Advice needed: should I stay or should I go?

[Peter Loew]

Hi All,

I've been in a good PM position for almost 1 yr with my current client, I get on great with them, love the other contractors here and it's a beautiful place to work in terms of location. Problem is when the new 'client boss' came in, he dismantled the Strategy Programme that we were delivering, got rid of half the contractors and basically compartmentalised all the projects (so we've lost the integration strategy). Now it's over budget, we've been asked to half our project costs and there is a feeling of uncertainty in the air for all the contractors here.

My contract is up in 5 weeks and although the verbal promise of renewal for another 1 yr has been made to me (they are pleased with my work etc), the renewal contracts have not been signed for 3 weeks now.

In the meantime I have had an offer almost out of the blue with a gov client, better rate central location, and they are offering to renew my SC Clearance. Caveat is that they want me to start 2 weeks on Monday, however my notice period here is 4 wks.

I'm just buying my first home so I need the income and don't really want to be out of work just in the case my current client does not renew or terminates my contract in a couple of months time.

I'm a bit stuck, I love it here, don't really wanna leave but the whole Programme seems to be in cahoots; it may resolve itself or it may not - I have no real assurances either way apart from verbal ones.

What's the advice here? If I were to 'abandon ship' how do I deal with the 2 week start date?

Peter

[pmeswani]

Hi All,

I've been in a good PM position for almost 1 yr with my current client, I get on great with them, love the other contractors here and it's a beautiful place to work in terms of location. Problem is when the new 'client boss' came in, he dismantled the Strategy Programme that we were delivering, got rid of half the contractors and basically compartmentalised all the projects (so we've lost the integration strategy). Now it's over budget, we've been asked to half our project costs and there is a feeling of uncertainty in the air for all the contractors here.

My contract is up in 5 weeks and although the verbal promise of renewal for another 1 yr has been made to me (they are pleased with my work etc), the renewal contracts have not been signed for 3 weeks now.

In the meantime I have had an offer almost out of the blue with a gov client, better rate central location, and they are offering to renew my SC Clearance. Caveat is that they want me to start 2 weeks on Monday, however my notice period here is 4 wks.

I'm just buying my first home so I need the income and don't really want to be out of work just in the case my current client does not renew or terminates my contract in a couple of months time.

I'm a bit stuck, I love it here, don't really wanna leave but the whole Programme seems to be in cahoots; it may resolve itself or it may not - I have no real assurances either way apart from verbal ones.

What's the advice here? If I were to 'abandon ship' how do I deal with the 2 week start date?

Peter

We can't make the decision for you. But you have to ask yourself, do you want to burn your bridges with your current client? Either way, negotiate with the client co / agency for you to leave sooner rather than later if you really want to take the new contract.

[MonzaMike]

Signs are not good

In my experience budget cutting only goes in one direction.

If they are running out of money then it's probably only a matter of time before you get a rate cut or early termination of your contract.

They can all think you are great, but if the budget is gone then the contractors are first in line.

Always a pity when you are happy at a specific client and sometime the devil you know is better but if the other client is known to you as well then take whats on offer.

[BolshieBastard]

Hi All,

I've been in a good PM position for almost 1 yr with my current client, I get on great with them, love the other contractors here and it's a beautiful place to work in terms of location. Problem is when the new 'client boss' came in, he dismantled the Strategy Programme that we were delivering, got rid of half the contractors and basically compartmentalised all the projects (so we've lost the integration strategy). Now it's over budget, we've been asked to half our project costs and there is a feeling of uncertainty in the air for all the contractors here.

My contract is up in 5 weeks and although the verbal promise of renewal for another 1 yr has been made to me (they are pleased with my work etc), the renewal contracts have not been signed for 3 weeks now.

In the meantime I have had an offer almost out of the blue with a gov client, better rate central location, and they are offering to renew my SC Clearance. Caveat is that they want me to start 2 weeks on Monday, however my notice period here is 4 wks.

I'm just buying my first home so I need the income and don't really want to be out of work just in the case my current client does not renew or terminates my contract in a couple of months time.

I'm a bit stuck, I love it here, don't really wanna leave but the whole Programme seems to be in cahoots; it may resolve itself or it may not - I have no real assurances either way apart from verbal ones.

What's the advice here? If I were to 'abandon ship' how do I deal with the 2 week start date?

Peter

Jack it in and start a new contract. When someone comes in like this and ****s everything up because 'their way is a better way,' then. there's nothing you are going to do to turn the ship.

Im in the same position with a new contract I started 7 weeks ago. Thoroughly pissed off with re inventing the wheel (yes, we've done it several times in that short a period) and out of the blue, a former PM I worked for phoned this morning to offer me a place on his new project starting in 7 weeks! Sorted!

People I work for are very nice but they cant organise a piss up in a brewery and the communication is wank. So Im off and cant wait!

[lukemg]

First - decide which one you want if you have both in hand, if preference is to stay, have a chat now with hiring manager. Tell them you have another offer but want to stay but you really need to know if the contract is coming. If you want to leave, tell the hiring manager the date restriction and ask them if it would be possible to go. If you are getting chopped anyway then this saves them a few bob.
Either way it gets things moving, you are waiting for decisions to be made so you don’t have to make them, time to get in the game and control it a bit I think.