North West Contractor Scene

[Biggles78]

Hi,
I'm currently working in London for a client on a day rate of 400. Due to family circumstances I'm about to move just outside of Liverpool. I need to start looking for work, I'm just wondering what the typical day rates are for someone with a strong corporate wintel background in technical architecture and IT infrastructure?

Also, I've been toying with the Idea of doing out of hours work - offering services such as scripting, documentation, support, website building, etc. I generally find this sort of work is difficult to come by, e.g something you can do outside of your 9 to 5, that isn't time critical and doesn't require an onsite visit, any thoughts on if there is a market for this?



Thanks

[northernladuk]

400 a day in London. Somethings not right there. What exactly are you doing. Surely you'd be looking at the 300's oop North?

I think you and every coder are looking to do a bit of out of hours work but unless you are very lucky you will probably be competing with the People Per Hour lot so we find very little work at some derisory rates. Depends if you are very good at networking and marketing but still, I wouldn't be expecting much.
Can you travel? It's going to be slim pickings looking for commutable gigs.

[The Spartan]

400 a day in London. Somethings not right there.

You'd be surprised I know a lot of guys in London who are on that if not a little more, I myself managed to get more but only because I have a mon-fri stay.

There are some good gigs in the North West especially in and around Manchester of late.

[radish2008]

Yeah this is true - although I was on 400 a day outside of banking. On more now in banking but they are tightening their belts and rates are harder to negotiate I think.

Up here I don't know - £300 to £350 seems to be the mark for dev work.

There are a few sub £300 role though.

[northernladuk]

Think of the upside. You can buy a whole street in Liverpool for a couple of months work.....

[original PM]

Think of the upside. You can buy a whole street in Liverpool for a couple of months work.....

If you really wanted tooo.....

[diseasex]

Market is tough in north west now. There are many experienced contractors looking, 60 people per role so it's bit of luck to 1. be put forward, 2. be chosen for interview, 3. win actual interview. Never been like this and it's worse than 2008. All hail brexit
Good luck!

[SueEllen]

Market is tough in north west now. There are many experienced contractors looking, 60 people per role so it's bit of luck to 1. be put forward, 2. be chosen for interview, 3. win actual interview. Never been like this and it's worse than 2008. All hail brexit
Good luck!

Nice to know you have exactly the same skills and experience as the OP.

[diseasex]

Nice to know you have exactly the same skills and experience as the OP.

As long as it's IT it's going to be the same across the industry. One of my previous clients has let go 27 IT guys a week ago and that's just tip of an iceberg. Agents complaining, roles getting spammed with CV's

[SueEllen]

As long as it's IT it's going to be the same across the industry. One of my previous clients has let go 27 IT guys a week ago and that's just tip of an iceberg. Agents complaining, roles getting spammed with CV's

Nope.

On another thread there are people complaining of no work. Their location areas e.g. south east overlap with mine. There as I'm telling agents who are digging my CV out and phoning me I am in a contract.