End of first contract...

[peter_pilgrim]

Two J2EE contractors where I am at the moment left a couple of weeks ago. They basically left on Friday and started new contracts on Monday. Market is bouyant at the moment as far as I can tell.

I finished back at the end of April.

In May I went off to America for two week for the JavaOne conference, and then came back here, hoping to get a lot more interviews and phone calls.

Those J2EE contractors must be doing something right to leave on Friday and get a next gig on Monday.

I must doing something wrong. I am missing a trick. What else can I do?

[wendigo100]

I find the whole process usually takes at least a month, so I would start looking straight away....

Do they call you christ for short?

[christhecontractor]

I find the whole process usually takes at least a month, so I would start looking straight away.
When I was out in 2001, I wrote a program that scanned jobserve for suitable jobs and sent an email off to the agent automatically, it was very competetive back then so getting the email out early helped a lot. Also, I didn't have to sit in front of jobserve all day long. It's a lot easier now thank goodness there seems to be plenty of work about, allthough never underestimate how difficult it can be to get a job even when there is work - agents and end clients are incredibly fussy, much more I think than in the past (10 years ago).

[Cowboy Bob]

That said I'm a bit anxious about being on the bench... and wondering how realistically easy (or not) it would be for me to find another contract ideally London based. My skills are Java / J2EE and I also have PM and team leader experience. I am not a huge techie but enjoy J2EE stuff, my ideal role would be a blending of technical and team leader / PM work but being realistic I will sell myself on my Java/J2EE experience.

Two J2EE contractors where I am at the moment left a couple of weeks ago. They basically left on Friday and started new contracts on Monday. Market is bouyant at the moment as far as I can tell.

[SallyAnne]

fantasise about SA's funbags

Nobody does that!!!

Except, clearly you!

How YOU doin'?

[tim123]

My project is recruiting but only paying £250/day.

what for J2EE or something more generic?

tim

[kramer]

Well, firstly I plan to train myself up in other frameworks such as Spring and Hibernate, and also just hit the job sites every other day.

And yes, devote some time to the things I want to do but never get around to doing because of time constraints - e.g. read more, skill up, exercise more and perhaps travel a bit...

you should hit the job site every day...

in fact you should have rss feed straight to your phone...

dream on about skilling up ... that will last about a day before you start downloading episodes of heroes and the Unit...

The wire has 4 series which i thoroughly recommend for bench time...

remember to buy nice coffee for those morning kicks and remember the gym is only ever full of OAPs during the day

[Peter Loew]

Well, firstly I plan to train myself up in other frameworks such as Spring and Hibernate, and also just hit the job sites every other day.

And yes, devote some time to the things I want to do but never get around to doing because of time constraints - e.g. read more, skill up, exercise more and perhaps travel a bit...

[XTC]

Hi Guys,

My first contract is about to come to an end this Friday. I don't have anything lined up as the way I understand it is that immediate availability is usually required.

That said I'm a bit anxious about being on the bench... and wondering how realistically easy (or not) it would be for me to find another contract ideally London based. My skills are Java / J2EE and I also have PM and team leader experience. I am not a huge techie but enjoy J2EE stuff, my ideal role would be a blending of technical and team leader / PM work but being realistic I will sell myself on my Java/J2EE experience.

What do you guys think - would finding my second contract be a struggle or relatively easy? Also what activities do you guys normally get up to when on the bench, and what is the average time one would spend on the bench?

Cheers,

P

My project is recruiting but only paying £250/day.

[kramer]

Hi Guys,
... Also what activities do you guys normally get up to when on the bench, and what is the average time one would spend on the bench?



P

hehehehehehe..... what do you think..
it seems most contractors do the following.

worry/salivate about house prices...
fantasise about SA's funbags.
make jam...
plan b (which in most cases is pipe dream stuff)
shoot things...
watch telly...
drink
gym
drink
gamble
w**k

what you gonna do?

[Barriebazg]

My contract ends in about 3 weeks so I have already spoken with my current agent and put the feelers out for my next gig. Got loads of feedback already, don't plan on being on the bench much at all if at all. Already offered 2 interviews for gigs starting right after this gig ends.

[Vito]

I build relationships with small agencies operating in my field and keep in touch with them throughout my contract...I then tell them that to get any offers on the table 4 weeks before the end of my contract (including extension offers, so I say the same to my existing client)...it then takes me a week to talk to all parties (this time I had 5 offers) and choose which one(s) to accept...this way I have something lined up and contract signed 3 weeks before I am due to leave.

Have not been contracting long but have done this twice now and it has worked out both times...I am very transparent about the whole thing so everyone knows that they are effectively competing for my services. If things go as well next time then I will look to start expanding and recruiting others in order to be able to fulfill demand...but its still early days and I may have just got lucky.

I do know many others who operate like this though and have done for a long time.

I do however financial plan to be on the bench (voluntarily or not) for 3 months per year...

[Cooperinliverp00l]

Hey Peter

What i normally do in the last week start applying for contracts and tell the agent that you are avaliable now. If you think about it by the time your CV has been sent accross to agency, Reviewed by client, interview arranged, interview attended, offer accepted it will be a couple of weeks.

I never like being out of work for long so always do it this way and in just over 3 years have been out of contract for 10 days (so not bad) of course i'm a Test Manager so different line of work but imagine it's the same process

[Peter Loew]

Hi Guys,

My first contract is about to come to an end this Friday. I don't have anything lined up as the way I understand it is that immediate availability is usually required.

That said I'm a bit anxious about being on the bench... and wondering how realistically easy (or not) it would be for me to find another contract ideally London based. My skills are Java / J2EE and I also have PM and team leader experience. I am not a huge techie but enjoy J2EE stuff, my ideal role would be a blending of technical and team leader / PM work but being realistic I will sell myself on my Java/J2EE experience.

What do you guys think - would finding my second contract be a struggle or relatively easy? Also what activities do you guys normally get up to when on the bench, and what is the average time one would spend on the bench?

Cheers,

P