Reply to: How do you get new contracts...?

[DS23]

A very nice position to be in. Forgive me for asking but doesn't that present a perfect opportunity to up your offering and get in PSLs etc as a specialist supplier and do away with the agents... .... If you are so in demand I would have thought there were some great opportunities for you.

it's a strategy that i know i should employ with the goal being to create a business that will have value beyond me, myself and i that can generate serious revenue and ultimately be sold off to fund retirement in 10 years. the issues preventing this are 1/ there's not enough of the niche business to enable multi-resource and 2/ even if it was there's nobody out there who i could use (at least, not independent).

my plan is to expand my niche in some way so that i run a specialist team rather than being a niche individual. i've just been waiting for an opportunity to exploit... i *so* nearly had one just recently where i was in direct competition with a large german integrator. i had the inside line (been given the private nod by management) but the proposed start was delayed from May to Sept and my financial director (me) told me to take the next job rather than hold out for a risky option that would need me to start hiring in advance and could so easily go pear shaped and drag the existing business down. others more successful than me would have taken the risk and won out but then others less successful than me would have taken the risk and lost.

[MrMarkyMark]

A very nice position to be in. Forgive me for asking but doesn't that present a perfect opportunity to up your offering and get in PSLs etc as a specialist supplier and do away with the agents... Or is it more complex than that?

I'm in a similar position as the OP. The trouble, especially in IB, is the insistence by senior people, that certain people have to be used.
A friend and I have broken through a couple of times, but haven't managed to get a full regular service offering running yet.

Not impossible, might be easier in another industry, for me.

[northernladuk]

because i'm niche my answers to your questions won't really help much but since you ask: i only work with a small number of specialist agencies. some are better than others but there's not that much in it. i don't ever apply for job on boards (or actively call agents) because if there's a job out there - it'll find me.

A very nice position to be in. Forgive me for asking but doesn't that present a perfect opportunity to up your offering and get in PSLs etc as a specialist supplier and do away with the agents... Or is it more complex than that?

At one client I got very close to taking their whole function out and supplying it back as a service once and that's in the Service Delivery area so hardly niche. It was only 3 people but it's a start. If you are so in demand I would have thought there were some great opportunities for you.

[DS23]

Christ on a bike - my search radius is anywhere in EU while we're still in it, and even CIS, Gulf etc, I think in 20-odd years of contracting I've only had two contracts within 50 miles.....

wss

i'm in scotland at the moment. 2 months ago it was italy for a week and prior to that it was france for 5 months and before that netherlands for 12 months and before that uk for 3 & 18 months etc. i'm ultra niche so i can't afford to *not* go to wherever the contracts are. if you want to succeed you will need to be willing to travel more.

because i'm niche my answers to your questions won't really help much but since you ask: i only work with a small number of specialist agencies. some are better than others but there's not that much in it. i don't ever apply for job on boards (or actively call agents) because if there's a job out there - it'll find me.

[simes]

As to what I do, I;

1. Stick the CV up on Jobserve, Jobsite, Monster.
2. Find I get get calls from Jobsite and Monster, but
3. Look only on Jobserve as all the jobs are pretty much duplicated across these sites.
4. Also let people know from my LinkedIn contacts that I am around but timing plays a large part in nothing very much coming from that endeavour.
5. Immediately call the agent after hitting Submit Application on Jobserve and get them talking while the CV is landing in their inbox.

As to what your problem areas might be;

1. Poole, and not wanting to relocate or commute.
2. CV might not have all the buzzwords or just not be that attractively competitive.
3. Range and breadth of contracting experience.
4. Not calling the agents. My experience has been positive in this respect. When the CV is a complete match, their digging my CV from the 100s of others actually saves the agent time.

Currently though, the market does seem hopeless. At the time I started my current gig after 3 weeks' being out and looking, I had 30 CVs that had gone past the agent to the client, and I was awaiting feedback on two interviews.

I heard not a jot from any of 'em.

[quackhandle]

It depends on where on the South Coast you are, and what your specialism is.

Oddly enough I'm down in that neck of the woods. I'd go further to say it depends on where you live, what your specialism is, what rate you'd accept, public sector or private, how far you travel, etc. So many things to consider when taking a new gig. Rate I'm on now is okay I'm taking a whack on overnight stays and train fares, but I'm invoicing. Lot to be said for that.

Good luck.

qh

[WTFH]

Contractors have temporary jobs and generally have to travel for them. It's not uncommon to fly to a contract or to drive for 2+ hours each way. Get used to staying in hotels a few nights a week.
To limit yourself to a 50 mile radius from the coast (and by being on the coast you are losing half the area) you are going to struggle to get contracts or the higher rates that come with a bit of travel.

[kevpuk]

I live in Bournemouth area, and 2 of my last 3 gigs have been London - admittedly, 'near' side. It is under 2hrs each way, or stay up for a few days - personally, I generally work 3-4 days in the office, and 1-2 from home each week, and rent a room when there.
The other gig from those 3 was in Southampton, and that took me an hour each way

[jamesbrown]

50 mile radius of home

To state the bleedin' obvious, as others have done above, that right there is your problem (on the South Coast). Perhaps consider moving into a field where you can WFH, long-term, which might include specialising a lot more than you do now. Otherwise, you'll either need to reconsider your search radius or reconsider contracting.

[FarmerPalmer]

I am currently looking/ applying for contract work within a 50 mile radius of home (South Coast) No point looking nationally as I really can't relocate. I will start looking at the perm roles if that means I get something sooner....

The South Coast is difficult. I am from Poole and wasn't much around when I needed it, so I got a permie job with relocation up near the M4 then after 2 years left and went contracting. Since then (20+ years) I have been lucky enough to always find work within 25 miles of home.

I guess the Portsmouth/Southampton area might also be better, with work along the M3.

It depends on where on the South Coast you are, and what your specialism is.

[stek]

I am currently looking/ applying for contract work within a 50 mile radius of home (South Coast) No point looking nationally as I really can't relocate. I will start looking at the perm roles if that means I get something sooner....

Christ on a bike - my search radius is anywhere in EU while we're still in it, and even CIS, Gulf etc, I think in 20-odd years of contracting I've only had two contracts within 50 miles.

If you narrow down so much you'd be better off taking a local perm job, cos you're not gonna see a contract for freaking long time......

[diseasex]

So you do 'cold call' agents then? As I originally asked, I was unsure about this, having heard from other contractors that it does no good what so ever, as agencies will not be interested in you unless there is a sniff of earning money from it....Also told it was no use chasing about roles you'd applied for, as they would be hot on the phone to you after applying, if they thought you were a suitable candidate.....

I am currently looking/ applying for contract work within a 50 mile radius of home (South Coast) No point looking nationally as I really can't relocate. I will start looking at the perm roles if that means I get something sooner....

You need more info man. Besides - have you got anything better to do? Call them and sell yourself.

[northernladuk]

50 miles? South coast? Good luck with that. It's slim pickings using that radius around Manchester let alone down there.

[Newbe]

1. look in wider area (even nationally)
2. call agents and ask them about your area of expertise
3. call agents and ask them to review your cv
4. suck it up and go perm and look for a gig while on probabtion

So you do 'cold call' agents then? As I originally asked, I was unsure about this, having heard from other contractors that it does no good what so ever, as agencies will not be interested in you unless there is a sniff of earning money from it....Also told it was no use chasing about roles you'd applied for, as they would be hot on the phone to you after applying, if they thought you were a suitable candidate.....

I am currently looking/ applying for contract work within a 50 mile radius of home (South Coast) No point looking nationally as I really can't relocate. I will start looking at the perm roles if that means I get something sooner....

[MrMarkyMark]

That's quite an assumption.

Well, unless he's lying his other half is expecting......so unless there has been a recent medical break through I'm unaware of, I'm safe