Short term assignments for long term contracting success

Working as a contractor, assignments come in all shapes and sizes; it’s the variety and flexibility that appeals to so many.

While it might take some time for the right assignment to come along, accepting short term work gives you the opportunity to broaden your experience and skills. The very nature of contracting is to fulfil a specific need within an organisation for a fixed period. If there isn’t a lot of work involved in delivering the desired result, then it follows that the engagement will be a short one.

It might be tempting to balk at very short projects and hold out for something more long term, but here’s a few things to consider before turning down that short term assignment…

It may start off short term, but could be longer

Just because the initial contract states that the assignment is only for a couple of months, it doesn’t mean it won’t be extended beyond that term. Priorities, budgets and specifications can change a lot over the lifetime of a project, so the client may decide they need your services for longer than expected. That’s why rolling contracts are commonplace in so many sectors.

Even if the job is not extended, a short term assignment completed to the client’s satisfaction gets you a foot in the door. Once you have established that relationship, you’ll be their first port of call in the future.

It’s a myth that short term projects harm your CV

It’s a common worry that agencies and clients will take a negative view if your CV contains a lot of short-term assignments. This will only affect your prospects if the recruiter or hiring manager gets the impression that your contracts were not extended because of your performance in the job.

Make it clear that you delivered specific projects within a fixed time frame and to the complete satisfaction of the client. Keep a record of all your assignments and obtain as many client testimonials as you can.

Take Liquid Friday with you from job to job

As an umbrella company employee you are on an overarching contract of employment. This means that Liquid Friday remains your employer as you move from assignment to assignment.

We have relationships with over 400 UK recruitment agencies, but if you accept an assignment with an agency we don’t currently work with, we can quickly and easily get them set up. What’s more, we’ll give you £50 in high street vouchers as a thank you for bringing them onboard.

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