My contract ends in 3 months. I need to start applying for other jobs, but I feel presumptuous doing so. (employment, 2014)

[HarryManback]

Here's the deal .......

I work for a tech company through a staffing agency. My contract ends in June. While I had been assured by the recruiter that there was a good chance of my contract being extended, I obviously can't assume it will, and thus I need to be looking for other jobs just in case. However, I've only been working my current job for about 1 month and am still in the process on training/onboarding. I've done some real work, but none of it has yet made it through the chain of command to be put into production. So I've actually not accomplished anything or had my skills validated. I'm afraid that if I go into a job interview, they'll think I'm very presumptuous for looking for a new job already.

Thoughts?

[June87]

Look. Better to have to choose between two than to have nothing. If they ask why, tell them the truth: It's a short term contract with guarantee of renewal.

[MJ7]

By June you should advance your skills, but like June87 said, look for another job.

[HarryManback]

Originally Posted by MJ7

By June you should advance your skills

I know, but that seems weird to claim skills/experience in advance of actually demonstrating them.

[psichick]

Are you saying that you are going to apply to other jobs, listing the skills that you're learning right now or that you're just applying for other jobs? And who would think you're presumptuous? The company hiring or the company you're working for?

If you don't have the skills, don't list them. Because if you take a job and don't have the necessary skills to stand on your own two feet with, you're back out on the street. If you're going to gain new skills, that are validated and used, change your resume as that happens.

Seeing as how this job is only 4 months, I can't think that the person in charge wouldn't realize that you may still interview. Granted, I'm sure most don't want you to since training will take some time, but still, in this economy, you can't just wait around. Especially because even if you wait until the contract ends, it doesn't mean you'll get a new job through the temp agency anyways.

I'm on a temp contract through December. I am not going to wait until Sept to find out what is going on. By Sept/Oct, if I'm not hired or they're not in the process of it, I'll start interviewing as much as my schedule will allow. Unfortunately, it's my life they're playing "we might ________" with. I can't afford "we might". I think they should understand and be aware that people can't live off of hope nowadays.

[K.Uni]

I've been in your shoes. What I did was-

1. Updated my resume with the new experience added and then posted on monster/careerbuilder. See what you can get out of it- you're looking but 'passively' so recruiters/companies will be contacting you for jobs
2. I'd wait 3 weeks to a month before I start actively looking/applying for jobs since you just started this job a month in
3. If you somehow come across a job that interests you and you land an interview.. I'd feel the convo out. If they seem some-what flexible, mention that you are on a contract that is ending soon, few weeks. If they are looking for someone asap, say your job ends in a week or two.

Ultimately, you just want to be as quickly available to the new position especially if it's perm. You gotta watch out for your own back since you're currently in a contract role with no benefits.. they can end your position as fast as you can leave it.

[mialia]

I was in the exact same situation of you 2 years ago. I accepted a 3 month contract and knew that it would not be eligible for renewal. What I did was the following:
I began listing my dates of employment as years only. So in your case, list the contract job like this:
Your Job Title (Contract) 2014-present

Then, when you get the call from HR for a pre-screen, you explain that you are on a 3 month contract that will not renew. Depending on your field, this really shouldn't be a problem - any sort of project management, IT related stuff, this is completely common.
The whole objective of a resume is to land an interview. If you are too upfront on the resume, and state that it is only a 3 month job, it will be hard. If the job is only 3 months and it does NOT renew, DO NOT list months on your resume, because then there will be the false assumption that you didn't pass the probationary 3 month period that most companies have. I went through this 2 years ago, which is when I learned to switch to years only.

I think you should start sending out resumes 2 months before contract end. Hiring processes can take a very very long time, decision making is very slow at alot of places. If you are contracting at a large company, I'd say the earliest you would know if they are going to extend you is 45-60 days before the end of your contract, which is also around the time you should ask if it will be renewed. Feel it out, and use your best judgement with the timeframe I suggested! They know you need to knoiw, and they know you need to find new work if not.

Remember - contract jobs are very common in certain lines of work, and are very common in our economy now because companies are too cheap to hire us for fulltime :-(
Good luck!

[jane_sm1th73]

Originally Posted by mialia

I was in the exact same situation of you 2 years ago. I accepted a 3 month contract and knew that it would not be eligible for renewal. What I did was the following:
I began listing my dates of employment as years only. So in your case, list the contract job like this:
Your Job Title (Contract) 2014-present

Remember - contract jobs are very common in certain lines of work, and are very common in our economy now because companies are too cheap to hire us for fulltime :-(
Good luck!

OP, malia has given some very good suggestions and I urge you to consider them. Best to you.