Successful IT Contractors and Unsuccessful IT Contractors

Successful IT Contractors

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The difference between successful IT contractors and unsuccessful Contractors is often very little.

The biggest difference between successful IT Contractors and the less successful one is not the rates that they command but the amount of time they are working.

Successful contractors not only get renewals more often but, crucially, when he or she do not get a renewal they take immediate action to try to get a new Contract.

The less successful contractors tend to wait till the last week of their contract before looking for another one. Even worse, they wait till the contract is over and they are off the site.

You have to learn how to use agencies best.

Hassling Agents

Successful IT contractors who hassle their agents (or clients) with at least a month to go on the contract are far more likely to be in more or less continuous work.

Remember that agents hate to give you bad news. If they know that you are not going to get a renewal the last person they will tell is you.

If you think that it is best to wait till your agent gets in touch, as he or she may well have done at previous successful renewals, then you will be waiting a long time.

You must chase up your agent to get the news one way or the other. You must learn how best to handle agencies.

Action Stations

When they tell you that you are not getting a renewal then your first priority is to your own business. The business of your client comes second.

Successful Freelancers will be spending a fair amount of their time in finding another contract.

What too many people do is make finishing the work for the client the priority. They mean to start looking for other work with a month to go but are just too busy with important work for the client.

The work you are doing for your client may seem very important at the time. Hpwever, as soon as you leave it will seem much less important. In fact in two years time you will be struggling to even remember the name of the project.

Looking for New Contract

What will be important now is that you are going to need several weeks, or even months, to look for a new IT Contract, go to interviews and get selected.

Meantime you are bringing in no income and the mortgage and your other expenses still need to be paid.

The most important thing for a successful Contractor is to be working. It’s even more important than getting a good rate.

If you get 10% more than the other contractors, one week off will quickly swallow that up. Just imagine what a month or several months off will do.

Treated Differently by Agencies

Also, I always got the impression that IT Agents thought differently of contractors who are still in work and those who are sitting at home. I’m sure agents will deny it but I’m sure that it will strike a chord with at least some Contractors.

When they are deciding who to put forward as candidates for a contract interview it may just swing things against you a little.

So, remember to put yourself and your company first when you are told that your contract is not going to be renewed. Successful IT contractors always do.