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War chest Almost Depleted and Getting Desperate

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    #61
    Originally posted by Tractor Trace View Post
    Update... still no progress. I've resorted to applying for really low paid contracts i.e c£100+ a day and not even getting a sniff of a phone call or interview there! Granted they've not been directly in my field but they're not looking for specialist experience.

    Has anyone who has been in my position taken a permanent job temporarily, and how long did you stay before securing a gig again? How did you deal with the whole 1 month's notice thing, given that with most contracts they want you to start within a week or two? I'm just thinking about how to deal with the likely questions by interviewing hiring managers, maybe not convinced that me going for the job would be nothing more than filling a stop gap. Then maybe a couple of months (or less!) down the line jumping ship when a gig comes up and really p****ng everyone off.
    Well if it helps, the 1 month notice usually only kicks in after probation, i.e. 3-6 months, so you will likely have only a week or so notice period. If you leave within a month or two, does the hiring manager even need to know you're in a perm job? Could just say you need 1 week to organise something or a holiday etc if you do get offered the role and they want a start date.

    Of course, you will piss off someone in the end but you go to do what you got to do I guess!

    Also I don't really agree with making this a sticky to act as a warning to those who want to get into contracting, OP's situation has nothing to do with contracting and there are perm employees who are stuck in the same situation. I am sorry but when I see so many poor people working as contractors day in day out years on end, I really do find this forum overexagerrates how bad the market is or how risky contracting supposedly is.
    Last edited by 1manshow; 31 May 2019, 13:08.

    Comment


      #62
      Originally posted by 1manshow View Post
      Also I don't really agree with making this a sticky to act as a warning to those who want to get into contracting, OP's situation has nothing to do with contracting
      Really? He is a contractor posting about his struggle to get a contract on a contracting forum, ran by contractors for contractors.


      Originally posted by 1manshow View Post
      and there are perm employees who are stuck in the same situation.
      No, that would be permies who are between jobs, not contracts.


      Originally posted by 1manshow View Post
      I really do find this forum over exagerrates how bad the market is or how risky contracting supposedly is.
      Wrong again, one thing this forum does is not sugar coat anything. See the boomed threads. See this thread (and the many others like them). There are many on here who have dealt with an IR35 investigaton, some won, some lost. Many are dealing with the load charge fiasco. Don't see how their situation is "over exaggerated". Not really thought your post through have you?

      qh
      He had a negative bluety on a quackhandle and was quadraspazzed on a lifeglug.

      I look forward to your all knowing and likely sarcastic and unhelpful reply.

      Comment


        #63
        Originally posted by quackhandle View Post
        Really? He is a contractor posting about his struggle to get a contract on a contracting forum, ran by contractors for contractors.




        No, that would be permies who are between jobs, not contracts.




        Wrong again, one thing this forum does is not sugar coat anything. See the boomed threads. See this thread (and the many others like them). There are many on here who have dealt with an IR35 investigaton, some won, some lost. Many are dealing with the load charge fiasco. Don't see how their situation is "over exaggerated". Not really thought your post through have you?

        qh
        There are people who can't get another perm job after having to leave a perm job - be it by redundancy, coerced redundancy or a myriad of other factors. It is no different to not finding another contract role. Some people just aren't good at finding jobs, be it either their competency (lack of), or being too picky, or being too lazy and maybe in some cases just being unlucky.

        Also, this fourm does exagerate things, it does a lot of fearmongering for contracting itself - reading this forum it paints a picture of contracting that is very diferent to what myself and every other contractor I work with see it as - which suggests to me like most forums, it attracts the grumpy vocal people. What was it you said, "In all seriousness, the post by the OP should go in a sticky somewhere, for all that come on here thinking "I'll just give that contracting lark a try..." - sounds like a lot of cobble to me. Remember, you'll have maybe 1 person posting to say they got a new contract or a renewal for every 100 who will complain that they can't find a contract, are on the bench or complain the market is dead - as is the nature of forums...

        How is this any different to all the unemployed graduates on student forums complaining there are no jobs and that "jobs require experience but to get experience you need a job" bandwagon? We all managed, maybe they need to quit their whining and apply themselves.
        Last edited by 1manshow; 4 June 2019, 14:56.

        Comment


          #64
          Originally posted by 1manshow View Post
          There are people who can't get another perm job after having to leave a perm job - be it by redundancy, coerced redundancy or a myriad of other factors. It is no different to not finding another contract role. Some people just aren't good at finding jobs, be it either their competency (lack of), or being too picky, or being too lazy and maybe in some cases just being unlucky.
          Possibly but what's wrong with peers discussing the situation? I must admit I'm not a fan of this being a sticky to be fair. I think there are far more important factual topics that could be stickied but nothing wrong with contractors chatting about their situations for whatever reason.
          Also, this fourm does exagerate things, it does a lot of fearmongering for contracting itself - reading this forum it paints a picture of contracting that is very diferent to what myself and every other contractor I work with see it as - which suggests to me like most forums, it attracts the grumpy vocal people. How is this any different ot all the graduates on student forums complaining there are no jobs and that "jobs require experience but to get experience you need a job" bandwagon? We all managed, maybe they need to quit their whining and apply themselves.
          I don't see that. Sometimes the worst case pictures is painted which is the type of feedback I personally like. I can't do anything about the good/easy stuff so tell me the problems. If I can overcome or deal with them then I'm golden. Cotton wooling things and not highlighting the potential downsides is not helpful in my book.

          Also if you been around the forums long enough you'll see plenty of people that haven't thought it through, hadn't heeded the warnings and have found themselves in some really bad situations. A bit of fearmongering might have opened their eyes and prepare them better.

          So the situation is different to you and a few contractors.. big deal. Situations and people are different. How can you speak for every other contractor by the way?
          'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

          Comment


            #65
            Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
            Possibly but what's wrong with peers discussing the situation? I must admit I'm not a fan of this being a sticky to be fair. I think there are far more important factual topics that could be stickied but nothing wrong with contractors chatting about their situations for whatever reason.


            I don't see that. Sometimes the worst case pictures is painted which is the type of feedback I personally like. I can't do anything about the good/easy stuff so tell me the problems. If I can overcome or deal with them then I'm golden. Cotton wooling things and not highlighting the potential downsides is not helpful in my book.

            Also if you been around the forums long enough you'll see plenty of people that haven't thought it through, hadn't heeded the warnings and have found themselves in some really bad situations. A bit of fearmongering might have opened their eyes and prepare them better.

            So the situation is different to you and a few contractors.. big deal. Situations and people are different. How can you speak for every other contractor by the way?
            Points taken but I think the part in bold isn't really true, I think rather than me speaking for all contractors, it is that I think that that the forum is not representative of what the real world is - which is fair enough right I mean that is the nature of all forums, they tend to highlight polarising thoughts (look at housepricecrash.co.uk for an extreme example), but I didn't think it was right to sticky this thread as a "warning" as that is making OP's scenario a mouthpeice for contracting (this thread is doing what you think I was, speaking for other contractors) when it shouldn't be. Hence the fearmongering claim.

            Would you sticky a post of someone who showed off a glittering 10 year career earning 6 figures every year and how it was only possible thanks to contracting? Probably not.
            Last edited by 1manshow; 4 June 2019, 15:20.

            Comment


              #66
              Originally posted by 1manshow View Post
              Points taken but I think the part in bold isn't really true, I think rather than me speaking for all contractors, it is that I think that that the forum is not representative of what the real world is - which is fair enough right I mean that is the nature of all forums, they tend to highlight polarising thoughts (look at housepricecrash.co.uk for an extreme example), but I didn't think it was right to sticky this thread as a "warning" as that is making OP's scenario a mouthpeice for contracting (this thread is doing what you think I was, speaking for other contractors) when it shouldn't be. Hence the fearmongering claim.

              Would you sticky a post of someone who showed off a glittering 10 year career earning 6 figures every year and how it was only possible thanks to contracting? Probably not.
              you do have the option of not reading anything on this forum, don't you?

              Comment


                #67
                There is a sticky about pimps asking for two references, might be relevant, might not.

                There is a sticky about staying away when contracting with hotel tips. I like this thread, helped me a few times.

                There is a sticky about who has been banned and why - don't think I've ever looked at this, ICGAS.

                You know someone might be struggling with not being able to find a contract and comes on here wondering if there is someone in the same situation and what they did. The sticky saves them time on looking at oodles of threads. You never know it might help. To the OP, hope you have a job/gig sorted very soon.

                Wow, we disagree on an internet forum.


                qh
                He had a negative bluety on a quackhandle and was quadraspazzed on a lifeglug.

                I look forward to your all knowing and likely sarcastic and unhelpful reply.

                Comment


                  #68
                  Originally posted by quackhandle View Post
                  There is a sticky about pimps asking for two references, might be relevant, might not.

                  There is a sticky about staying away when contracting with hotel tips. I like this thread, helped me a few times.

                  There is a sticky about who has been banned and why - don't think I've ever looked at this, ICGAS.

                  You know someone might be struggling with not being able to find a contract and comes on here wondering if there is someone in the same situation and what they did. The sticky saves them time on looking at oodles of threads. You never know it might help. To the OP, hope you have a job/gig sorted very soon.

                  Wow, we disagree on an internet forum.


                  qh
                  I actually think the other stickies themselves are fine and helpful and I confess even this one could be, perhaps my comments maybe relate more to the reason it appeared to be stickied (warn others who are thinking about contracting) - rather than "lets sticky this to help others who in are the same situation" - if that makes sense?

                  Comment


                    #69
                    I was thinking of going back to contracting but after reading this...its scaring me off

                    Comment


                      #70
                      Originally posted by Weegee View Post
                      I was thinking of going back to contracting but after reading this...its scaring me off
                      A man (or lady) has to know his/her limitations.

                      AYCOTBAC?

                      qh
                      Last edited by quackhandle; 5 June 2019, 14:19.
                      He had a negative bluety on a quackhandle and was quadraspazzed on a lifeglug.

                      I look forward to your all knowing and likely sarcastic and unhelpful reply.

                      Comment

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