Anyone else suffering from a holiday lull?

[squarepeg]

Same here

About two dozen calls, eight interviews, one attempt to make me join a startup as a CTO instead of contracting, two interviews ended with a 'you are too qualified for this job', the rest disappeared off the face of the Earth with agents apologising for the client behaviour (most likely no budget, so no point in inviting me for a second stage). It's very quiet, I don't even get the usual deluge of tulipty contracts/perm offers. Let's hope it picks up soon.

[silverlight1]

Yes, there has definetly been an extended summer lull in my experience.

Finished a contract in mid August and got offered a new one this week

In 10 years of contracting 6 weeks was the longest I had on the bench.

There are a lot of contract PM's out there looking for roles and a real over-supply due to lots of newbie contractors that is pushing rates down.

My day rate for the new role is less than my first one 10 years ago..

The perm market is very strong at the moment and interesting to see £80k+ roles for perm PM's - not that I'd ever do it but with all the new legislation, anti micro business government this stuff doesn't help..

[uk contractor]

Had a call today about a well known investment bank who are renewing for 6 months + 6 months extension....when he said the max rate offered I almost fell off my chair laughing (its only about £2000 per month LESS than going market rate!). they can keep it & get the newbie contractors I am happy to sit on the bench for as long as needed on those rates.


Still think its stock market uncertainty driving this more than anything else (although UK is now swamped with cheap import IT staff ready to do the same role for 40-50% less!).

[squarepeg]

Had a call today about a well known investment bank who are renewing for 6 months + 6 months extension....when he said the max rate offered I almost fell off my chair laughing (its only about £2000 per month LESS than going market rate!). they can keep it & get the newbie contractors I am happy to sit on the bench for as long as needed on those rates.


Still think its stock market uncertainty driving this more than anything else (although UK is now swamped with cheap import IT staff ready to do the same role for 40-50% less!).

I think it's clients waiting for accountants to run the numbers against the 2016 budget. Those who need contractors now are pushing the rates down 'just in case'. Anyway, there some contracts floating, but they are not very interesting for me not rate-wise, but from the point of the commute. I had one today that made me laugh, 3 days in Maidenhead/2 days in Stuttgart and the client expect me to have a fresh mind to think on site? payment + expenses 4 weeks after invoice... Sorry, but this is stupid.

[suityou01]

Had a call today about a well known investment bank who are renewing for 6 months + 6 months extension....when he said the max rate offered I almost fell off my chair laughing (its only about £2000 per month LESS than going market rate!). they can keep it & get the newbie contractors I am happy to sit on the bench for as long as needed on those rates.


Still think its stock market uncertainty driving this more than anything else (although UK is now swamped with cheap import IT staff ready to do the same role for 40-50% less!).

And where do you suppose this flood of rookie contractors is coming from?

[Milkyway]

And where do you suppose this flood of rookie contractors is coming from?

From what I read from various threads on this forum, I suppose it's the offshore companies posting their people on these contracts at horrendous rates... Anywhere from 100 a day.

We simply cannot compete with them at any cost
The British clientco are having a laugh at all this, while they enjoy cheap stuff. It's unfortunate.

I would only blame this on our own lot. Our uk companies and our lot who we voted in. I certainly thought Tories would be on the entreprenerial side and wealth creator's side.
George Osb has literally nuked the contract market, in favour of offshore consultancies and cheap labour imports.

Bloody hell, Ed Balls just asked for a 50% rate vs. Current 45, and I thought they were against business and wealth creators.
I feel funny now.

Tories ... Why did you lot do this to us?

[squarepeg]

From what I read from various threads on this forum, I suppose it's the offshore companies posting their people on these contracts at horrendous rates... Anywhere from 100 a day.

We simply cannot compete with them at any cost
The British clientco are having a laugh at all this, while they enjoy cheap stuff. It's unfortunate.

I would only blame this on our own lot. Our uk companies and our lot who we voted in. I certainly thought Tories would be on the entreprenerial side and wealth creator's side.
George Osb has literally nuked the contract market, in favour of offshore consultancies and cheap labour imports.

Bloody hell, Ed Balls just asked for a 50% rate vs. Current 45, and I thought they were against business and wealth creators.
I feel funny now.

Tories ... Why did you lot do this to us?

Had a new one today... An offshore consultancy has an idea that hiring someone who actually speaks English in a way that others can understand will help them deliver projects and better communicate with the clients. Problem is, the guys I'd have to work with speak barely understandable English. Had to let this one go even though the market is slow. Money is not everything.

[uk contractor]

And where do you suppose this flood of rookie contractors is coming from?

I know EXACTLY where they are coming from...sadly that appears to be the future not just IT but most sectors. Business plan seems to be wherever possible make the perms redundant then build a zero hour contract workforce composed of workers who can exist (should that be subsist perhaps?!) on a minimum wage

Sure it drives profits up & short term is great for those margins & makes the middle managers look good but long term its a terrible idea & will just create a sudden demand for skilled workers who will naturally demand salaries to match their expertise & skillset(s). So it will cost them way more over time but in the meantime if your stuck inside this bubble its going to be a hard slog to financially survive unfortunately

[uk contractor]

I think it's clients waiting for accountants to run the numbers against the 2016 budget. Those who need contractors now are pushing the rates down 'just in case'. Anyway, there some contracts floating, but they are not very interesting for me not rate-wise, but from the point of the commute. I had one today that made me laugh, 3 days in Maidenhead/2 days in Stuttgart and the client expect me to have a fresh mind to think on site? payment + expenses 4 weeks after invoice... Sorry, but this is stupid.

Stupid seems to be the new recruitment tactic for agencies one asked me to go to Switzerland once a week at short notice then be prepared to work in London & Germany all in the same week for way less than it should be!

I wish it were just waiting for 2016 budgets but as this slump has been ongoing since spring I think its far deeper than that now unfortnately this feels to me like early 2000's slump again but the difference now is there are so many cheap import workers around waiting to jump in & be (initially) happy for minimum wage

[Gumbo Robot]

Stupid seems to be the new recruitment tactic for agencies one asked me to go to Switzerland once a week at short notice then be prepared to work in London & Germany all in the same week for way less than it should be!

I wish it were just waiting for 2016 budgets but as this slump has been ongoing since spring I think its far deeper than that now unfortnately this feels to me like early 2000's slump again but the difference now is there are so many cheap import workers around waiting to jump in & be (initially) happy for minimum wage

Exactly. I was out in March & was expecting things to pick up in March.

They didn't. Agents were blaming it on the uncertainty around the general election.

After 6 weeks I picked up a crap role on a 6 week rolling contract & then ditched that in favour of the role that has just come to an end today.

It seems that the days of picking up roles with big companies that are likely to keep extending are over; in each of my last 3 roles the contractors have been binned in favour of a consultancy.