Reply to: Leaving a contract partway through

[DodgyAgent]

Im new to contracting and am halfway through my first 6 month contract. Client is happy and I expect a renewal but I dont think I want to stay on for another 6 months. Given this is my first contract I think it will look bad on my CV if I did not get a renewal. Any advise here? Should I just reject a renewal if I dont intend to stay on for the full term? Should I just suck it up as a newb and take the full renewal and see out the term. The latter option I guess will be the best play for my CV. Thoughts?

If you stick with it and the client appreciates your work then you should foster the relationship in order to gain work or business in the future. If not do whatever you want!
This is quite different from leaving a contract mid way.

[LondonManc]

Dont worry about it. You might get one knobhead agent who asks why you only stayed for 6 months but generally most aren't that stupid.

I think sometimes its more them than the client anyway. I.e. they're thinking we want a contractor on board who we can get to run and run with extensions.

Clients IMHO generally only think, in a lot of cases as long as the contract i.e. 3 months. Yes they generally want someone who might extend but I dont they think about it too much at the beginning.

I'd say it very much depends on the client. You're potentially limiting yourself if you break contracts. Not taking extentions because you don't like the way the project was going and had no real way of influencing it is something else and a business decision that may reflect well upon you in an interview but jumping from gig to gig smacks of not being good enough and flitting before you get found out.

[psychocandy]

Great advice guys. I understand that CVs are a marketing tool and subject to spin but I am hesitant in telling outright lies that can be very easily checked. I am on a 6 month contract and have paperwork to prove it so won't be trying to claim I'm on a 3 month with a renewal.

Dont worry about it. You might get one knobhead agent who asks why you only stayed for 6 months but generally most aren't that stupid.

I think sometimes its more them than the client anyway. I.e. they're thinking we want a contractor on board who we can get to run and run with extensions.

Clients IMHO generally only think, in a lot of cases as long as the contract i.e. 3 months. Yes they generally want someone who might extend but I dont they think about it too much at the beginning.

[breaktwister]

Big IR35 alarm bell.

As for taking the renewal then leaving part way through, that'll leave a bit of a bad taste in the mouth. While they'll happily dump you at a moment's notice, you'll probably not be welcomed back. I'd either not extend, making a non-bridge-burning excuse or see out the project extension and make sure you get a properly defined set of deliverables for your extension.

I will do this. Thanks.

[breaktwister]

Great advice guys. I understand that CVs are a marketing tool and subject to spin but I am hesitant in telling outright lies that can be very easily checked. I am on a 6 month contract and have paperwork to prove it so won't be trying to claim I'm on a 3 month with a renewal.

[d000hg]

If you think you can get contracts 50% higher, tell your "line manager" who you have a good relationship with that while you appreciate the renewal offer, it doesn't make sense. They will understand because who wouldn't change job for a 50% pay rise? You never know, they might offer you significantly more if you're good.

[LondonManc]

I just thought my CV would look stronger with a contract renewal on it, as evidence of client satisfaction.

A few reasons why I would prefer to leave, my role was not clearly defined and I am not happy with the direction it is moving in. I also came in right at the bottom of the market rate and have since seen numerous opportunities at around 50% higher than my rate.

Just to clarify, I dont intend to leave partway through this term, but was considering accepting a renewal and maybe leaving partway as soon as I secured something better.

Big IR35 alarm bell.

As for taking the renewal then leaving part way through, that'll leave a bit of a bad taste in the mouth. While they'll happily dump you at a moment's notice, you'll probably not be welcomed back. I'd either not extend, making a non-bridge-burning excuse or see out the project extension and make sure you get a properly defined set of deliverables for your extension.

[psychocandy]

Although I've been guilty of accepting renewals in the past when I should have probably moved on, it ends up setting a precedent whereby a client will just expect you to renew ad infinitum while it suits them. Remember that once the project you are working on is complete, the likelihood is that the client wouldn't think twice about terminating the contract. If the client knew they had a 12 month project, the contract should have been that length in the first place.

The best play for your CV is to have a strong skill set, wisely chosen projects/clients and the confidence to back up everything you say in an interview.



Some agents do like seeing renewals although I'm sure I'm not alone in being told by agents that you need X months/years experience or a few renewals in a particular sector/technology before they'll put you forward for certain roles only to be told once you've got the requisite experience that they now require something else.



^^ What EO said.

Part of being a contractor is having confidence in your own abilities and being able to sell the skills you have... if you don't have the skills that the market requires, obtain them and then sell yourself!

Spot on with this. I agree that after a bit clients do tend to assume you're going to renew.

Like you said, a lot know they want you for 12 months but still want to do it in 3 months chunks. Fair enough but dont moan if someone decides they dont want to stay....

But this agency liking renewals thing is a load of tulipe. Some contracts are only and ever will be X months. I've done ones like this. It is not a good measure of whether the contractor was any good or not.

But like you, I find it difficult to turn down renewals.....

[EternalOptimist]

I would add that most of my decisions are aimed at maximising my profit. The only exceptions are , I wont do anything illegal, preserve the mental health

as far as the OP is concerned, bail out, spin it, move onwards and upwards

[ShandyDrinker]

Im new to contracting and am halfway through my first 6 month contract. Client is happy and I expect a renewal but I dont think I want to stay on for another 6 months. Given this is my first contract I think it will look bad on my CV if I did not get a renewal. Any advise here? Should I just reject a renewal if I dont intend to stay on for the full term? Should I just suck it up as a newb and take the full renewal and see out the term. The latter option I guess will be the best play for my CV. Thoughts?

Although I've been guilty of accepting renewals in the past when I should have probably moved on, it ends up setting a precedent whereby a client will just expect you to renew ad infinitum while it suits them. Remember that once the project you are working on is complete, the likelihood is that the client wouldn't think twice about terminating the contract. If the client knew they had a 12 month project, the contract should have been that length in the first place.

The best play for your CV is to have a strong skill set, wisely chosen projects/clients and the confidence to back up everything you say in an interview.

I have several contracts that I didn't renew including my first which was 3 months. Why do you think not renewing will look bad?

Some agents do like seeing renewals although I'm sure I'm not alone in being told by agents that you need X months/years experience or a few renewals in a particular sector/technology before they'll put you forward for certain roles only to be told once you've got the requisite experience that they now require something else.

sell yourself man

^^ What EO said.

Part of being a contractor is having confidence in your own abilities and being able to sell the skills you have... if you don't have the skills that the market requires, obtain them and then sell yourself!

[EternalOptimist]

sell yourself man

[EternalOptimist]

do six months, explain it as a three mother with a three month extension

explain that after 6 months you were so great that the 12 month project was finished early and you are chomping at the bit to perform as brilliantly successfully for your next client

[breaktwister]

I just thought my CV would look stronger with a contract renewal on it, as evidence of client satisfaction.

A few reasons why I would prefer to leave, my role was not clearly defined and I am not happy with the direction it is moving in. I also came in right at the bottom of the market rate and have since seen numerous opportunities at around 50% higher than my rate.

Just to clarify, I dont intend to leave partway through this term, but was considering accepting a renewal and maybe leaving partway as soon as I secured something better.

[northernladuk]

Why don't you want to stay?

[gables]

Im new to contracting and am halfway through my first 6 month contract. Client is happy and I expect a renewal but I dont think I want to stay on for another 6 months. Given this is my first contract I think it will look bad on my CV if I did not get a renewal. Any advise here? Should I just reject a renewal if I dont intend to stay on for the full term? Should I just suck it up as a newb and take the full renewal and see out the term. The latter option I guess will be the best play for my CV. Thoughts?

I have several contracts that I didn't renew including my first which was 3 months. Why do you think not renewing will look bad?