What Should You Do Between Freelance Contracts?

Time between freelance contracts can be useful for more than searching for your next role. Updating your CV, reconnecting with recruiters and previous colleagues, developing relevant skills and preparing for interviews can all put you in a stronger position for your next opportunity.

But according to Arielle Nagar at Montreal Associates, the best preparation starts before your current contract ends.

“Don’t wait until the end of your contract. Once you’re comfortable in your role, update your CV, and around three months before your contract ends, start speaking to your recruiter about what could come next.”

Whether your current contract is coming to an end or you're already between freelance projects, here's how to use that time productively.

1. Update Your CV Before Your Contract Ends

Updating your CV shouldn't be something you leave until you're already looking for contract work.

It is recommended to start around a month to a month and a half into an assignment, once you have a good understanding of the project and your responsibilities. At this stage, she suggests having at least four bullet points covering your role. You can then update these as the project develops.

This avoids having to reconstruct several months of work when a recruiter suddenly asks for your latest CV.

Focus on the experience that will help someone quickly understand what you contributed to the project: your responsibilities, technologies, project context and how your role developed.

Whether you describe it as a contractor CV, freelance CV or resume, keeping it current means you have something ready when the right opportunity appears.

Looking to improve yours? Read our guide to How to Write a Resume for Tech Roles That Gets Noticed.

2. Start Looking Before Your Current Contract Finishes

If you're wondering how to find contract work without a long gap between assignments, start the conversation early.

Around three months before your contract is due to finish, get back in touch with your recruiter and tell them your expected end date. You don't necessarily need to be actively interviewing at this point. The aim is to make sure they know when you're likely to become available.

It is then recommended to maintain contact roughly every two to three weeks as the end of the assignment approaches.

This also gives you time to send your updated CV and discuss the types of IT contract jobs you'd be interested in next.

A Simple Timeline for Your Next Contract

3. Reconnect With People You've Worked With Before

Finding your next contract isn't only about searching job boards.

Arielle recommends reaching out to former hiring managers, colleagues and other professional connections. This could be as simple as checking in or meeting someone for a coffee.

The important part is maintaining these relationships before you urgently need another opportunity.

For experienced freelancers, your professional network may include people across several businesses and projects. Staying in contact means those relationships don't have to be restarted from scratch every time you're looking for your next assignment.

The same applies to recruiters. Keeping in touch with recruiters who understand your technology specialism means they already know your experience and availability when a suitable opportunity comes up.

4. Look at Current IT Contract Jobs

Even if you aren't ready to apply immediately, reviewing current IT contract jobs can give you an idea of what businesses are looking for.

Look at the skills, technologies and experience appearing repeatedly in relevant contract IT jobs. Are clients looking for something you already have? Are there technologies or capabilities becoming more prominent within your area?

This can help you decide where to focus your time between freelance contracts rather than learning something simply for the sake of it.

It can also help you have more useful conversations with recruiters about the opportunities currently available within your specialism.

Explore current IT contract jobs

5. Keep Learning Between Freelance Contracts

“If you’re between contracts, keep consuming knowledge around your industry. Anything you can add to your knowledge during that time can help prepare you for your next opportunity.”

That doesn't necessarily mean starting a major qualification every time you finish a contract.

Look at what's changing within your own specialism. Read about developments affecting the projects you work on. Explore technologies that are becoming relevant to your role and consider where there are gaps in your existing knowledge.

Competition is increasing for some junior roles as businesses use AI to automate smaller, more manual tasks. She highlights critical thinking and the ability to assess AI-generated work as increasingly important alongside knowing how to use the technology itself.

Want to learn more? Read our blog: Will AI Replace Technology Contractors?

6. Learn How to Use AI in Your Existing Role

You don't need to become an AI specialist to make AI a useful part of your skillset. Instead, use some of your time between contracts to explore how AI could support the work you already do.

For example:

• Project Managers could experiment with summarising project information, structuring meeting notes or creating first drafts of documentation.
• Data professionals could explore AI-assisted analysis, documentation or ways to communicate technical findings more clearly.
• SAP and Salesforce professionals could test how AI can support research, documentation or explaining complex technical information.
• Developers and Engineers could explore AI-assisted coding, debugging and documentation, while reviewing outputs carefully.
• Consultants could use AI to research unfamiliar topics, structure presentations or turn complex information into clearer client communications.

The goal isn't simply to add “AI” to your CV. Focus on one or two applications that could genuinely make you more effective within your specialism, and build enough practical experience to discuss how you've used them with a future client.

Critical thinking matters here too. As Arielle points out, AI can produce misleading information, so knowing how to question, verify and improve an output can be just as important as knowing how to generate one.

7. Use AI to Practise for Your Next Interview

One key practical recommendation is to use AI as a mock interviewer.

If you're between contracts, you can use an AI tool to practise responding to questions before speaking with a prospective client. This is a way of practising and building confidence ahead of an interview.

For example, you could provide the job description and ask:

I'm interviewing for this contract. Act as the hiring manager and ask me one interview question at a time based on the requirements in this job description.

The aim isn't to create answers to memorise. Use the exercise to practise explaining your experience, projects and technical knowledge clearly.

8. Benchmark Your Rate Before Your Next Contract

The gap between assignments can also be a good opportunity to review your contractor rate.

Before discussing your next assignment, look at how rates compare for professionals working in a similar role, technology specialism and location.

Montreal Associates' Contractor Rate Benchmarking Tool lets you compare your rate against relevant market data, giving you additional context when considering your next opportunity.

Can You Still Find Remote IT Contract Jobs?

Remote IT contract jobs are still available, although working arrangements vary between businesses. Arielle has seen more employers asking contractors to spend time in the office compared with previous years, while fully remote opportunities still exist depending on the role and company culture.

If remote work is important to you, be clear with recruiters about what you're open to, whether that's fully remote, occasional travel or hybrid work. It’s also worth checking the requirements of each opportunity carefully, as the meaning of “remote” can vary between employers.

How Can You Find Your Next Freelance Tech Job?

Finding your next freelance tech job is easier when you start preparing before your current contract ends. Keep your CV up to date, make your availability known and stay connected with recruiters and people you've worked with before.

As specialist technology recruiters, Montreal Associates works with contractors and freelancers to understand their experience, what they're looking for next and the opportunities that could be relevant to them.

If you're ready for your next move, explore our current IT contract jobs or send us your CV to connect with a specialist recruiter.

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FAQs About Finding Your Next Contract

What should I do between freelance contracts?

Use the time to update your CV, reconnect with recruiters and previous professional contacts, review current opportunities and continue developing knowledge relevant to your specialism. MA's Arielle Nagar also recommends learning how to use AI tools and using AI to practise for interviews.

How do I find contract work?

Start before your existing contract ends. Arielle recommends telling your recruiter your expected availability around three months before your contract finishes and maintaining contact every two to three weeks. Previous hiring managers, colleagues, professional networks and current contract job listings can also help you identify opportunities.

When should I start looking for my next contract?

Arielle recommends contacting your recruiter around three months before your expected contract end date. This doesn't mean you need to start interviewing immediately; it makes your upcoming availability known before you reach the end of the assignment.

How can I improve my freelance CV?

Keep it current rather than waiting until an assignment finishes. Arielle recommends adding your current project around a month to a month and a half into the contract, with at least four initial points about your role and responsibilities, and updating these as the project develops.

Can I find remote IT contract jobs?

Remote IT contract jobs are still available, although working arrangements depend on the employer and role. Arielle has observed more in-office requirements than previously but says remote opportunities have not disappeared.

How can I prepare for an IT contract interview?

Review the requirements of the contract and practise explaining how your previous experience relates to them. Arielle also recommends using AI as a mock interviewer to practise answering questions and build confidence before an interview.