Anyone else suffering from a holiday lull?

[coe123]

40 jobs a day???? You applying for them all or are most rubbish?

No, I use it to spot general trend - is always on. This is generic daily London PM filter paying above £65ph, I don't apply for anything outside B&FS roles and apply my own filters - so anything beyond 3-4 roles/day is a bonus - being said all that JobServe is not my main source.

Applying jobs willy nilly wastes everyone's time.

[Dark Black]

Yes, it is the softer skills and as much I think that I have a very good CV that ticks all the boxes there is always something. How I wish I had stuck to doing C++

Really? I have 20+ years of C++ (with a couple each on C# / Java - platform not web) and I'm struggling to find anything. Never known a year like it, my SC has lapsed now too damnit

[nomadd]

Really? I have 20+ years of C++ (with a couple each on C# / Java - platform not web) and I'm struggling to find anything. Never known a year like it, my SC has lapsed now too damnit

Last C++ role I did was 20 years ago.

Become a Stupid Quant.

Lots of high-paid C++ work for those folks.

[Dark Black]

Last C++ role I did was 20 years ago.

Become a Stupid Quant.

Lots of high-paid C++ work for those folks.

Engineering and/or defence mostly - I don't do financial.

[nomadd]

I have 20+ years of C++...and I'm struggling to find anything.

I don't do financial.

Sometimes the road to contracting happiness is to find ways to join the dots between your own quotes.

[Andy2]

Andy2, Depending where you are and if you have SC Clearance (or willing to undergo) then I could give you a contact or two to help if you are still on the bench? South coast work is available.

Back to the original topic, I am an experienced, well skilled PM (10yrs, Agile, Scrum, PRINCE2) and I have been on the bench since start of June. I have found the summer incredibly slow, many of my initial leads turned into 4, 5 6 week waits for feedback. I've had 4 interviews upto August (two didn't want me and I pulled out of the running of two) and now have another two IV's booked in but blimey, have I found it slow.

To be an immediately available, SC Cleared PM and not be picked up for 4 months - it has shocked me. This is my first attempt at picking up a new contract since I bagged the first one in Jan 14 and blimey, it worries me for the next contract pick up attempt!

I don't have SC clearance but willing to undergo. South coast works fine for me. Please pm me the details or email me at andy2 at yopmail dot com. Ta

[oliverson]

This week's been a lot more encouraging. Hopefully the wheels are turning again.

[wantacontract]

I've signed a decent contract, close to home and rates ok.....only issue is the contract ends end of Jan so will be a bad time to look for a new contract...

[northernladuk]

There is always a bad time to look for contracts apparently. Can't keep thinking like that.

[Milkyway]

Had a number of calls this week indeed, but nothing has materialized into an interview as yet!
The rates are absolute rubbish, and "real" roles seem to be in single numbers overall.

The pimp who spoke to me today was only after my references, "so he can speed up things" apparently
No interviews and no mention of client name, just the city where the role could be! (i.e. a potential contract in "thin air")

But he did say that he too expected the market to pick up from end of August, but he says we are in almost October and no one is signing off anything.
He said if it went on like this until 3rd week of October, then we can forget about signing anything until March!

Market seems to be very dry... anyway, if anybody is looking to make a move, I would say this is not the time please. Beware!!