 The Internet has made it much simpler to access the contract opportunities available to you. Many other channels of information are available to help you find that first elusive contract.
Quality independent Internet sites such as “Monster” and “Jobserve” can be very useful and continue to be used by established contractors. Maxim Finance can also help and we have some very useful services on job-hunting such as:
- CV Preparation Guide
- Contracts & Rates Survey
- Contracts Search Wizard
- Job Sites - direct contracts and more traditional channels
- Agency Directory
There are two established ways to contract your services, by either working directly for a client or working through a recruitment agency.
Working directly for the client:
One example is Vodafone. Simply log to the web site and select the title or description of the role and location you prefer, post your CV to the web site and you should receive feedback within one working day!
Working through a Recruitment Agency:
This is the preferred route for the vast majority of contractors. In our experience agencies such as Allegis, Spring, Elan IT, RedRock, Computer Futures and Ntech consistently offer good contracts at realistic market rates. Maxim Finance have good relationships with these and other key recruitment agencies in the UK and are in contact with them on a daily basis, so again the old adage is still relevant “it's not what you know it's who you know!”
On this point do not overlook your own personal contacts - they too can often be a good source of information.
When you find a role that is right for you send your CV using the search engine, or email the Agency. Remember to continuously market yourself to the agencies and clients alike; this could be via your personal web site with automated responses to enquiries, timed emails, faxes and hard copy letters. These achieve surprising responses as they are more personal, however we strongly recommend you pick up the phone and have a conversation with the recruiting agent or prospective client. Remember - build a rapport - it does work!
It is good practice to express interest in a number of roles. This will increase your chances of securing a contract that is right for you and/or allow to be more bullish when negotiating hourly/daily rates (if you have more than one job offer). Remember to keep a record of your contacts and chase at least every three working days. Agency workloads peak on a Monday and Friday so try to avoid these days where you can.
On a cautionary note be aware of two potential pitfalls when using agencies, they are both time stealers!
1.“replicated vacancies”
2.“phantom vacancies”
Replicated vacancies, typically larger clients will have more than one Agency looking for their preferred candidate. Therefore it is likely you will come across the same role advertised in more than one place with a different reference number on each occasion. Also the recruitment industry in general has been criticised for promotion of “phantom vacancies”. This is the practice of posting fictional roles with mass appeal to capture a large number of “new” candidate CV's quickly and at minimal cost.
If you discover either of these activities, it's a good idea to report these to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), they are responsible for supporting and raising Industry standards.
A relatively new online channel has recently emerged known as “Contract Direct”. This is where you will work for the client (not a Recruitment Agency) via either an Umbrella company or Private Limited Company. This is where an agent offers the client an introduction service at a much lower cost than a traditional Recruitment Agency. The other advantage for the client is the candidate is not “dressed up”. Seek out this channel and get it working for you as well as the more traditional routes.
Most contracts are between 3 and 6 months duration. There are some shorter-term roles available and few will be for more than 11 months. More experienced contractors will have had a series of contract renewals during their careers, so you may find yourself at the same location for several years. You may not have much choice over the location of your first contract, so be as flexible as possible. The role may not exactly match to your skills, but this is not uncommon and goes with the territory. You must anticipate a degree of new learning in every role. The more experience you have as a contractor, the more selective you can be.
While you must be realistically priced, especially on your first contract, do not be afraid to push for the rate you want. It is not uncommon for two people working side by side with similar skill sets to have rates differing by as much as 10%, proving that clients will pay for the right person. However, if the Agency advises the client is objecting to your preferred rate, you could suggest the Recruitment Agency surrender part of their commission?
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