Permanent to Contracting - When to hand in notice?

[mokster]

Hi guys,

A bit of advice please. I have been discussing a contracting role with a large IT organisation (the client) for a while and they'll be releasing the Job Posting to the agent today.

I am currently in a Permanent position, and the agent has advised me to hand in the notice today once the Job Posting is released. However, I understand there are additional approvals required within the client's organisation after the agent respond to the posting with my details.

Note, I have been directly in contact with the client and the contract has been verbally confirmed.

So, the question is whether I should hand in my notice today once the Job Posting has been released to the agent? Or wait for the approval and the contract arrives in my inbox?

Thank you very much.

[TheFaQQer]

How long is your notice period? Will the client wait for your notice period to complete?

If the client is going to wait, then there is no point taking the risk that it falls through - wait until you have the offer and then leave. If the client won't wait, then you need to be available when they need you, so make sure that you will be.

There is no right answer to this - when I left my last job, the client waited for me, and I negotiated a shorter notice period with my employer so I got out of there quicker and into the contract.

[stek]

Do nothing until you have a signed contract. Even then it might disappear from under you.

[mokster]

Thanks all,

Notice period is 4 weeks and I think the client will wait but checking with them. I have made it clear directly to the client that there is a 4 weeks notice period after the contract is received.

I am inclining to wait until the contract as well.

[PurpleGorilla]

if you are intending to go limited co - that will take a day or two to setup (needed for the contract).

you also might want the contract to be reviewed.

if you need one (see above) a business bank account will take a while to setup.

Moving fast is great - but my experience is that all of this takes time to setup - so jacking in early; may not be the wisest move.

[TheFaQQer]

if you are intending to go limited co - that will take a day or two to setup (needed for the contract).

you also might want the contract to be reviewed.

if you need one (see above) a business bank account will take a while to setup.

Moving fast is great - but my experience is that all of this takes time to setup - so jacking in early; may not be the wisest move.

With the exception of the contract review, the rest of the points you make are irrelevant to the question of when to give notice. Make sure you are ready to leave before you get to that point.

[PurpleGorilla]

Personally getting your house (ltd co) in order before you jack in the job is the route I advocate.

By all means - jack it in, then do all the running around - with a big fat bubble of uncertainty until this lot is in place.

[AndyC]

Thanks all,

Notice period is 4 weeks and I think the client will wait but checking with them. I have made it clear directly to the client that there is a 4 weeks notice period after the contract is received.

I am inclining to wait until the contract as well.

I am in a very similar situation, 4 weeks notice and possibility of a 6 month contract. I have decided to go for it on the basis that at this time of year most business will effectively shut for 2 weeks over Xmas, so will have set their internal expectations for new projects to start in the new year. Therefore my twisted logic tells me that they will wait for my notice period, however its all very tenuous!

However, after reading through the various first timer guides on this site I followed the advice of achieving a cash buffer to keep me going if this first contract falls through. I'm using this time to set up my company and contacting other contracting agencies to put my name before them just in case my contract falls through.

So its still a risk, but I feel that I have covered them as best as I can.

Now got to think about ongoing training, in this industry (I'm an IP network engineer) its a relentless task keeping up with the skills, that is my biggest concern.

Best of luck,

Andy

[PurpleGorilla]

Andy - your logic works for me.

[PerfectStorm]

Hand in your proper notice when there's a contract and spend a month getting your company formed, VAT registered, business bank account and accountant in place. An accountant can do all of that for you if you like.

Some of these things happen in serial so you should find you arrive out of that month ready to go and with a nice clean break.

I remember how delays of a few days feel like weeks when you're raring to get going but no one's going to pull the rug if they can see you're making proper progress.