Getting that first contract...

[Signo_cypher]

I read somewhere that in fact it's not possible for a company to legally enforce a notice period in excess of 4 weeks.

I was lucky - I found a contract where the client was willing to wait 4 weeks for me. My notice period was 3 months, but I just wrote out my resignation letter and dictated that I would be providing 4 weeks notice. They didn't even flinch.

I too found a client willing to wait 4 weeks for me, they are out there

[ChimpMaster]

I read somewhere that in fact it's not possible for a company to legally enforce a notice period in excess of 4 weeks.

I was lucky - I found a contract where the client was willing to wait 4 weeks for me. My notice period was 3 months, but I just wrote out my resignation letter and dictated that I would be providing 4 weeks notice. They didn't even flinch.

[r0bly0ns]

go to current employer and claim you have had a very attractive offer, claim it's an old colleague/you weren't looking but got approached (whatever makes you feel better about going).

Be very carefuly about how you word this one if you use it. I once used this when leaving a permie role for another permie role (said that I had been approached by an agent who had had my CV for over a year or something like that).

The company I was working for matched the new offer to keep me (which was nice), but then tried to sue the agency for the pay rise they had given me!
They weren't to pleased when I told them it had been a little fib cause I felt like a bit of a tit for looking for another job after I had only been there 8 months....

[lukemg]

I won't tell you what to do as there are so many factors to consider e.g. family, cash reserves, age, attitude to risks etc. However, I will tell you what I would do if I was dead set on jumping into the contract tank.
As discussed, you will fail at the first hurdle with the agent, you are essentially unavailable to work on contract and have almost zero chance of even being put forward to an end client.
Tell the agent you are available at 2 weeks and sound extremely keen to get the contract (tell him you are on a month but have loads of hols saved if pressed). Tell him the dept is being outsourced, end of a project, budget cuts , anything that makes you sound hungry and available.
When/if you actually get offered a contract, go to current employer and claim you have had a very attractive offer, claim it's an old colleague/you weren't looking but got approached (whatever makes you feel better about going). Tell them they want you to start soon and would it be possible to leave in 2 weeks time (don't mention notice period). Promise unpaid support after this time, weekend/evening help, whatever it takes to make you feel better.
You maybe surprised to find they agree to this once they get over the initial outrage, no-one is indispensable, this way you don't hang around being paid for 3 months while upsetting people.
Essentially the 3 months is a deterrent to looking or being offered another role. Once this has failed to deter, there is no point in keeping people to it by threats etc.
Every company knows there is little point in making you stay (although they might produce a counter offer/new position to tempt), but if they play hardball and you still think the 3-month contract is the way to go (this is when people fill their breeks and worry about the future) then walk. The rest is just paperwork and don't expect an invite to the xmas party.
HTH

[TheFaQQer]

I went through exactly the same this year - agents won't touch you with 3 months notice.

Essentially, I just lied to the agents (hell, they lied enough times to me) and told them I was on 2 weeks notice. When I got the first contract offer, I resigned from my full-time job and negotiated 3 weeks notice with all parties.

At the end of the day, your employer has to sue if you leave earlier than your contract notice period, but then they can also get nasty and withold outstanding money owed to you, if any - the timing worked out well so that wasn't a big risk for me.

Plus, first contract might require more references - leaving under a cloud is not the best way to ensure that these are forthcoming!

[beermeister]

I went through exactly the same this year - agents won't touch you with 3 months notice.

Essentially, I just lied to the agents (hell, they lied enough times to me) and told them I was on 2 weeks notice. When I got the first contract offer, I resigned from my full-time job and negotiated 3 weeks notice with all parties.

At the end of the day, your employer has to sue if you leave earlier than your contract notice period, but then they can also get nasty and withold outstanding money owed to you, if any - the timing worked out well so that wasn't a big risk for me.

[jmcdglasgow]

I've just made the jump from Permanent to Contract and I can tell you that despite what agents will say, unless you have an availability of a week or less they will generally put you to the back of the pile.

I've had a fixed availability date, and only with a week to go in my Permie job have agents started working for me - and up until then the only positive leads that turned into interviews were from companies I had spammed with my CV directly.

Don't rely on agents to get you work is my advice!

[TheFaQQer]

If you are going to have to wait three months, then this might not be the best time to do it - that would have you becoming available middle to late December, which is a quiet time, generally.

If you can get out of your notice period early, then do it - some employers recognize the importance of not having disgruntled employees kicking around, demob happy.

[uk086242]

Thanks for the replies all.

Bright Spark? Hmmm, I am sure I have 'seen' you on another website...

[Bright Spark]

try and negotiate notice period down to a month and then include any holidays to reduce it further, if you go for full 3month notice it will be december by the time your available and the market is very quiet at that time, even Jan is not a good time either.

[XLMonkey]

This is something that most people entering into contracting have to get to grips with. Clients generally want a contractor to start within a week or so. People jumping from full-time employment usually have a much longer notice period than that.

One thing is for certain - you will struggle to get an offer of a contract from someone who is prepared to wait for a 3 month notice period to expire. Its doubtful whether any agent would even put you forward for a role on that basis.

Sooooo...... you may need to give notice on the current job before you have that magic first contract to go to. As Alex Ferguson once said - "now we're getting to squeaky bum time".....

[MikeC1408]

Was recently in the same situation. Had to take a leap of faith and hand in my notice with nothing to go to.

Took a further 6 weeks after the end of my notice period to land my first contract, still glad I did it though.

[Murder1]

Hand in resignation and start looking towards the end of the notice period? Try to negotiate a reduced notice period?

I would say either of those would do it, but I'd start looking with a month to go.

[uk086242]

Hello,

I would like to break into the contracting market (IT specifically), but I am currently permanently employed with a 3-month notice period.

There are a few lucrative contracts close by but from what I have read they are unlikely to wait for me to complete any contractual notice period.

So - how do I start? Hand in resignation and start looking towards the end of the notice period? Try to negotiate a reduced notice period?

Any help welcome...