Reply to: Reason to turn down an extension

[kingcook]

Its not just because I have nothing to do although having nothing to do is horrible, ok for a while on the basis your getting paid but for too long not mind numbingly bad.

Its just not a great place to work, I work with 2 other people in an office on our own and despite trying most of the time we sit in silence, the company are very very corporate you have to jump through so many hoops to get even simple things done and they have so many rules and have as good as said if you don't do them you will be bo!!0cked. All in all just not somewhere I want to stay I got into contracting so I did not have to put up with being in a job that I really am not enjoying I could get away from it easier.

I'm edging towards the 'I'm not taking the extension as I need to take some time off' any questions it can be 'personal' therefore hopefully no-one will question too much.

I was just messing with ya

Sounds like the place i'm at now tbh. There's no one to talk to here, can't do the work properly due to not being able to install s/w on the PC, and people not answering emails when i send them. Last week i was considering handing in notice, but i need the money (don't we all!)

Contract expires here in a couple of months time, atm i'd say that i don't want to renew (assuming they would want me).

AEOD i/you can say whatever you like, you don't even have to say anything.

[robin]

Its not just because I have nothing to do although having nothing to do is horrible, ok for a while on the basis your getting paid but for too long not mind numbingly bad.

Its just not a great place to work, I work with 2 other people in an office on our own and despite trying most of the time we sit in silence, the company are very very corporate you have to jump through so many hoops to get even simple things done and they have so many rules and have as good as said if you don't do them you will be bo!!0cked. All in all just not somewhere I want to stay I got into contracting so I did not have to put up with being in a job that I really am not enjoying I could get away from it easier.

I'm edging towards the 'I'm not taking the extension as I need to take some time off' any questions it can be 'personal' therefore hopefully no-one will question too much.

[kingcook]

I have nothing to do (I have asked but most of the time just sat here)

You're getting paid for that? and you're thinking about turning down a possible extension?

[The Agents View]

Twice I have had an agency ring me and ask me if I'm available for work and I have said to them, no I'm currently working at xyz co and I'm contracted through your agency!!

FYI - If managers or anyone important in the agency ever finds out about this - we get an ABSOLUTE bo11ocking. I've been on the end of it a few times. I wouldn't mind, but the notes weren't even up to date on the record!

[curtis]

I was in this same situation some time ago and i was not sure what to say as knew I would get asked but they made it easy by changing my hours so said no thanks due to that.

If that was not the case I would have just said I need to take some time off at the end of this contract if they asked it would be for personal reasons and you don't know how long could be, a few weeks, could be a few months. I thought that covers me then 'IF' I was unlucky to hit the same agency when finding the next job to go for.

The thing is although you know its a white lie they don't know thats its not true, unfortuantely thats life and things can crop up. You obviously had every intention in taking the extension if it was not for this 'thing' that happened! Don't worry too much agencies bend the truth all the time remember!

[thunderlizard]

I'd tell them that their requirements didn't match my personal skills, and offer them somebody else who would be able to do the job better.

[craig1]

If you're on short notice terms, it's an ongoing role and you want to keep the client's good will you could offer to stay on for an extra few weeks on the same rate until they get their recruitment process up and running for a replacement. If you're feeling especially kind, offer to hang around to do a handover.

If you're in a niche or tough market for your skills then it never hurts to have people say good things about you.

[walterboy]

I wouldn't worry about it. Just say "thanks for the offer but I need to take some time off (or whatever)".

If its a big agency, it wont matter if they approach you with another job as it will probably be someone else who doesn't even know you worked for them before.

Twice I have had an agency ring me and ask me if I'm available for work and I have said to them, no I'm currently working at xyz co and I'm contracted through your agency!!

I wouldn't worry about getting blacklisted - I doubt that would happen.

Just say that you've secured an opportunity that you've been working toward for some time in the sector that matches your skills etc etc ... closer to home...etc etc....pick your reason.....and leave on a good note by saying that you'd like to keep in touch with a view to being aware of upcoming projects that they can use your services on...get some good referees out of it and move on.......never burn your bridge....even not-so-good projects and clients can turn out to be better ones down the road.....just build the relationship..

[robin]

I understand honesty is the best policy but feel if I was to say 'There is not much for me to do and don't feel this is the place for me' (however tackfull I put it) they are the sort of company to say ok we will give you more work to do and try and make it better when the truth is I just do not want to stay even if they did try and change things its just 'one of those places' thats just not nice.

I'm not worried about being blacklisted its just I could imagine my luck the next job I see will be with the same agency as they are quite a big one and they will then maybe get funny as I turned down an extension took away their chance to earn more money and in fact I never did have another job. Still a bit new to all this!! Maybe I'm considering everyones feelings to much at the moment!!

We all get gigs like that from time to time.

I'm surprised there's nothing in there you can't do to pickup new skills or learn new things and take some positives out there.....the more you show you are keen the more they'll give you to do.

in such situations I always try to do some self-learning and demo stuff to show new skills...always helps.....

[VectraMan]

You're a contractor. You agree to work to a certain date, and there's no obligation, or expectation of anything beyond that from either side.

[ChimpMaster]

It's quite simple: be honest, professional, tactful, empathetic. And smile.

People will understand and appreciate you a lot more if you use these principles.

[SizeZero]

If I get asked I will say I have a new job but then I can't help thinking what if I then don't find a job straight away and the same agent comes to me and says 'umm I thought you had a job to go to?'

I wouldn't worry too much about this - you aren't going to be blacklisted because you turned down a renewal. In fact the opposite - you have already proved yourself to be a money-maker for the agent, and desirable to their client.

If this is an agent you have a good relationship with and particularly don't wish to spoil it (as opposed to never-spoke-until-I-replied-to-the-job-on-Jobserve-and-haven't-spoken-since-contracts-were-signed) then call him 'for a chat' when you're away from the client site. Explain that you feel under-utilised there and fear your skills aren't being kept up to date. Let him know you're looking for a more challenging role after this contract runs out in <month> and that if he gets any interesting opportunities, to get in touch.

[chef]

I'm about to do the same thing but my reasons are fairly straight forward, I want to improve my language skills and take a 5 day a week 3 month course and after 2 years of being away Mon-Fri I want to work closer to home and have a warchest big enough to sit it out, improve my language skills and wait for daily commutable to come up.