Would you do a crap contract short-term if needs be?

[psychocandy]

See quite a few crap contracts on jobserve at the moment. Pros and cons of taking short-term crap role?

Advantages as I see it:-

1. Some income is better than zero income.
2. Its better to have something on your CV than a large gap.
3. Might learn new skills?

Disadvantages:-

1. Rate really is crap.
2. It looks strange on your CV that you did something low-level.


Got an offer of a contract. Its about 1/3rd of what I normally charge but:-

1. Its 10 mins from home. (Important at the moment)
2. I get my SC back. (Good for future roles)
3. Its a month rolling so easy to bail if something better comes up. (and I won't mention that I could bail part way because it'll upset NLUK)

[rd409]

See quite a few crap contracts on jobserve at the moment. Pros and cons of taking short-term crap role?

Advantages as I see it:-

1. Some income is better than zero income.
2. Its better to have something on your CV than a large gap.
3. Might learn new skills?

Disadvantages:-

1. Rate really is crap.
2. It looks strange on your CV that you did something low-level.


Got an offer of a contract. Its about 1/3rd of what I normally charge but:-

1. Its 10 mins from home. (Important at the moment)
2. I get my SC back. (Good for future roles)
3. Its a month rolling so easy to bail if something better comes up. (and I won't mention that I could bail part way because it'll upset NLUK)

It depends. For me if I have been on bench for a while and getting bored, I would just take it as a change. You can always big up your role for the future enquiries. Can you not? I am not asking to blatantly lie, but you could always offer your expert advise to some other projects at the client site as recommendations. You never know, you might just win some additional work for yourself.

[bless 'em all]

A contract is only crap if it's not as good as the one you have.

How does it compare to what you have atm?

[geoffreywhereveryoumaybe]

I'm a money-grabbing contractor so am currently doing a bit of a crap short term contract.

Not a good rate but if prevents a gap in the CV history - also on a week's notice so I can jump once I have got to November when my CV will have an August to November assignment which doesn't look too fly-by-night. The role can be worded euphemistically on the CV too so I agree with your first point - some money is better than nothing. However, not desperate yet.

Also, it is relatively local so I get home to the family before 5:30 for an evening meal together.

[psychocandy]

A contract is only crap if it's not as good as the one you have.

How does it compare to what you have atm?

Plenty of crap in current role of looking after baby and lounging around. Must admit the no work thing is starting to wass me off. As is going to the jobcentre to be fair.
So yes its better than £71/week.

But still REALLY crap low level support for crap rate.

[psychocandy]

I'm a money-grabbing contractor so am currently doing a bit of a crap short term contract.

Not a good rate but if prevents a gap in the CV history - also on a week's notice so I can jump once I have got to November when my CV will have an August to November assignment which doesn't look too fly-by-night. The role can be worded euphemistically on the CV too so I agree with your first point - some money is better than nothing. However, not desperate yet.

Also, it is relatively local so I get home to the family before 5:30 for an evening meal together.

Weeks notice here too it seems so not all bad. Would be hard to make this role look good though its low level indeed.

But like you said, I can be home literally 10 mins after I finish. And its an hourly rate so zero chance of me getting screwed on the PWD day crap. (not for that rate anyway!).

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Plenty of crap in current role of looking after baby and lounging around. Must admit the no work thing is starting to wass me off. As is going to the jobcentre to be fair.
So yes its better than £71/week.

But still REALLY crap low level support for crap rate.

Last happened to me in Jan 2010 (had young baby as well). 1st week was great, 2nd week was ok, 3rd week was hell!

[northernladuk]

3. Its a month rolling so easy to bail if something better comes up. (and I won't mention that I could bail part way because it'll upset NLUK)

No arguments from me about this case. If it is a rolling month you just don't renew. Absolutely no problems with that at all. Giving notice and quitting is what I don't particularly like. If they are daft enough to put you on rolling month, obviously with the intention of binning you the second they don't need you then it cuts both ways.

It could harm your prospects of getting another gig if you get offered one on day 2 of your next month though and going to interviews is going to be a pain.

I think this is down to personal choice. I would like to think I would turn it down if it poses any risk at all to getting a core gig at good rate but it must be bloody tempting when you are on the bench.

It's unusual a client will take someone overskilled even if it is a crap rate. They have to know you are going to bail and leave them in the lurch surely.

And would echo NWP2C last post. I did 4 months of rolling contract and it is painful. If you think your past renewals history was bad wait until you have to go through it the last Friday of every month. I gave my laptop in and left twice as the renewal wasn't agreed and it's only a call from my client over the weekend that had me back in Monday morning. It will be your worst nightmare PC.

[curtis]

If a very short low rated contract comes up (no more than 2/3 weeks) at any time while on the bench I would consider it and go for it no problem.

When I will start to consider contracts lower than my ideal rate that are longer, happens when I'm at a certain 'point' on the bench, that 'point' will always be different depending on the exact situation at the time, war chest, length of time off, time of year etc.

I look at it even on a much lower rate the bills will still be covered and can still put into savings, so better that than using the war chest for the bills and having zero going into savings.

[psychocandy]

No arguments from me about this case. If it is a rolling month you just don't renew. Absolutely no problems with that at all. Giving notice and quitting is what I don't particularly like. If they are daft enough to put you on rolling month, obviously with the intention of binning you the second they don't need you then it cuts both ways.

It could harm your prospects of getting another gig if you get offered one on day 2 of your next month though and going to interviews is going to be a pain.

I think this is down to personal choice. I would like to think I would turn it down if it poses any risk at all to getting a core gig at good rate but it must be bloody tempting when you are on the bench.

It's unusual a client will take someone overskilled even if it is a crap rate. They have to know you are going to bail and leave them in the lurch surely.

And would echo NWP2C last post. I did 4 months of rolling contract and it is painful. If you think your past renewals history was bad wait until you have to go through it the last Friday of every month. I gave my laptop in and left twice as the renewal wasn't agreed and it's only a call from my client over the weekend that had me back in Monday morning. It will be your worst nightmare PC.

Know what you mean about rolling month but like you said it works both ways agreed. Of course, it on day 2 a cracking gig comes up then it might be problematic but there we go.

Yeh they did ask why I wanted the gig to be fair. Having seen my CV they must have twigged that my 20+ years was a tad more than the 2-3 years experience they were after but I told them honestly. Its close to home, my personal situation dictates I need to be home - up to them to take the risk then I guess.

As it gets closer to Xmas of course, the market is going to dry up completely until Jan. Added advantage is that they seemed to be able to resurrect my SC clearance which has got to be good going forward for the future if nothing else.

Not sure how they did this. Although working for an outsourced company, it will be onsite at the company that last held my SC clearance 2.5 years ago. They reckon they were able to transfer it?