Reply to: Two months contract - is it worth it?

[seanraaron]

My first/current gig is a six month with a possible extension. Not to complain, but so far I'm doing less than I did in many months of gardening leave in my last perm job. Given the rate I'm being paid to read and post on this forum I'm amazed I'm still here. The job is very much within IR35: not so much a project as filling a seat and doing whatever work comes my way just like the perm guy sitting next to me.

So yeah, I'd definitely take a contract of three months or less if it was an actual project. If it was backfill for someone on holiday/secondment it would depend on the client/environment, but I still wouldn't automatically say no if nothing more appetising was on offer because there's a chance it could lead to something more with the same client.

[Scrag Meister]

Tad late to the thread, but I was initially on a 2 month contract, then another 2 months and then 6 more months.

So in essence 2 months as far as my current contract is concerned was just the start.

[northernladuk]

Nothing at all to do with lengths of contract but........

Is it just me or is NLUK's true mentality peeping out!!

We did this, We did that - FFS man there is no WE - You are supposed to be an independent Business providing services - obviously you are mentally so embedded at Client Co that you expect to get Luncheon Vouchers.

You don't take on Client Co resources - Obviously you may offer advice but to THEM...

AYSYACOTBAC?

'We' being a partnership made up of a multinational group of companies offering a service to a client innit. Most definitely CO

[Dactylion]

And I've seen this as well. We let a guy go just before Christmas that gave a good interview but also had a raft of three monthers. Turns out he was less than average so we got rid. He probably has and all he will do is bounce from client to client all his contracting career. Sad thing is there is no way for a client to know what he is really like. All we can do is really grill the next guys CV and make sure we drop them if there is any doubt... Which comes back to my comments about having no dates on the CV or anything different to the norm. If the client is wary then an oddity CV is going to be a hindrance.

Sometimes it's a shame ex clients can't give an honest bit of feedback without getting sued. Would remove the below average contractors out of the system quickly enough.

Nothing at all to do with lengths of contract but........

Is it just me or is NLUK's true mentality peeping out!!

We did this, We did that - FFS man there is no WE - You are supposed to be an independent Business providing services - obviously you are mentally so embedded at Client Co that you expect to get Luncheon Vouchers.

You don't take on Client Co resources - Obviously you may offer advice but to THEM...

AYSYACOTBAC?

[MrMarkyMark]

I'd have to offset it against the cost of the van and a copy of Dragon Dictate.

I think this is the sort of guys they were actually looking for:-

[clearedforlanding]

It's paying £2500 for the day.....

I'd have to offset it against the cost of the van and a copy of Dragon Dictate.

[northernladuk]

AKA the most painful thing in the world. Inserting cage nuts.

I'd pass.

It's paying £2500 for the day.....

[clearedforlanding]

Recently on Jobserve (I think)
I saw a gig for one day 'installing servers'
Further reading, it said must have own Van!

The entire thing made me chuckle!
I just could not imagine said white van man being let loose in a machine room.

Apologise to any van drivers reading this........

AKA the most painful thing in the world. Inserting cage nuts.

I'd pass.

[DallasDad]

What about 1 day then?

Recently on Jobserve (I think)
I saw a gig for one day 'installing servers'
Further reading, it said must have own Van!

The entire thing made me chuckle!
I just could not imagine said white van man being let loose in a machine room.

Apologise to any van drivers reading this........

[WTFH]

My take on this "time period of contract" is that we as true businesses, just deliver to the needs of the client.
If the client knows that a piece of work is 2 months, then it is 2 months! Who are we or our agents to judge us on this, just because the contract was 2 months?
It makes no sense.


The reason could be varied - it may be a POC project, it could be a piece that they want to build for testing the market/waters for their product ideas, and could have hired the consultant to do the job for those 2 months or whatever.
Its entirely driven by the customer.

It is driven by the client, but not entirely.
Also, the client "knows" how long they expect a piece of work to take. That is not set in stone. Project creep (or shrinkage), poor definition, poor requirements gathering, and the quality of the contractor and those that they work with all affect the timescale.


Here's an example... A previous client of mine had a 7 month project, they went to various agents about it. The go live date was set, the timescale was calculated back. 7 months was the time and budget. Problem (for the client) was that I wasn't available. Client contacted me and discussed the project. I said I'd be available but only with 5 months until go live.
The project became a 5 month one, because that meant they got me in to deliver it.

If they do have more budget at the end of the piece, they will certainly have the contract renewed.

False. If the client has budget left over, they will not just renew a contractor on a whim unless they have more work that the contractor is the best person to deliver.

So - just because some one was not renewed, does not mean he was not good or not a committing person.
Its most likely that the customer did not have more budget!

... or requirement.

Most of us are true business - so no worries there!

But some don't seem to be particularly business savvy.

[clearedforlanding]

I've been in the game for 20+ years. You are shouting into the wind with this Clients should do this, Agents should do that, HMRC may do this, If I ran the world sort of spiel. The don't care one tulip about you being disguised or not.

I'm just saying what I believe to be the case as per my experience.

We are talking here about BA/PM/SME type project contract roles. if you are doing one to three months in these types of roles then it is obvious you aren't up to the role. I'm not talking about one or two, if I look through your CV and can see for the majority of roles you are not being renewed, it is a bad indicator. If the role descriptions obviously point to what should have been long term roles, (6 to 18 Months) then you are toast.

Yup.

3 months as a BA - you managed to get everyone to sync their calanders in Outlook & hold a workshop. Great, start working.
3 months as a PM - Where do I even ******* start? Stakeholders on the same page, budget signed off, people cooperating with you - answering the phone? Technical team don't think you are a tosser? (Often a constant, they just learn to tolerate you) Great you've had a super induction, you can start working.

PMs & BAs get renewed as projects creep/stakeholders do not want a PM/BA change mid session. 3 months in a PM or BA role? I would wager you got fired. It is not worth the risk.

[SimonMac]

So essentially your past employer handed over a skilled job done by you, to an unskilled cheaper foreigner just because they can save a lot of quid.
You are happy to mention that you were replaced by an Indian, but not ready to disclose your shameless employer's name who took this replacement decision?
Interesting!

I would say it is your employer who needs to be blamed for this, not that foreigner!

I have had a few jobs where I have had to set something up so it can be handed over to a "lower skilled" BAU team after a project has finihsed, if I do my job right any idiot can pick up the processes that I leave.

[SimonMac]

You would normally get a good feel at an interview how long a project is due to run, in the past I took a one month contract as it was close to home and I had nothing better on the cards, in the end I was there for over a year and a half, a contract is only as long as the notice period anyway.

[Brussels Slumdog]

Where did he say he was unskilled? Sounds like the client could get the same service at a cheaper price so went for the cheaper option. I don't get the name and shame bit.

Its the Government that needs naming and shaming for handing out too many visas. Can't blame the Indian as he is most likely better off than working in his country. I was on 500 day which is 380 to me after expenses. It was end client - Indian company- agent combination. It was all the markups that made me expensive.The end client still paid the same . Anyway the job was a copy and paste configuration exercise.

[heyya99]

Why not?

Build a reputation for taking a project from Bc to Handover, put in a retainer to resolve post handover exceptions & enjoy your time off.

Rinse and repeat, get out of the agency cycle by building a rep and network then this is the life you can live.

Your business can be a business or in can be an invoicing container. The choice is yours.

This is an ideal world but most rely on agents, unfortunately. But I see your point.