Am I being unreasonable for turning down a 3-month contract?

[Happyfeet82]

I’m 26 and have been working full-time since graduating university. I recently returned from a few months of travelling with my partner and am now back home, living with family while I look for a new job. I’ve got some savings from before my trip, and my family are kindly supporting me if needed, so I’m not under immediate financial pressure.

I applied for a role that initially sounded great, but I’ve since found out it’s only a 3-month contract, ending in July. I did consider taking it and continuing to job hunt on the side, but I also have a week-long family holiday booked in late June (this was planned and paid for before I became unemployed).

Given the short length of the contract, I’d only be entitled to around 7 days of annual leave, most of which would be used for the holiday. That would leave me with barely any time off to attend interviews. I even considered not going on the holiday if I got the job, but that feels like a big sacrifice for a role that only lasts a few months.

Am I being too picky here, or does it make sense to hold out for the right fit? 😓

I'd state up front that you've got a holiday and you'll need unpaid time off for interviews and if they can't accommodate you won't take the role.

What would you be doing instead of the contract, though? May as well take it rather than just sitting around the house.

Why should people work if they don't want to just because someone wants a job done on the cheap.

Should your neighbour come and decorate your living room for you for £200 just because thats all you want to pay?

Often it's a case of "try before you offer permie" it allows the company to neatly end the contract if its not working out.
Personally I'd rather not have employment gaps and it's at the salary you want so what's the harm

Take it and network like crazy.

good jobs tend to need good networks - this job might give that chance.

I know you want to hear you shouldn’t take it and you should hold out but you should take it if you’re still in a position to do so.

You haven’t said if you’ve been working while you were travelling or how long you were gone. £34,000 pro rata, two months of pay, showing you can gain another role AND a new reference is a massive boost to your CV.

I'd take it. It isn't like it's an awful job (I'm guessing) or a big payout. And you haven't been offered anything else, so on balance I'd take it. Request for interviews that you can manage around your working hours - you're turning your nose up at this because it's "insulting" but you aren't applying the same values to people wanting you to interview. Is it not insulting to let them ask you to interview without being a bit flexible re the time?

I would take it, and tell them if offered that you actually have a weeks holiday from x-y that you will be taking w/o pay.

You may find the tem p contract can lead to a permanent job or could be extended. Either way it'll give you reasonable up to date employment, money and possibilities

Take it. 3 months might turn into a permanent contract !

Thanks for your responses. I’ve decided to go ahead with the interview. It’s a good opportunity for income and, as mentioned, it will also help fill the gap on my CV.

I haven’t been unemployed for long. I went traveling for six weeks in February after completing a one-year contract. I left the role because it was a fixed-term contract. Once the contract ended, I wanted some time to travel before securing a permanent position. This is why I was initially hesitant to take on another contract role.

I just feel I am jumping from contract to contract, but ultimately, I need to stay flexible and take opportunities when they arise. It’ll be good experience regardless and could lead to something longer term.

Paycut* stupid autocorrect

If you like the sound of the job and company then I would definitely take it. I accepted a 12 week contract that turned into a year and now is permanent and they are a fantastic, flexible employer. So glad I took the initial risk.

What’s more important to you, the length of the contract, or the job/company itself? If it’s the length, fair enough to hold off. But if the role genuinely interests you, I’d say go for it. I’ve taken short-term contracts before that ended up being extended and even made permanent. A pre-booked holiday isn’t a dealbreaker if you’re upfront, and as others have said, interviews can be slotted in during lunch breaks or before/after work. Plus, it’s always nice to top up your savings for your trip or just a bit of breathing room.

Well said OP! Especially love your last sentence.

As someone who is also jobhunting, I have come across negative people who will find a way to almost blame us for our situation. Unfair as I think there’s also an element of luck ‘right place right time’ that a suitable opportunity comes up, and some employers can take the piss

Best of luck whatever you decide, job hunting can take such a toll on your mental health x

I think you are making good choices. It's important to feel fulfilled and short term contracts may not do it for you. They are great for networking though. I've had several periods in my decades long career where I've chosen to work short term contracts instead of looking for permanent work, mainly so I could intersperse travelling. In my industry those rules tend to be focused on a specific goal, or are maternity cover, so they come with a different type of responsibility level and often less politics so are a nice change.
Several of those short term contracts resulted in jobs later on, or referrals to other jobs.
I wouldn't view a short contract length as insulting, it's just a business choice.

I do contract work OP, I’ve known people extended and stay in the same role for ten years! If they like you they’ll keep you.

IR35 implications!

Thank you. You're so right, there's definitely an element of timing and luck involved, and it's tough when people make assumptions without knowing the full story. Job hunting can be such an emotional rollercoaster, so it means a lot to hear support from someone going through the same. Wishing you all the best too, you’ve got this! x

We get paid via umbrella companies.

It takes a couple of months just to get in the swing of things! That is really very short.

This with bells on. I'm quite shocked at the people telling you to leave it, OP, as to put it bluntly, you're the one on the back foot here. You've been off travelling, you don't have a job, you're living with family and haven't got anything else to do (unless you have caring responsibilites I'm not aware of). It's EXACTLY the kind of situation where you should be taking anything, to get back into the jobs market. You haven't got a great deal of work experience behind you since university if you're only 26. If you didn't find anything before your forthcoming holiday then it doens't look great on your CV - you went off travelling, hung around at home, then went on holiday again. It looks a bit flakey really, it just looks a bit like you're someone who doesn't want to work. And, again, frankly, you haven't even been offered the job yet, you're jumping the gun.

You'll probably be able to find out from the interview whether it's somewhere you'd like to work full time, it's a chance for both sides to try things out for size. You'll also probably get a chance to ask whether there's any chance of it being made permanent. If they ARE looking for someone longer than the contract, but just want to make sure they've got the right person, then that's in your favour as opposed to another candidate who might only be looking for a temp role.

I've had quite a few jobs which were fixed term to start with but then the organisation decided they wanted to keep me, and I was then first choice to be considered when a permanent role came up a bit later.

Every bit of experience is helpful, though. You might come across a piece of software that you've never used before, and by the end of your time there are at least familiar with the basics. Maybe your next job has "experience in X/Y/Z software desirable" and you're the only candidate with that?

The positive way to look upon "it takes a couple of monhts just to get in the swing of things" is that if you make an error during your time there then as long as it wasn't anything major then it would probably be seen as forgiveable because you wouldn't have been there long and would still be settling in. Sometimes when you fuck up somewhere you've been a long time it's harder to forgive because you should know what you're doing.