Hi,
New to this forum, but not to contractoruk or contracting. I went about looking for a forum for IT contractors and ended up here. Not a bad place to end up.
Been out since November 08, and stood little chance of getting anything before Christmas. Most agencies just ringing up to chat about the weather, and to tell me that their clients weren't hiring until the new year.
Now the new year is here. the same agencies are calling. This time not to chat about the weather, but to try and pitch me on a bogus contact with no job spec, and to try and take two references up front. Not falling for that one. Find your own leads.
Then, and most recently, they call with real contracts (I think), decide I am the perfect candidate, put me forward and promise to get back to me whatever the outcome. Then I wait, and wait, and wait a few days. Then I chase, and chase and chase.
I've had every excuse under the sun. In a meeting. On the phone. Away from his / her desk. On a client visit. Funny how they all only know said agent's whereabouts AFTER they have taken my name, put me on hold, and then come back to me.
Feeling a bit low as I have had "numerous" false starts where the CV has gone to the client and I haven't even had a sniff of an interview.
I've been coding for 12 years, have MCP qualifications and bags of good hard faught and won war stories of projects come good. And have usually been ok at stringing contracts together.
Why am I benched? Why am I so convinced its just me. Does weeks of being stuck at home mean I am now my own worst enemy?
I think I am just looking to swap stories with other contractors, maybe get some advice on how to stop these agency types from mucking me around so much, and get a lift as after all these weeks I am finally starting to slide into the abyss.
Pretty verbose first post huh? Please don't pan me first time out of the gate. I know there are people out there who are just as frustrated as me, I just don't want to suffer alone and in silence any more.
New to this forum, but not to contractoruk or contracting. I went about looking for a forum for IT contractors and ended up here. Not a bad place to end up.
Been out since November 08, and stood little chance of getting anything before Christmas. Most agencies just ringing up to chat about the weather, and to tell me that their clients weren't hiring until the new year.
Now the new year is here. the same agencies are calling. This time not to chat about the weather, but to try and pitch me on a bogus contact with no job spec, and to try and take two references up front. Not falling for that one. Find your own leads.
Then, and most recently, they call with real contracts (I think), decide I am the perfect candidate, put me forward and promise to get back to me whatever the outcome. Then I wait, and wait, and wait a few days. Then I chase, and chase and chase.
I've had every excuse under the sun. In a meeting. On the phone. Away from his / her desk. On a client visit. Funny how they all only know said agent's whereabouts AFTER they have taken my name, put me on hold, and then come back to me.
Feeling a bit low as I have had "numerous" false starts where the CV has gone to the client and I haven't even had a sniff of an interview.
I've been coding for 12 years, have MCP qualifications and bags of good hard faught and won war stories of projects come good. And have usually been ok at stringing contracts together.
Why am I benched? Why am I so convinced its just me. Does weeks of being stuck at home mean I am now my own worst enemy?
I think I am just looking to swap stories with other contractors, maybe get some advice on how to stop these agency types from mucking me around so much, and get a lift as after all these weeks I am finally starting to slide into the abyss.
Pretty verbose first post huh? Please don't pan me first time out of the gate. I know there are people out there who are just as frustrated as me, I just don't want to suffer alone and in silence any more.
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