Reply to: Juggling contracts

[MarillionFan]

E) Hold signing the renewal off for as long as possible while you search the market

At which point d) If you're desperate.

Truth is (d) is a little unprofessional but you're a one man business and so need to maximize your income. The whole 'it will come back to bite you in the ass' is a game of statistics and in most cases a load of scaremongering crap. Someone may know of someone who once got caught out in 'what goes around comes around' but we all have examples of something similar. An agency will drop you like a stone for a better deal with a view 'plenty more fish in the sea', nothing wrong with same view. Ignore the 'over fishing' nay Sayers.

[jamesbrown]

Because some contractors have managed to base years and years of contracts on reputation and word of mouth. Just cause you haven't (or don't or can't) doesn't mean people don't.

Yep, and the more you specialise, the more you depend on reputation and past performance. Absolutely critical for the long haul.

[northernladuk]

Why?

If you need to ask that you are either a troll or even worse you are just not cut out.

[JoeyD]

Why?

Because some contractors have managed to base years and years of contracts on reputation and word of mouth. Just cause you haven't (or don't or can't) doesn't mean people don't.

[Justin Control]

With the greatest of respect......that's a pile of w**k.

Why?

[JoeyD]

You may want to believe this but there's no real evidence to support it.

Most contractors have too low a profile to warrant any reputation, good, bad or otherwise.

With the greatest of respect......that's a pile of w**k.

[kingcook]

You may want to believe this but there's no real evidence to support it.

Most contractors have too low a profile to warrant any reputation, good, bad or otherwise.

I keep a good rep with all of my clients. Recently I had a previous client phone me out of the blue asking if I was available for some project they needed a hand with. Unfortunately though I was in a contract elsewhere.

It does happen.

[northernladuk]

You may want to believe this but there's no real evidence to support it.

I would point you at at least one thread in the past month where a poster on here got binned by a client because someone he worked at in the past advised the client about him. The poster was trying to sue the informant and all sorts before it went quiet. Upshot was his previous actions cost him his gig.

Real life examples? I have far too many but... we had a team of BI developers that got cut from 6 to 3 as the project reached end of the first phase. Phase 2 kicked in and the team went back up. 2 of the previous guys got asked back... the third didn't... why? Poor rep with the client so he lost out on a gig.

Most contractors have too low a profile to warrant any reputation, good, bad or otherwise.

I can't begin to explain what an utter crock of tulip this comment is.

[Justin Control]

..... You will at some point in your future depend on your reputation to get more work. ....

You may want to believe this but there's no real evidence to support it.

Most contractors have too low a profile to warrant any reputation, good, bad or otherwise.

[kingcook]

In reply to some comments, £135/day more but current one is on my doorstep, others are staying away in the week.
Current one is a bit of a dead end, already 1 release behind, soon to be 2 releases behind. No chance of a rate increase, to be honest the work doesn't justify it.

Regarding a client waiting 4 weeks, you must move in different circles. When agents call me it normally goes along the lines of:
(agent) Good morning, I've come across your CV on jobserve/linkedin and you look an excellent match for a position I'm recruiting for. What is your current situation?
(me) Well I'm in a contract with a 4 week notice period but I might be able to finish earlier
(agent) Ok, when does it end, I'll get back to you around then

So you terminate your contract there and then?

[SarahL2012]

OR

say to the agent "the rate is too low for me to agree to a 4 week notice period. I'll do 1 week"

[BigRed]

In reply to some comments, £135/day more but current one is on my doorstep, others are staying away in the week.
Current one is a bit of a dead end, already 1 release behind, soon to be 2 releases behind. No chance of a rate increase, to be honest the work doesn't justify it.

Regarding a client waiting 4 weeks, you must move in different circles. When agents call me it normally goes along the lines of:
(agent) Good morning, I've come across your CV on jobserve/linkedin and you look an excellent match for a position I'm recruiting for. What is your current situation?
(me) Well I'm in a contract with a 4 week notice period but I might be able to finish earlier
(agent) Ok, when does it end, I'll get back to you around then

[psychocandy]

D but only if it is significantly better. i.e not £10 a day more. If its got better long term extension prospects, closer to home, better contract etc. If so, then I will do it with no problems at all.

But ONLY for good reason. As someone said, its not cool to do so should be done sparingly.

Anyone who says they won't ever do it even if current 3 monther is for crap client, crap rate, miles from home, no chance of extension, and one £100/day more, 6 months, 10 miles from home, good prospects comes it and still wont do is lying or stupid.

I've only ever done it once. This was when promised 'only 6 weeks at location A - miles from home then you'll be based in location B - 10 miles from home' kept turning into 'just two more weeks'. Went on for 3 months then I canned it because something 10 miles from home did come up.

Nearly canned current one due to hassles involved but that was mainly due to personal situation and family illness. In this instance, if necessary, I would have canned without a thought to client/agent. Sorry my family comes 1st. As it was I've managed to stay till the end.

[Scrag Meister]

Most sensible clients will sit out a month notice for someone who can do the job well, I have never had an issue with notice.

So I would sign up and work and give notice when you line something else up.

[SueEllen]

B and C and only A if desperate.