How to buy time before accepting an IT Contract

Services

User Name:

Password:

New User Registration ?

Forgot your Password ?

IR 35

Umbrella Companies

PAYE Umbrella Companies

Personal Services Co.

Personal Service Companies

Contractor Mortgage

How to buy time before accepting an IT Contract

Once you’ve got the job, the agent is desperate to freeze it.

You may have one or two other interviews to go to, and would like to buy time to be in a happy situation of being able to choose between several - the last thing that the agent wants. What the agent will want you to understand is that the client wants to tie it up by the end of the day.

Making Them Wait

Once you’ve got the job, the agent is desperate to freeze it.

You may have one or two other interviews to go to, and would like to buy time to be in a happy situation of being able to choose between several - the last thing that the agent wants. What the agent will want you to understand is that the client wants to tie it up by the end of the day.

Not the Case

Clearly, it is the agent who wants to tie it up be the end of the day.

The client will almost certainly be happy to wait for a few days, for instance, if it is a Tuesday, he/she could wait till Friday afternoon, keeping the second and third choices at bay.

Buying Time

You certainly could do with some extra time, so you must try and buy time with the agency. The Agency might not give you much time if they can help it.

You can tell them you’ll give your decision late on Wednesday.

You will simultaneously also call up your other agents and tell them you have a job offer, that you would prefer to have their job, and would it be possible for them to bring the interview forward, or, put you on to a phone interview with the client.

If they ask how long you’ve got, tell them you have time till Friday lunchtime.

Further Interviews

Most clients will bring interviews forward, if they know they have someone who is considered an asset by other companies, but who would prefer to work at their site.

If you do get them to set up further interviews for Thursday, and Friday morning, then it might be an idea to go out on Wednesday when your agent is trying to get hold of you.

Juicy Morsel

When you come in on the Friday evening, offer your apologies to the agent back saying that you had to go out for some reason, but that everything is OK.

You can expect a call first thing in the morning. The agent will be jittery and will want to get things sealed up.

Delay

They will want to get the contract across to you as soon as possible, and by all means. What will work for you is the plausible events or non-events:

You do not have a fax, you do not have a printer in order to print the contract out. You may miss the courier, as you’ll be out soon for the day, so it would be better to send it in the post. You are comfortable with them sending it to a neighbour, but the neighbour would forget to give it to you till the next day.

Choices

The agent, of course, by now knows exactly what is happening, i.e. that you have another interview lined up and waiting to see what happens there, but there’s no way they can call you a liar.

You get the contract on Friday morning, but you have the interview then.

Don't Worry

Surely, you would have told the other agents and clients that you would need a decision by Friday afternoon. If you ‘re out of luck on both jobs, you should get your contract signed, phone up the agency and they will probably arrange for a courier to pick it up.

IT Contractors

Pay leaps for IT Contractors in Financial Services
Pay for IT contractors in financial services has jumped 11% over the past six months, despite the downturn expected in the sector following the credit crunch, reveals research by Skills Market/Association of Technology Staffing Companies (ATSCo).
Major IT skills shortages driving IT Contractor rates up
According to an annual survey by Robert Walters, one of the biggest existing IT agencies, both salaries and contractor rates are being driven northwards because of a gaping skills shortage in IT.
Contracting in The Netherlands
Dutch law states that all Dutch individuals working in The Netherlands should be employees and Dutch tax, where not eliminated under a Double Tax Treaty, will be deducted via monthly withholding and paid across to the Dutch tax authorities at that time.
UK now biggest and fastest growing IT hub outside the USA
A new report published by Deloitte says the UK is the new hub for fast growing technology firms.
HMRC not above the law
It was sort of assumed that nothing could touch HMRC even after they lost 25 million people's data on two disks which were sent unregistered by courier.
Contractors Group welcome new Taxpayers Charter
The Professional Contractors Group (PCG), has welcomed today's announcement that there will be a new Taxpayers' Charter, but is apprehensive about whether it will be able to suffice as a substitute for a full duty of care.
IT Contractors soft targets for Chancellor in Budget
The too-obvious credit crunch and the looming slowdown are putting pressure on the Chancellor to raise tax from somewhere.
Working in Ireland
Your potential liability to income tax in Ireland will depend on a number of factors, including whether or not you, and your employer, are resident in Ireland and........
Would you qualify to come to work in the UK?
The new Highly Skilled Migrants Programme will be fully implemented by the end of the summer.
Understanding IT Agents
Agencies are far more interested in keeping the client happy than keeping you happy. IT Contractors should just accept this as a fact of life, instead of .......
7 Reasons a CV will get binned
One cannot gloss over any reason that gets a CV trashed, but CVs get binned especially because of these reasons...
Should you tailor your CV
It is always interesting to get into the mindset of an employer, and see what they are looking for.
E-learning versus traditional training courses
E-learning, otherwise known as online training, offers a relatively new and flexible approach to complete training courses, allowing the individual to choose his own time and place to pursue the training course.
IT workers hideously undertrained
The changing role of IT workers necessitates moving from behind-the-scene techies profile to client interfacing roles that require proficiency in communications, business analysis and project management.
Ten reasons why clients are complete idiots
Quite often, clients demonstrate an idiotic streak in some of the decisions they take, especially when it comes to dealing with contractors. Ten most frustrating things that they do, include..
Not Missing Out on IT Contracting Opportunities
It is a good idea for IT contractors to make a list of all the places where they had worked and also where they have done a good job or.....
Should you take a contract where they want you to turn Permie after 6 months
Another matter that could be raised by the agent, before the interview, is the company can recruit a contractor, but has a system which allows going permanent after 6 months.
Golden rules for interviews
Preparing for that big interview is no mean task but if you subscribe to the Golden rules for interviewees, it will be a cakewalk.
The Killer Questions to ask to make sure you get that IT Contract
..... asking the right questions can swing an interview your way when you are pitted against multiple competitors.
How to conduct yourself at an IT interview
Your arrival time should be 10-15 minutes before the interview.
Cameron slams Government over NHS IT failures
David Cameron said that the Government had demonstrated a deplorable want of maturity when it came to handling big IT projects
Freelancer of the Year Winner
Freelance communications consultant, Rona Levin, has bagged the Xchangeteam Freelancer of the Year Award, in association with PCG
Contractors Group slam shock new HMRC powers
A series of new compliance approaches announced by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) this week has elicited a mixed response from the Professional Contractors Group (PCG).
Public now think ID cards a bad idea
The latest ICM poll reveals that 50% of the British public now think that the UK Card ID system is a bad idea......
What to do when agencies want to know your bottom line
While putting contractors forward for roles, agents generally ask them what rate they are looking for and .....
How to get your rate up after getting that IT Contract
If you are able to make it in the interview and crack it, you hold the whip hand.
Should you take a contract where they want you to turn Permie after 6 months
Another subject that could be raised by the agent, before the interview, is .....
Dodgy Umbrella Companies
In the notes accompanying the Budget Statement of the Government, it is clear that it has set sights on some of the dodgier Umbrella Companies.
Taxman now has powers to intercept emails and internet browsing records
HMRC has now been vested with new powers that will allow them to intimidate and force from Internet Service Providers email information about those that they suspect.
Government are absurd retards over Income Shifting, say Contractors Group
The Professional Contractors Group (PCG), which represents the UK's freelancers, has submitted its formal response to the Government's plans, for a Family Business Tax on "income shifting."
How Income Shifting proposals will affect IT Contractors
In 2007, the Chancellor of the Exchequer had announced a proposal to prevent "income shifting."
Unemployment lowest for 30 years
Rates should now be seen getting pushed higher, if you forget the credit crunch.
IT skills not important now to business
The findings of a survey of 500 top CEOs by Microsoft suggest that the top skills needed by businesses are Team Work and Interpersonal Skills, followed by Initiative, Analysing and Problems Solving in that order.
More than half of new jobs have gone to immigrants
Given that well over half of the 2.1m new jobs created in the last few years have gone to 1.1m immigrants, the Government is thinking of putting in place new rules .......
Cutting Back
....the Government is cutting back on the number of Tax Inspectors and the main areas of tax expertise where they are making the biggest cutbacks is in Tax inspectors with IR35 expertise and in the area of small limited companies.
CBI predicts 2 years of pain for UK economy and IT Contractors
The CBI thinks the Government is being far too optimistic for next year and discounting the downturn too much, as it may last longer than they think.
IT Contracts curtailed as fears over Muscat judgment bite
The Court of Appeal's judgment in the case of Cable & Wireless v Muscat has far-reaching consequences for long-term IT contractors and the economy of the City......
Fourteen Job Hunting Tips. How to Impress an Agency
Identifying a competitive advantage when looking for jobs is extremely important. Below are listed some factors, gleaned from IT recruitment consultants which you can use to impress them and increase your chances of getting a job.
How to buy time before accepting an IT Contract
Once you’ve got the job, the agent is desperate to freeze it. You may have one or two other interviews to go to, and would like to buy time ..... the last thing that the agent wants.
9 Tips on how to combat Office Politics
Don't assume that you can't handle office politics. It can surely be managed. Here's how....
10 things you do not want to find when starting an IT contract
You’ve been eagerly awaiting to start your new IT contract, but unable to fight off a certain bit of trepidation when the day arrives. Here are 10 factors you’d rather not discover on the first day.

Advertisers

Parasol IT
Maximised income with safety and reliability? Parasol provides all this and more!
Parasol Training
Free online training. High quality courses

Advertisers

Computer Contractor is a resources for umbrella companies, Contractor Jobs, IR35, IT job boards, contractor mortgages, contractor insurance, IT recruitment IT consultants, IT agencies, umbrella company.