Why wouldn't I be professional?

A large part of the workforce in the City of London are contractors/consultants many of which stay with firms longer than permanent employees. Not surprisingly, an oft asked question is, "What is the difference between a contractor/consultant and a permanent employee?"

My answer is usually that a permanent employee doesn't know that their job will come to an end ...... yet!

Well yesterday I was advised that my current role is coming to an end. Without going into details it is a budget issue that has led to this, rather than anything else. Currently I am half way through the latest six-month renewal having been here almost two years. I think my client was nervous about breaking the news to me and left it until 4:30 pm, only inviting me to the meeting 10 minutes before.

When I sat there, accepted the news and then assured him I would work to manage the transition of work, he thanked me for my professional approach.

The fact that he felt moved to thank me for being professional surprised me more than the news of the contract break; for perspective I should say that I had no inkling of the break. But why would I react badly to the fact that a client exercised their rights within a contract - in truth I could have done the same.

There would be no value in throwing my toys out of the pram. As independents we rely on our reputation. The world of business is very small and news of unprofessional behaviour or below par performance will travel, often ahead of you. That is why I and many others strive to ensure that performance is recognised and appreciated, value my integrity and protect my reputation.

Now starts the exciting part of being independent and that is the uncertainty of the next challenge and opportunity. Right now I have no idea of what that is. While I think I know why I will be attractive to a client, experience has shown me that their interests and perceptions may be very different. The trick is to have an open mind and be prepared to re-evaluate your skills and experience against new possibilities.

Experience has also shown that one cannot predict where the opportunity will come from - this current work came through an agent that found my details and called me. It was in a field that I had been researching, but would not have claimed expertise and went from first call to onsite working within 12 days, the offer came after three with the paperwork and inevitable reference checks taking the rest.

Where will the next opportunity come from?

As one who thrives on change and enjoys variety, this is part of the non-financial rewards this employment choice offers. I hope I find something interesting!