I’m excited for you.  You have a whole myriad of options ahead of you.  The first contract is nearly behind you and you survived!  Whether it was a great contract or a horrible one….the next will be a totally new adventure for you.

• Determine if you would like to continue to work with the same company.  Did you have any issues?  Were they receptive to your needs?  Was the contract fulfilled (from the company end) as you expected?
• If you haven’t notified your recruiter (s) of your decision to continue and seek a new position you should do it now.
• If you have decided to extend your contract; it’s prime time to set pen to paper and finalize this.  (We will discuss more about contract extensions in another post).
• Hopefully you have an idea of what you want from your next contract or where you would like to go.  This is the time to seriously determine your preferences for your next contract.
• Look at a calendar!  Map out the time-frame that the next contract would cover and make certain that there aren’t any dates/activities that would conflict. (ie Best friends wedding, birth of child in the family).  If there are conflicting dates, make certain to inform your recruiter (and whom-ever you interview with) of these dates and make sure that the time off is detailed in your final contract.
• Depending on when you want to start your next contract (are you taking time off in-between), you should start submitting for open positions.

To Do:

• References: If you haven’t obtained personal references yet (as we discussed in Step #23)…do it now!  These are invaluable for your portfolio.  Even if you have decided to extend your contract…get these references NOW.
• Interviews:  You may have several of these in the next two weeks. Be available and prepared.
• Licensing.  If you are going to a location where you are not licensed, you need to begin the licensing process.
• Over the next two weeks you should be confirming a contract.  Making final decisions and beginning to make travel plans.
• Make certain that all of your certifications are up to date.

Personal:

• Fit in the last few ‘experiences’ or local haunts that you have been putting off…you are almost out of time!

If there are people that you have connected with and would like to keep in touch with, make sure you have their contact info.  Phone, email, FB, etc.