Is it my imagination or .....

[Yampy]

Hi all, my first post on the forum. I am new to contracting and have been reading and gleaning info from you all for the past few months and must say it's been very educational so thanks everybody. Anyway I've been looking for my second contract for two months now, get plenty calls from agents when I submit my CV but no interviews as yet. I have noticed that the roles advertised over the past two weeks or so seem more 'real' as my conversations are now different than those last month and the agents talk more specifics rather than the generic stuff before. Is it my imagination or has the market heated up a bit ?

[ceebeepps]

I'm finding it dead at the moment

[Yampy]

I'm finding it dead at the moment

I'm learning that there are a few stages of dead in contracting so, dead ...... as in not many roles advertised or not getting calls from agents or getting calls but no interviews ? I suppose the big factor also is one's specialism, mine is infrastructure both operational management and project delivery.

There are tons of infrastructure PM roles advertised and agents say my skills and experience are perfect and that they are putting me forward, about 5 in the last 2 weeks, they ask me to authorise them to put my CV forward, I do but then it all goes quiet and I don't hear anything more. I would hazard a guess that the market is probably awash with seasoned contract infrastructure PM's so that's why I'm probably not getting shortlisted for interview.

Any views on how long it typically takes to get to the interview stage, obviously it will be different for most roles advertised but it would be good to hear some of the experiences of the battle hardened contractors who regularly face this dilemma.

[uk contractor]

Its your imagination it will take time for the recruitment phase to startup again its been dead pre-election for 2 months.


Give it a few more months to really ramp up before the summer slump!

[SlipTheJab]

Its your imagination it will take time for the recruitment phase to startup again its been dead pre-election for 2 months.


Give it a few more months to really ramp up before the summer slump!

And then we'll be into the autumn slow down followed by the wasteland that is end of year recruitment paralysis

[mrv]

And then we'll be into the autumn slow down followed by the wasteland that is end of year recruitment paralysis

Yeah, but right after that there is going to be a massive flow of roles, as companies are trying to use the remaining budget before fiscal year ends. So happy days!

[SueEllen]

Is it my imagination or has the market heated up a bit ?

There isn't one market.

And markets are unpredictable.

Events such as major sporting events e.g. London Olympics and general elections do make a difference to how busy some markets are but if your skills are in short supply, or you just happen to be available in the right place and at the right time you will get a contract.

[uk contractor]

And then we'll be into the autumn slow down followed by the wasteland that is end of year recruitment paralysis

Not so sure this time recruiters I talk to recently say they are unsure when it will pickup many major companies stopped hiring unless its an essential project ages ago which is not good news for contractors like us I fear we are slowly heading towards a triple dip......again!

[Yampy]

if your skills are in short supply, or you just happen to be available in the right place and at the right time you will get a contract.

Thanks SueEllen that does give me some hope, I suppose things have just got to line up for things to happen.