State of the Market Software Testing

[cherhill]

Have been contracting for 16 years and always been in work but looks like I may have some bench time.

Is the market bad currently or is it just because it's the summer. I have never had to look for work this time of year before so really have no experience of it.

I am told that once schools are back it is the busiest time of the year, so is this the general consensus or is the market struggling.

I am in software testing by the way. Seems a few TA roles around but TM's are pretty much non-existent.

[SueEllen]

Everything depends.

There are clients with projects that require staff at all times of the year with all types of skills generally because those projects do not have sufficient staff (either in numbers or quality).

New projects tend to follow that company's financial year. Very few financial years start in August.

Also remember now lots of roles aren't advertised so you need to get your CV out to agencies and use your networks.

Make sure your mobile phone number only is on your CV, keep your phone with you/within reach at all times and then stop worrying about it.

BTW I'm not a TM or TA.

[CoolCat]

Like everything else the never ending mass import of labour from India, on uncapped intra company transfer visas for the outsourcers, subcontracted into other companies for less than it costs to hire a Brit, taxing them significantly less than locals, and massive numbers of them gaining indefinite leave to remain here and British citizenship, does have an impact. It seems our political masters have taken an active decision to give the IT jobs to Indian nationals. Naturally even in times of plenty Brits will be displaced from the workforce as the numbers coming in from India just keep getting bigger.

[eek]

Like everything else the never ending mass import of labour from India, on uncapped intra company transfer visas for the outsourcers, subcontracted into other companies for less than it costs to hire a Brit, taxing them significantly less than locals, and massive numbers of them gaining indefinite leave to remain here and British citizenship, does have an impact. It seems our political masters have taken an active decision to give the IT jobs to Indian nationals. Naturally even in times of plenty Brits will be displaced from the workforce as the numbers coming in from India just keep getting bigger.

Change the record.....

[CoolCat]

Change the record.....

no

[SussexSeagull]

I have found the last three years very productive for software testing contracts but my month break turned into a two month break last Summer.

[xing]

The market is hot for the ones with developer skills who're good at automate things.

[SpontaneousOrder]

The market is hot for the ones with developer skills who're good at automate things.

I was talking abut this, and how it related to a the changing software development landscape, to someone just the other day.

There are a lot of testers who don't want to get technical and learn a little bit of coding and ops type stuff. Sounds like professional suicide to me.

[kal]

Change the record.....

+1, Maybe put on a compilation album of Bollywood's best hits...

[BolshieBastard]

Like everything else the never ending mass import of labour from India, on uncapped intra company transfer visas for the outsourcers, subcontracted into other companies for less than it costs to hire a Brit, taxing them significantly less than locals, and massive numbers of them gaining indefinite leave to remain here and British citizenship, does have an impact. It seems our political masters have taken an active decision to give the IT jobs to Indian nationals. Naturally even in times of plenty Brits will be displaced from the workforce as the numbers coming in from India just keep getting bigger.

Not just India but also the Phillipines.

Change the record.....

Why should he? He's absolutely spot on.

The market is hot for the ones with developer skills who're good at automate things.

You're not a pure test analyst if you have developer skills. And a developer shouldnt be testing their own work after unit testing anyway!