The next contract.....

**FatLazyContractor** · 2 April 2015, 09:58

Originally posted by SimonMac View Post

Having a chat with a forumite and they were surprised that I am a month away from the end of my contract and haven't started looking for the next.

In all my contracts I have never had back to back gigs, usually take between 6 weeks and 3 months off between them, this one might be closer to 4 months as I want to reskill a bit and then I will take the whole summer holidays off with the kids.

Will keep my eye out while I am off, touch up my LinkedIn and CV, so if the right contract comes up and its local I can jump, am I strange for doing it this way? Should I be looking to make hay while the sun shines, but at what point do you stop? After a while its just bad manners sitting with that much in a warchest and not doing about it

No, you are doing the right thing.

Life is too short to not enjoy stuff with kids and family. When you've got a family, keep them happy (and yourself too)

**FatLazyContractor** · 2 April 2015, 09:59

Originally posted by FatLazyContractor View Post

No, you are doing the right thing.

Life is too short to not enjoy stuff with kids and family. When you've got a family, keep them happy (and yourself too)

Alternatively, slog your arse now and work without a break till your kids grow up and have kids of their own. If you are still alive, have a good time with your grandkids.

**Ticktock** · 2 April 2015, 10:06

I never bother looking until I'm out of the door from the previous contract. I'd prefer to spend up to a week doing sweet f.a., then slowly start sniffing around, and hopefully end up with about 4 weeks off before I start the next place.

Sometimes it's been shorter - I've had agents lining things up back to back - and sometimes longer - 6-8 weeks off, but I don't really care.
When I look at it, what I bill for one week is enough to pay one month's bills, and that doesn't count my wife's salary. So, if it came to it, one 3 month contract would be enough for me to take a year off, if I didn't mind spending it all.

**DannyF1966** · 2 April 2015, 10:22

I've only completed two contracts so far but each time I've started looking for the next one a couple of weeks before the previous one ended. Was lucky enough to secure my second contract a week before the first one ended so no time on the bench there.

My last contract ended on Friday, I sent in my CV in response to a jobserve ad on Sunday, agency called me on Monday, called me back on Tuesday to confirm interview, the interview was yesterday (Wednesday) and the offer was made yesterday afternoon. Am I still on the bench if I'm just waiting for checks and paperwork now, with a start date pencilled in for the end of the month?

Next time I probably won't start looking until the contract has actually ended, the warchest will be bigger by that stage and I'm growing in confidence that my CV and skills are good enough to land roles, so next time I won't panic as much. Might even take a small sabbatical

**northernladuk** · 2 April 2015, 10:34

Originally posted by Ticktock View Post

I never bother looking until I'm out of the door from the previous contract. I'd prefer to spend up to a week doing sweet f.a., then slowly start sniffing around, and hopefully end up with about 4 weeks off before I start the next place.

Sometimes it's been shorter - I've had agents lining things up back to back - and sometimes longer - 6-8 weeks off, but I don't really care.
When I look at it, what I bill for one week is enough to pay one month's bills, and that doesn't count my wife's salary. So, if it came to it, one 3 month contract would be enough for me to take a year off, if I didn't mind spending it all.

+1 to this. I did start looking 4 weeks before I finished and was desperate for end to end gig's and then everything suddenly changed. I think the defining point was during a 6 week gap between gig's. I wasn't running out of money, the need to be in a gig wasn't there and life was just good. Since then my attitude to end of gig's completely changed... And very much for the better. It's a shame its not something you can tell people. Have to find out for themselves by being in situation that suddenly gives them that light bulb moment.

**SimonMac** · 2 April 2015, 10:42

Only problem with my approach is trying to explain to pimps that I choose to take so much time off, thankfully I now have a core of 3-4 agents I trust and regularly use

**DaveB** · 2 April 2015, 10:56

Have been going for back to back gigs up until now, although have still had about a month between gigs on average.

Warchest is over 12 months now, so will be more relaxed about it from here on. Plus I have 3 clients on the go so losing one wont be a major blow. Saying that I'll be milking it for all it's worth while it lasts. I can get two months warchest in the bank for every month worked atm. If it lasts a year I'm planning on some serious time off.

**Dallas** · 2 April 2015, 11:09

Secure new gig while in prior gig, push out the start date 4 weeks. Worked so far.

**Ticktock** · 2 April 2015, 11:15

Originally posted by Dallas View Post

Secure new gig while in prior gig, push out the start date 4 weeks. Worked so far.

Would be nice, but I get a lot of "Can you interview Wednesday and start Monday" type of timescales.

Current gig really worried me as I interviewed Wednesday and didn't hear anything on the way home. It took until the Monday for them to say they wanted me, another week to get a contract through, and the start date was 2 weeks after that. That's the longest process I've had.

The next contract.....