Advice sought for contracting from perm job with 3 month notice

[SlipTheJab]

Do what I did, resign and serve your notice (if you can't get them to reduce it). Start looking 2 weeks before the 3 months notice finishes. Secure the first contract you apply for with a Monday start after the Friday finish, never look back (5 years and counting ). Sometimes you need to take a risk, so long as you are confident in your ability then that risk is a calculated one...

[BigRed]

They generally want someone who can start straight away, not a couple of weeks.

Most agents ignore you unless you are immediately available, unless you are as rare as rocking horse tulip. By ignore, I mean they show interest but don't submit you. They also look for someone with a history of contracting and they are not looking for someone with potential who can start at a low rate, they want a "been there, done that" sort of person.

[SueEllen]

My contacts have take anything from 3 days to 4 weeks to start. Average is a week

The 3 day one included the weekend. I heard Friday morning, hot the contract that morning, reviewed by that evening and agreed with the agent on Saturday.

So even a month notice period won't cut it.

[northernladuk]

They generally want someone who can start straight away, not a couple of weeks. My last 5 gigs have been interview Tuesday/Wednesday with a next week start.
Make sure you've got some money behind you, hand your notice in and speak to your employer to see if they would be willing to let you go earlier if you find something. If so then happy days but if not then just work your notice and start applying two weeks before you finish.

Remember after your first gig you'll be looking for work with zero income coming in so this is the easier part of it.

[googyflip]

Hi All

I'm currently in a perm IT Management role with a 3 month notice period and am considering contracting but see the major hurdle I see (apart from being offered a contract) is my 3 month notice period as pretty sure clients/agencies are always pretty much after someone who can start within several weeks.

Has anyone got any advice on how best to approach this? or experienced the same situation? I've even contemplated should I be offered a contract to hand in just a months notice but this doesn't really sit too well with my moral compass, but I'm not that happy in my job at present and need to look after myself first and foremost.

Thanks

J