Add the availability and day rate to a contractor CV as a short status line near the top, placed right under the candidate's name and headline. This is the first thing a client checks on a contract role, so it should not sit at the bottom or hide inside a paragraph. Keep it to one or two lines that scan fast.
Include the facts the client needs to make a quick call: availability or a start date, the notice period, the day rate (handled the way your agency policy and the client prefer), location and remote preference, and work status such as inside or outside IR35 and right to work where it is relevant to the role. Treat the IR35 and work-status note as a short, accurate label, not legal or tax advice.
You can add this line by hand in a Word document, or you can drop it in during post-format editing once the CV is in your branded template. Either way, the rule is the same. Put the commercial facts where the client looks first, and keep them up to date for every submission.
Key takeaways
- Add a short status line near the top of the CV, under the name and headline, so the client sees the commercial facts first.
- Cover availability or start date, notice period, day rate (handled per your policy), location and remote preference, and work status such as inside or outside IR35 where relevant.
- Keep the block current. Stale availability and old rates lose trust and waste the client's time.
- Be honest about terms. Do not write "immediately available" if the contractor has a notice period.
Why it matters
Recruiters spend an average of just 7.4 seconds on the initial screening of a resume, according to Ladders' 2018 eye-tracking study. A hiring manager reading a contractor CV gives it the same fast scan. If the availability and day rate are buried, the client has to email you to ask, and that delay can cost the placement. Putting the block near the top answers the first two questions a contract client always has: can this person start, and what do they cost.
Contract hiring is a large part of the market. In July 2023 there were 11.9 million independent contractors in the United States on their sole or main job, 7.4 percent of total employment, up 1.3 million since May 2017. That figure counts independent contractors specifically, not freelancers or gig-platform workers broadly. With that many contract workers in play, clients move fast and compare candidates side by side. A clear, current status line makes your candidate easy to say yes to.
What to include in the block
Lead with availability or a start date
State when the contractor can begin. Use a real date or a clear window such as "Available from 1 July". If they are working now, say so and pair it with the notice period rather than a vague "available soon".
Always include the notice period
Clients plan around the notice period. Write it plainly, such as "2 weeks notice" or "available immediately, no notice". This stops the "immediately available" misunderstanding and sets honest expectations from the start.
Handle the day rate per your policy and the client
Some agencies show the day rate on the CV, some keep it for the covering note or the conversation, and some clients ask for it up front. Follow your agency policy and the client's preference. If you do show it, label the basis clearly, for example the day rate and whether it is inside or outside IR35 where that applies.
Add location and remote preference
Note the base location and whether the contractor wants remote, hybrid, or on-site work. For contract roles this affects travel, expenses, and whether they fit the client's working pattern, so it belongs in the same scan-friendly block.
Include work status where relevant
For contract roles, a short work-status note helps. State inside or outside IR35 where it applies and right to work where the role needs it. Keep this as a brief, accurate label only. It is general guidance, not legal or tax advice, and the determination sits with the client and contractor.
Place it near the top, under the name
Put the block directly under the candidate's name and headline, above the profile summary. The client should see availability and rate without scrolling. Do not append it as a footer or drop it into the body text.
Keep it current for every submission
Availability, notice, and rate change. Check and update the block before you send the CV to each client. A stale date or an old rate is worse than no date at all because it makes the whole CV look out of date.
How to add it to a contractor CV
Step 1: Confirm the facts with the contractor
Before you touch the CV, get the current availability or start date, notice period, day rate, location and remote preference, and work status for the role. Confirm these are accurate for this specific submission, not left over from a previous one.
Step 2: Add a status line under the name and headline
Place a short one or two line block directly beneath the candidate's name and professional headline, above the profile summary. Keep it tight so it reads in a glance.
Step 3: Fill in the fields in a fixed order
Use a consistent order across your candidates, for example: Availability, Notice, Day rate (per policy), Location and remote, Work status. A fixed order helps clients compare candidates quickly and keeps your submissions looking uniform.
Step 4: Apply your day rate and IR35 policy
Show the day rate only if your agency policy and the client want it on the CV. If you keep it off the document, note it in your covering message instead. Add the inside or outside IR35 label only where it applies and you are confident it is correct.
Step 5: Format it to stand out and stay readable
Use a clean single-column layout so the block is not crowded. A light label style, such as bold field names, helps it scan. Keep it text-based so it stays searchable and copyable, and export to PDF or DOCX.
Step 6: Review and refresh before sending
Do a final check that every field is current and matches what the client asked for. Update the date and rate if anything changed, then send. Repeat this check for each new client rather than reusing an old version.
Do this every time
- Put availability and day rate near the top, under the name and headline.
- State the notice period plainly alongside availability.
- Handle the day rate per your agency policy and the client's preference.
- Add location and remote preference in the same block.
- Include a short, accurate inside or outside IR35 label where it applies.
- Use a fixed field order across all your contractor CVs for easy comparison.
- Update the block before every submission so dates and rates are current.
- Keep the block in clean, text-based formatting that exports to PDF or DOCX.
Common mistakes to avoid
Burying availability at the bottom
If the client has to scroll to the end to find a start date, they may not look. Availability is one of the first questions on a contract role, so it belongs near the top, not in a footer.
Leaving the rate off when the client needs it
If the client has asked for the day rate or your policy is to show it, omitting it forces an extra email and slows the decision. Follow the policy and the client's preference, and include the rate where it is wanted.
Stale availability and old rates
Reusing a CV with last month's start date or an outdated rate makes the whole submission look careless. Check and refresh the block for every client before you send.
Vague terms when they are not true
If the contractor is working a notice period, do not write "immediately available". State the real notice. Overstating availability gets exposed in the first call and damages trust.
Ignoring IR35 or work status on contract roles
Skipping work status on a contract role leaves the client guessing. Add a short, accurate inside or outside IR35 label and right to work note where relevant, and keep it as general guidance rather than a definitive ruling.
Cramming the block into a paragraph
A wall of text hides the facts. Keep availability, notice, rate, location, and status as short labelled fields so they scan in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
Should you put your availability on a CV?
Yes, for a contractor CV. Availability is one of the first things a contract client checks, so add it near the top under the name and headline. State a start date or a clear window, and pair it with the notice period. Keep it current for every submission. An out-of-date availability line is worse than none because it makes the whole CV look stale and costs the client time.
Should a day rate go on a contractor CV?
It depends on your agency policy and the client. Some agencies show the day rate on the CV, others keep it for the covering note or the first conversation, and some clients ask for it up front. Follow your policy and the client's preference. If you do show it, label the basis clearly and add the inside or outside IR35 position where that applies to the role.
Where do you put availability on a CV?
Put it near the top, in a short status line directly under the candidate's name and headline and above the profile summary. The client should see availability without scrolling. Keep it in the same block as notice period, day rate where shown, location and remote preference, and work status, so all the commercial facts scan together in a couple of lines.
What is a contractor CV header?
It is the top section with the candidate's name, a short professional headline, and a status line of commercial facts. The status line covers availability or start date, notice period, day rate where your policy shows it, location and remote preference, and work status such as inside or outside IR35 where relevant. It gives the client the key contract details in the first scan.
Should IR35 status be on a contractor CV?
Where it is relevant to the role, a short inside or outside IR35 label helps the client place the contractor faster. Keep it brief and accurate, and treat it as general guidance rather than legal or tax advice. The IR35 determination sits with the client and contractor. Add a right to work note too where the role requires it.
The bottom line
The availability and day rate block is small, but it does a lot of work. It answers the two questions a contract client asks first: when can this person start, and what do they cost. Put it in a short status line near the top of the CV, under the name and headline, and keep the fields in a fixed order so clients can compare candidates fast. Cover availability, notice period, day rate handled per your policy, location and remote preference, and work status where it applies. Then keep it current. Refresh the dates and the rate before every submission, and be honest about notice so the first call goes smoothly. Get this block right and you make your contractor easy to say yes to.
Adding a clean, current status line to every contractor CV is quick with the right setup. RefineCV reformats the CV into your branded template and lets you add the availability and rate block near the top in post-format editing, swap in your agency contact details, and export a clean text-based PDF or DOCX. See transparent pricing or compare it with other CV formatting tools. Try it free on 10 CVs, no card.
Make your contractors easy to say yes to
RefineCV reformats a contractor CV into your branded template so availability, rate, and status sit where the client looks first. Try it free with 10 CVs, no credit card.
Related reading: how to present contract and freelance work on a CV, how to write a candidate cover sheet, and the recruitment CV template.
Sources
- Ladders, Inc. eye-tracking study (reported by HR Dive) (2018): Recruiters spend an average of just 7.4 seconds on the initial screening of a resume, up from the 6-second average in the original 2012 study.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Contingent and Alternative Employment Arrangements (2024): In July 2023 there were 11.9 million independent contractors in the United States on their sole or main job, 7.4 percent of total employment, up 1.3 million since May 2017. This counts independent contractors specifically, not freelancers or gig-platform workers broadly.