“I’d negotiated a pretty good rate and lined up a second contract to start three weeks after my first one ended, so I thought ‘Sweet, I’ll take a holiday’," Steven says.
But a delay starting the second contract turned a three-week gap into two months.
“It was quite stressful when I look back on it because I had to take a hard look at my finances.”
He now saves some of his monthly income for a buffer in case of future contract gaps. “I also put aside time towards the end of contracts for finding work — not just talking to agencies, but doing some networking, even if it’s talking to mates in the industry, it all helps.”