“Oh my gosh, my contract is over in less then a week and I do not have another job lined up yet! Every time I turn on the TV I hear how the economy is not getting any better. I have a ton of bills to pay and I can’t afford to be off work for who knows how long.”
Sound familiar? One of the most stressful parts of being a contract employee is the “what next”. In today’s economy, there is no question that it is much tougher then it was just a few years ago. Is there anything that you can do to help your odds of getting another contract quickly? The answer is YES! Here are a few pointers to help you stay out:
1. Keep in close contact with your Account Manager or Recruiter. This does not mean you need to check in four times per day, but as your end date comes closer, you may need to speak with them daily or every other day.
2. Speak with your Account Manager about what the market is looking like 30 days before your end date. Ask specifically about your modality, not just the market in general. Even though the market is constantly changing, this will give you an idea what to plan for.
3. Do your absolute best on your current contract. Your assignment appraisals and references are part of your permanent file. Account Managers look for contract employees that have a great track record and want to send the best candidates to their open jobs.
4. Make sure that your Aureus online profile has accurate information about the states where you want to travel and the types of positions you are interested in. Are you only interested in contract assignments or would you consider a direct hire position?? The more accurate you information is in our system, the better chance you will be alerted of job openings.
5. Open up your options. Geographic areas, shifts, call, job duties – these are all things that could prevent you from getting calls about positions. The more limits you give your recruiter, the fewer the doors will be open for you.
6. Talk to more then one Account Manager or Recruiter. Even though you may already be working with an Account Manger or Recruiter, it’s ok to ask who markets a particular state or states you are interested in. Most Account Managers are assigned territory that they market daily. If you are interested in a particular state, they can market you into that area or keep you top of mind for any positions that may come open within that state.
Hopefully these points will help take some of the stress out of finding your next contract and keep you on the road to a successful travel career.