Should I get a contract before resigning my job?

[jjdarg]

Have to say not being immediately available has worked against me on a few roles, even when it takes them 2-6 weeks to decide whom to interview then hire. (Especially if civil servants are involved in the decision making process.)

But there is some truth that having gaps in your history is a liability as well. It works both ways.

[SueEllen]

I have a 1 month notice period at my current company and I'm thinking about going to start with contracting.

Do you people recommend me getting a contract first before resigning the job or do 80-90% of the jobs require you to start immediately?

It depends.

Some roles ask you to start tomorrow. Some ask you to start in a couple of weeks to a month. With contracting there are no rules.

The only thing you need to do apart from reading up and checking your skills are in demand, is to make sure you are set up to act quickly including ensuring you know who you are going to use for contract reviews and their quickest turn around time.

It would be a good idea before you post your next question to think of everything you want to ask then use the search facility or search this site through google. Every question you want to ask has been asked before. If the answer is out of date then mention you searched before posting.

Am sorry but I don't agree with one single word of that.

I agree - with NLUK that is.

I don't know that many clients who planned much further than a week ahead for contract resources, save for a rare few.

[cojak]

I don't agree with it either, but I've worked a couple of gigs now where I've watched managers sift over CVs for these reasons!

Whether or not being available immediately or not helps or harms your chances I think is moot/probably down to the urgency of the role and availability of the skills required.

A couple of manager != all managers.

And if they can afford to be that choosy good luck to them, I suspect they won't be able to do that in the New Year.

[7specialgems]

Am sorry but I don't agree with one single word of that.

I don't agree with it either, but I've worked a couple of gigs now where I've watched managers sift over CVs for these reasons!

Whether or not being available immediately or not helps or harms your chances I think is moot/probably down to the urgency of the role and availability of the skills required.

[northernladuk]

If you get an offer after an interview, then and only then would I leave my permie position and give it a crack.

By the way... for no good reason at all, a lot of agents and clients actually avoid contractors who are available immediately or have gaps in their CV, so no, there's no advantage to being available immediately. Two to four weeks notice is about normal.

Am sorry but I don't agree with one single word of that.

[7specialgems]

I have a 1 month notice period at my current company and I'm thinking about going to start with contracting.

Do you people recommend me getting a contract first before resigning the job or do 80-90% of the jobs require you to start immediately?

(I've added some additional background information in my other topic. I can't link it here though, because it's still in the moderator approval queue)

Don't jump without having anything to jump into.

No offence, but I have lost count of the number of people I've met or spoken to now who think they're up to the standard of being a contractor simply because they are as productive as the contractor sat next to them in their current job, then they go out and find the hard way that they've got a lot of learning to do/aren't quite at the level where they can teach/consult/do outside the domain of their current permie job.

If you get an offer after an interview, then and only then would I leave my permie position and give it a crack.

By the way... for no good reason at all, a lot of agents and clients actually avoid contractors who are available immediately or have gaps in their CV, so no, there's no advantage to being available immediately. Two to four weeks notice is about normal.

[kaiser78]

I have a 1 month notice period at my current company and I'm thinking about going to start with contracting.

Do you people recommend me getting a contract first before resigning the job or do 80-90% of the jobs require you to start immediately?

(I've added some additional background information in my other topic. I can't link it here though, because it's still in the moderator approval queue)

Resign first, because you are more flexible and able to move quicker when the contract opp arises.
As Sal says do some reading on this in this forum.

[sal]

If you intend on becoming a contractor i would suggest you start reading more and learn to make your own decisions without relying on others. The question you asked has been asked and answered dozens of times in this forums.

[ujjain]

So Linux SysAdmin/DevOps is too generic?

[PurpleGorilla]

supply and demand. If you are niche skill in a booming market with few consultants get a position then hand in your notice. But if you are ten a penny - being immediately available might make the difference in a weak market.

[ujjain]

I have a 1 month notice period at my current company and I'm thinking about going to start with contracting.

Do you people recommend me getting a contract first before resigning the job or do 80-90% of the jobs require you to start immediately?

(I've added some additional background information in my other topic. I can't link it here though, because it's still in the moderator approval queue)