a short notice period and close to immediate interview time. I find it impossible to take days off to keep up with the number of interviews coming through.

Do you think it's a good idea to quit my current job before looking for contracts? Would that appear badly on my CV that I am not working?

Thanks.

[shaunbhoy]

Better to get something secured before jumping ship IMHO. Many opportunities can be obtained via phone interview if you are the right candidate too, so no need to always take days off. That is assuming that your notice period is no longer than a month of course.

[minestrone]

I have found clients are always willing to wait 4 weeks. Usually I am working in banking and it takes them 4 weeks to get the checks done anyway and although they may shout and scream that they want someone ASAP they have to do the due process.

[Scrag Meister]

Hi all,

I am in a permie position at the moment and wanting to go contracting, but as you know, most companies want a short notice period and close to immediate interview time. I find it impossible to take days off to keep up with the number of interviews coming through.

Do you think it's a good idea to quit my current job before looking for contracts? Would that appear badly on my CV that I am not working?

Thanks.

I have found that most reasonable/quality ClientCo's who see their own bigger picture are willing to wait for a month if they have found the person that they want. It probably depends on the role , duration etc...

How long is your notice period?

When I first went contracting I was on a 3 month notice period from my then employer, so I handed my notice in with nothing lined up. As it happened it took me a further 3 months after leaving to get my first contract. No looking back now though.

[EternalOptimist]

Hi all,

I am in a permie position at the moment and wanting to go contracting, but as you know, most companies want a short notice period and close to immediate interview time. I find it impossible to take days off to keep up with the number of interviews coming through.

Do you think it's a good idea to quit my current job before looking for contracts? Would that appear badly on my CV that I am not working?

Thanks.

Its not the first contract that causes the problem, its the second.


For the first contract, find it while you are still working, then push the start date back as far as you can, bring your leave date as far forward as you can. If they dont meet in the middle, either take sick, or offer to work weekends doing a handover.

For the second contract, you will have much less flexibility, so keep as big a warchest as is possible

[kevinlam]

Thanks for the replies.

But what about the time to go for interviews? I don't work and live in London at the moment and find it really hard to find times for interviews, it might be okay for 1 or 2 interviews in a month, but having 3-4 or even more a month will probably get me sacked for taking too many days off?

How do you get around it?

[EternalOptimist]

Thanks for the replies.

But what about the time to go for interviews? I don't work and live in London at the moment and find it really hard to find times for interviews, it might be okay for 1 or 2 interviews in a month, but having 3-4 or even more a month will probably get me sacked for taking too many days off?

How do you get around it?

telephone interviews

[minestrone]

Thanks for the replies.

But what about the time to go for interviews? I don't work and live in London at the moment and find it really hard to find times for interviews, it might be okay for 1 or 2 interviews in a month, but having 3-4 or even more a month will probably get me sacked for taking too many days off?

How do you get around it?

I usually try and set up 6 o'clock interviews when winding down on the current contract and most managers are willing to go for that. Asked if the first interview can be done over the phone as well and done a few of them over lunch time then if they then ask for a face to face after you are in with a very strong chance. Companies that hire contractors are usually pretty flexible in the interview process, they are not hiring a person who is comitting his/her life to the company.

At the end of the day if you are good and the pimp knows you are good he/she will sort something out for you as he/she sees the pound signs on your name.

[minestrone]

Also I was pretty open to my last permie company about going for my first contract. After I had managed a project that made them millions and they knocked back a wage increase I basically told them I was away.

IF you are serious about leaving a permie role to go contracting then just telling them you are off when the first contracting offer is a less harsh step.

At the end of the day only you can make the choice, look at the bank balance, research the market, speak to agents and be honest in you abilities as at the end of the day that is what will ultimately make or break the contracting life.

[fullyautomatix]

If you are really good and know your stuff pretty well you can grab a contract in London in the current climate very easily, if you are available immediately. Its a small risk to hand in notice and start looking a couple of weeks from the end date.

However, be open to the situation that you may not find anything for a couple of months because Sods law says that when you are in employment you will get plenty of opportunities but once you hand in the notice they all dry up.