Christmas Contract Renewals - Don't Leave It Too Late
I don’t normally stray into the recruitment advice part of my job in these posts, but this has come from several conversations I have had over the last week.
For those architects out there who are contractors, the single worst time of the year to finish a contract is just before Christmas. Let me explain why.
Most contract architecture roles are reactive, in that organisations are not often planning for a contractor, but it is forced upon them by either:
A New Program Requiring Support: This is when a company suddenly finds itself in need of an architect to support a new project or initiative.
An Employee Leaving: When an architect in a full-time position decides to leave it generally creates a gap that needs to be filled. Contractors are often brought in to bridge this gap and ensure that critical work continues smoothly.
The problem with late November and December is that very few architects tend to leave their jobs. Even if someone is not enjoying their work, they are likely going to look at roles in the new year (new year new me mindset). That leaves the “new programme that needs support” category, unfortunately most decision makers start to slow down on any large new initiatives until the new year.
In New Zealand we also have this nice thing called summer that happens over the christmas period. The problem is that a lot of decision makers are off in early January. I have generally found that things kick back into life in late Jan.
It can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks to find a new engagement at the best of times. Which means that if you don't find anything before Christmas you might not get anything to start until early/mid Feb. That sounds like a damn good break, but for those who need to keep their income at a level, having 4 weeks of potential income taken away can be incredibly challenging.
My general advice to most contract architects is that you should be nailing down an extension or looking for a new engagement 3-6 weeks before your current contract is up.
So, if you are a contract architect whose contract is up in the next 4-6 weeks, start looking now. If you are someone who manages contract architects, make sure they are extended beyond December or get ready to be disappointed when they look elsewhere.