Reply to: What is your ideal length of time at one client?

[lukemg]

Interesting thread - for once ! You can see the range of people on here, most are bum-on-seat, a tiny few are in good demand and claiming own-business status. When the phone is ringing as soon as you dip your toe into the recruitment waters (or even when you aren't) it gives you a big confidence/ego boost that you are in demand.
That's fine and I hope everyone gets a taste of that. Good test of character comes along when the phone stops ringing, all sorts of options you would not even discuss previously e.g. type of work/rates/locations/permie jobs suddenly pop onto your list and it doesn't take long either. Couple of months of howling wind and tumbleweed and your confidence is up in flames !
Good luck all !

[DaveB]

About to get a 2nd 6 month extension at the current client and a rate rise if all goes well. I probably wont go for another one after this though as it will be 18 months with the client by then and I'm getting itchy feet now. Only took this extension cos is the quiet christmass period and I didnt want ot be on the bench just at the moment.

[Xenophon]

I had some HR bint "interview" me once and say "your contracts are all 3,6 and 9 monthers mostly. Do you have a problem staying in one job?".

To which I replied, "No, but I do have a problem with companies hiring contractors when they really should be hiring permies."

I have recently said the same thing to my current client.

[Denny]

I had some HR bint "interview" me once and say "your contracts are all 3,6 and 9 monthers mostly. Do you have a problem staying in one job?".

To which I replied, "No, but I do have a problem with companies hiring contractors when they really should be hiring permies."

That's a great answer.

When too much emphasis is placed on length of contract and concerns about whether you are too unstable to stay in one place rather than focusing on the work that was delivered successfully according to what your brief was you can bet that they view contractors as bum on seat numptys not real owner managed businesses. This is a very inside IR35 attitude typical of staff hiring HR personnel who, frankly, shouldn't even be involved in hiring contractors. This should be the province of supply chain representatives. If the work is done then it doesn't matter whether the contract was for 2 weeks or 2 years.

All my contracts have been for 6 months or under (except at my current one of 8 months) as the work I do is considered backfill (late taken on and easily dispensible and usually replaced by fixed termers or permies). There is no questions about my dedication to getting the tasks done and just because I wasn't extended to work years at one place doesn't make me any the less dedicated to my work nor does it imply that I was not good enough to be extended. If you have a Schedule of Works completed for each assignment, then it goes without saying that contracts can end once the work on it is completed.

Mind you I would be worried if my contract wasn't extended only to discover that they were replacing me with another similar EB sourced contractor, even by the same agency, on similar rates. That would imply that I had not delivered or was disliked by the client hence they wanted to get rid of me. This has never happened to me.

[DimPrawn]

I had some HR bint "interview" me once and say "your contracts are all 3,6 and 9 monthers mostly. Do you have a problem staying in one job?".

To which I replied, "No, but I do have a problem with companies hiring contractors when they really should be hiring permies."

[bobhope]

I'd agree with the 18mth - 2 years. Depends on what you do, but if you have too many short gigs, then that's regarded with suspicion.

Once did almost 3 years at one place. I was ready to jump out the top floor window and / or go postal by the end.

[wendigo100]

I reckon 2 years tops, don't want the CV to look like a patchwork quilt with a rash of 3 and 6 monthers on, you must have been doing something right to stay that long.

Good point if you are a bum-on-seat. However, I am usually taken on each time to do a specific task then move out to the next one, so I've even done two-weekers.

Since my five-year stint, I have been on a couple of bum-on-seat contracts elsewhere, but left each one voluntarily after a year or so.

Also, I've been back to previous clients a few times, which I think is a better demonstration of doing something right.

[lukemg]

I reckon 2 years tops, don't want the CV to look like a patchwork quilt with a rash of 3 and 6 monthers on, you must have been doing something right to stay that long.
Over 2 years and you start to get very stale, the market moves on and you may lack confidence getting back into it. I did nearly 6 at one place, thought I couldn't leave because the rate/location/conditions were too good as the market died elsewhere. Not sure I made the right decision to stay but the reliable cash really set me up for the future.

[Rantor]

2 years. After that you feel like a permie. Not good.

A good benchmark - previously I lasted 28 months and that was pushing it.

Now in a bit of a dillema as I have been on my current project for nearly two years and have been offered a rolling extension at v good dosh.

Only problem is I don't really want to do it now, partly beacause of the normal contractor itchiness to move on to other things but mainly because the client has a numpty-centric stafffing policy and they are very hard work indeed.

I even asked for too much money in an effort to put them off but they OKed it. High class problem I suppose but I'm glad it involves signing on the dotted line every few months (or not!)

[Cliphead]

3 - 6 months, I get bored after 6 months in the same job although if the rate's good...

[MarillionFan]

"depends how long it takes to bang the hottie on reception/admin/marketting

then it time to hot tail it out of there before it hits the fan"

Which reminds me kramer. I have that Rhyponol you wanted me to get on my last trip to Thailand. You still having trouble sleeping right?

[kramer]

depends how long it takes to bang the hottie on reception/admin/marketting

then it time to hot tail it out of there before it hits the fan

[Angela_D]

2.5 years and was offered 6 month extension yesterday. IR35 crap doesn't apply here. I would like to leave but the rate is higher than I could probably achieve in London so greed wins.

[vista]

Time isn't the issue

I guess the time to leave any account is a combination of when the product / program is successfully delivered and when there's nothing new/available to learn.

[Sysman]

Three years at one place doing code maintenance. The money was excellent and it was 20 minutes from home, but my skills were getting stale. I had to move on to attack something different and keep my sanity.