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> Dave Brinegar mentions (twice) the "Spring contract techwriter's season"
>
> Is this a real phenomenon? If so, why? Does it exist across the board
> or just in some geographical areas or some industries? What constitutes
> "spring"--February to June? (When I go independent in a couple of
> years, it would be just like my luck to decide to take the plunge in
> September!)
I suspect the spring "season" is geographically local, although it may
have a lot to do with budget cycles. However, there is another "season"
you have to watch out for as a contractor: the dead period from about
the middle of November through the beginning of January. One of my
long-standing rules is to line up in September and October contracts
that will take me through the end of the year. In Silicon Valley, it's
harder to get people's attention as of about mid-November than at other
times. There are probably lots of reasons, but the net effect is that
it's very difficult to land new work during that period.
Elna Tymes
Los Trancos Systems
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