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New temporary contract, should I start looking for a new job?

 
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Hey, I am a little sad, so maybe I am not seeing things clear here, please help me. (And there are worse things that can happen to a person than a set back at your job, I know.) But, I had a year contract. I had a talk. The present year contract will be finished on the 15th of July. I heard criticism, and I now got a half year contract. (Until January 2015) My reaction, emotionally perhaps, but, I am going. That is the first conclusion. My only doubt is, should I go now, or after half a year? If I go after half a year, my resume would have a bad mark that is a little less worse. I am actually pretty sure that after this contract they will fire me. I know this is subjective, but, if you had a year contract, they should at least offer you another year contract. This together with the criticism, make me conclude that I should go. The other bad thing here, is that I am not really a success story lately. Therefore I think I should just accept the half year contract, and in the end put at least one and a half years on the resume. At least a little better than one year. My last years are about this. And I already got two rather short stays.


July 2013-now company 6
May 2010- July 2013 company 5
Sept 2007- May 2010 company 4
May 2006 - Sept 2007 company 3
May 2005 - May 2006 company 2

Sept 2002 - May 2005 company 1

 
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Jan de Boer wrote:But, I had a year contract. I had a talk. The present year contract will be finished on the 15th of July. I heard criticism, and I now got a half year contract. (Until January 2015) My reaction, emotionally perhaps, but, I am going. That is the first conclusion. My only doubt is, should I go now, or after half a year?



Why?

You had an evaluation, you got some feedback. If they didn't want you or thought the issues they did not like were unsolvable, they would not have renewed your contract. It looks to me like there's some time to address the concerns they have.

Do you feel their criticisms are justified? Are you willing and able to address them? If not, then it makes sense to go. But I am puzzled why at the first hint of criticism you want to go. In earlier postings you said that the job was okay and technically challenging.

I am actually pretty sure that after this contract they will fire me.



If they wanted to fire you, they would have done so already. Why are you attributing motivations to them that are directly contradicted by their actions?

I know this is subjective, but, if you had a year contract, they should at least offer you another year contract.



I don't know where you get this idea. They may not have budget. They may want to see if you correct the issues that they pointed out to you. Maybe they want to make you a permanent employee - the point is that there's a range of possible reasons why you're getting a shorter term, from bad to good. And there's no such rule that suggests what length an extension should be.

This together with the criticism, make me conclude that I should go. The other bad thing here, is that I am not really a success story lately.



Again, are the criticisms valid and can you address them? If you can, then you have a future if you want it. If you can address them and choose not to, then who's to say you won't have the same problems in the future? What will you do then.

And I already got two rather short stays.



Almost ten years ago. Ancient history. I'd be more concerned with today and how you address adversity.

Cheers!

Luke
 
Jan de Boer
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Do you feel their criticisms are justified?



Yes.

Are you willing and able to address them?



No. Willing yes, able no. Sorry. I think I cannot do it.

In earlier postings you said that the job was okay and technically challenging.



Frankly it is too challenging. And I probably said the technical experience is useful. I don't find it challenging. I experience it as a problem. No, this is not what you should say in a job interview. But the criticism is technical. They told me they liked my sense of humor, and that I fit well into the group, and that I show motivation. But they expected better technical results and more technical initiative from me. I am already working my butt off here. If this is not good enough, I want to go. I am just not better than I am, this is all I have.

But, my exact question is actually, should I leave now, or after the renewed contract. It ends 15 January 2015, I think it looks better on my CV, like from 2013 to 2015.

By the way, I dont want to go into all the details actually. You never know who reads your message.


 
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I think you should stay. It's a longer stretch of job. Also, you should be looking for a job while you have a job. Ending in January gives you time to be doing that.
 
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Jeanne's right: take the 6 months they're offering and use it to keep some money coming in while you look for a job you feel is more suitable. Also, try to use the time to address some of the things they criticised you on. Then by the time you leave, the criticism is old history and no longer relevant if you need a reference from them. And you might even learn something useful along the way.
 
Jan de Boer
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Thanks you Jeanne, Chris.

It is what I was thinking off. I will use the six months to brush up my knowledge, and then maybe also the economy is just a little better. Also something personal, but my daughter has finally found a job, though that is temporary too. But she, although already living on her own, was dependent of my support. So I can search for a less demanding job with less money perhaps.

Of course I feel a little sad, but nothing you guys can do about this. ;-)

Addition, Luke, by brushing up my knowledge I would of course also address their criticism. Nevertheless, my experience of the situation is that my chances even then are poor, and at least the focus would be more on getting the next job with the knowledge than keeping the current one.
 
Jan de Boer
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Luke Kolin wrote:Why?



Like predicted they now tell me the are not going to renew the contract. Told y'!

I wish I had never accepted this job. And I still think it is another bad mark on my CV. I am studying a lot now to compensate. I hate to say this, but sometimes I think I even never should have become a software engineer. I can do it for the work week, but I am not one of those people who love computers that much they also spend a lot of free time on them, happily even. I am studying yes, but even then I have to force myself not to go and read stuff on line about totally different subjects. And it seems you have to spend quite a lot of time besides your job keeping abreast off things. Now I cán do that when I am in desperate needs. Still not very happy at the moment.
 
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