Permanent to contractor switch ... strategy question

[ForBajor]

As a long-time permie let's assume that for the right reasons I'm going to start contracting.

From initial discussions with recruiters the one thing that is a blocker to landing a contract is that notice period. 1 month. Now I can bring that down to something like 3 weeks using holiday, but I'm not very marketable with that kind of lead time.

To land a contract I see the following possibilities:
a) Find a contract where they REALLY require my specialist skills and are prepared to wait 3 weeks to a month.
b) Resign and hope for the best.
c) Save up, resign, and hope for the best.
d) Expand my search to include the city and be prepared to rent away from home to nail the first contract.

Who's made the jump? How did you do it? I'd be interested to hear from you.

[JPennW]

I had the same dilemma back in January and decided to just hand my notice in. When I did I asked if they'd consider letting me go early and to my surprise they did - 3 weeks early resulting in a 1 week notice period. The contract didn't start for 2 weeks so had a week off :-)

It depends on how much you want the contract and/or want to leave the permanent job.

I also saved up beforehand to see me through a few months and took a contract a few hours away from home, but then I really wanted to leave my permanent role. My advice is to go with your gut instinct!

[ForBajor]

I had the same dilemma back in January and decided to just hand my notice in. When I did I asked if they'd consider letting me go early and to my surprise they did - 3 weeks early resulting in a 1 week notice period. The contract didn't start for 2 weeks so had a week off :-)

It depends on how much you want the contract and/or want to leave the permanent job.

I also saved up beforehand to see me through a few months and took a contract a few hours away from home, but then I really wanted to leave my permanent role. My advice is to go with your gut instinct!

Yeah I thought about the saving up option too. I guess I could even get a loan to cover 2 months and basically pay credit to earn the right to go contracting.

I had a call back from a contractor role I applied for today and they were very positive until the notice period question came up.

I don't hate my permanent role, but I do want to switch to contracting. Based on a scan of contract opportunities on the job sites only a handful have a start date requirement in 2 weeks+ time.

[kingcook]

I've been there too. Lucky for me the decision was made for me - I got fired!

Looking back, it's one of the best things that ever happened to me

[ForBajor]

So if I did decide to just hand my notice in - what's the best way to spin it?
a) Just say I'm going contracting
b) Make stuff up

[northernladuk]

Doesn't matter. You are leaving and as long as you keep to any handcuffs that exist in your contract (very important you check this) it doesn't matter. You don't need to give a detailed reason you are leaving. It won't matter a jot what you are going to do (unless it is do something not allowed in your handcuff of course).

You need to jump straight in not fanny around waiting for a client that will wait for you. There is some likelyhood a contract will evaporate within a month of waiting anyway. Get your notice in and start looking.

[TheFaQQer]

To land a contract I see the following possibilities:
a) Find a contract where they REALLY require my specialist skills and are prepared to wait 3 weeks to a month.
b) Resign and hope for the best.
c) Save up, resign, and hope for the best.
d) Expand my search to include the city and be prepared to rent away from home to nail the first contract.

Who's made the jump? How did you do it? I'd be interested to hear from you.

Appraise the market and it will help you make the decision - if there are people looking for your specialist skills, then choose (a). If there are enough decent roles that you think you could walk into one, then (b) looks good. If there are some good roles but you may struggle immediately, then (c) is your best bet. Always be prepared to do (d) anyway - depending on where you live.

When I moved, I tried (c) and ended up doing (a) - then I negotiated with my boss that I could leave after two weeks rather than the four weeks notice (badly worded contract gave me the right to walk immediately)

[Batcher]

In your position, c) would be best in my opinion. You'd be better having some savings before you start as you will have some outgoings at first and it may be more than a month before money starts coming in. It's a bad idea to start taking loans or use credit cards to get going.

You really need to be available immediately for contract work as hardly any client will wait 4 weeks for someone they want on a project tomorrow.

I left my permie role years ago and got my first contract within the month. I was in for a few contracts and had been upfront with an agent that I had secured an interview for another client. As soon as I left the interview he called and asked how it went. I was quite positive about it so he hit me with an offer for his role. This was the Thursday and not even a phone interview was required, the client liked my CV and wanted me to start on the Monday.

It's happened a few times like that over the years so you need to be available to go when and where required. You need to save into a war chest though as there will be times you are on the bench too.

[ForBajor]

Well I've been thinking about this more and more, and I am getting closer to going for it. I'm in Bristol, so my fall-back plan is to get a contract in London and stick it out for 3+ months if I can't find something in the South West. But that's not a bad fall-back position really as I've got designs on moving closer to London anyway.

I had a telephone interview for a job in Bristol even though they knew I was a permie - and invited me to an interview anyway so they could get to know me as there would be more work coming up later in the year. A good sign.

I'm still nervous about resigning, but I think with my current pay I can survive a month without being paid. Of course, when I resign I will be looking for contracts immediately, and I could make it so there is a clean switch over if I use the London fall-back position couldn't I? Bristol isn't a bad place to be really in the grand scheme of things.

[PerfectStorm]

After I got the offer I spent over a month fannying around getting security disclosures etc., so there's every possibility you could work out your last month anyway and leave on really good terms which never hurts.