State of the Market

[SchumiStars]

It's low considering it's software dev, but on the other hand the three grads I worked with for a company similar to BAE were on that "rate" (that's around 35k yearly), so maybe not a huge surprise.

I'm more interested in what the role actually is, we all know requirements are one thing and reality is something else.

Apparently, it's also a very hard, technical interview with lots of questions. I normally do quite badly at these which is always a suprise to everyone.

Well, let's see what happens. I might even have a shave and wear a clean shirt for it. I do have to say the market is drastic ATM. We were all looking forward to 2024, citing that we should improve however it does seem as though it could be a further 12mths.

I highly doubt the market will improve quickly from this position, it seems like it will take some time and patient to get the cogs turning at company HR depts. Whatever is going on, it does seem deeper than the previous downturns we have all seen.

[Snooky]

This is the future everyone under 30 or 40 has to look forward to when AI takes most jobs. Everyone scrambling for the few jobs that cant be done by machine, and those jobs will be paying minimum wage job because so many people will be chasing them.

If you're implying AI will cause mass unemployment, that won't happen. It won't be allowed to happen, because governments need citizens working and paying sufficient taxes to keep things ticking over.

If you're implying that tech jobs will start to disappear, to be replaced by other jobs which people can do instead, you may be right in the very long term. Personally I think all the hoohah about AI taking over the world is hugely overstated, in the same way that people were saying Blockchain would completely revolutionise commerce. It may come to pass but it's taking an awful long time to get going.

[dsc]

Apparently, it's also a very hard, technical interview with lots of questions. I normally do quite badly at these which is always a suprise to everyone.[...]

Really? fecking hell that's a surprise considering the pay package :/ any ideas if it was a heavily applied to position? on the other hand nothing should really surprise me at this point with a market like this...

I'm tulip with time limited coding exercises and remembering tulip things like function names which apparently sometimes people ask about in interviews, so... best of luck!

[Fraidycat]

Really? fecking hell that's a surprise considering the pay package :/ any ideas if it was a heavily applied to position?

Five days in the office, hard interview, virtually minimum wage pay. Probably expect you to work your ass off. It sounds like a sweat shop.

Java Node Javascript, I can guarantee the code base is a huge mess as well, if it has been written by entry level grads on that kind of pay and that tech stack.

Still desperate times call for desperate measures.. But if they don't offer it because you are over qualified it was probably a lucky escape.

[eek]

I have a confirmed interview, 5 days on-site, 30miles away from home, paying £13.50 PAYE per hour. The job is software development requiring Java, Node, MongoDB, Docker and also security clearance.

Just to add, I'm an Oxford Grad, living in London. Unfortunately, it does seem as though I will be attending and lowering my own expectations of achievable day rate

Nevermind, got to take the rough with the smooth I suppose and no-one knows when this rough tide will end.

Minimum wage is £11.44 from April 1st.

I'm sorry but I wouldn't be touching that role nor should anyone else - you are better off getting a job locally even in a pub / supermarket because seriously once you get in a car and drive any distance at all you will be worse off.

[PCTNN]

Minimum wage is £11.44 from April 1st.

I'm sorry but I wouldn't be touching that role nor should anyone else - you are better off getting a job locally even in a pub / supermarket because seriously once you get in a car and drive any distance at all you will be worse off.

Also the nation needs fruit pickers. Plenty jobs there I suspect. Nice low pressure job, healthy outdoors life.

[TheDude]

Contract expires on the 5th March and still no renewal. My manager has said he initiated process weeks ago but managers are scrutinising everything and pinching every penny. Hardly surprising when they are laying off 4% of the firm but during a headcount freeze it makes sense to retain capable people.

In any case it will only be a 3 month renewal if it happens because I am coming up to the 90 week retention deadline.

[dsc]

Contract expires on the 5th March and still no renewal. My manager has said he initiated process weeks ago but managers are scrutinising everything and pinching every penny. Hardly surprising when they are laying off 4% of the firm but during a headcount freeze it makes sense to retain capable people.

In any case it will only be a 3 month renewal if it happens because I am coming up to the 90 week retention deadline.

If bean counters are involved, not much makes sense anymore. I'm in a similar position, whole dept is being restructured and needs to find 3mil savings for 2024, they already dropped 5 contractors, but still kept some until at least mid 2024 (I'm not expecting a renewal after then tho). The best thing is that there's already not enough people to make it run efficiently, so

[TheDude]

Contract renewed until end of July. This brings me up to the engagement limit so i will need to find something new anyway.

[agentzero]

Contract renewed until end of July. This brings me up to the engagement limit so i will need to find something new anyway.

What is the current thinking on this? Forgetting travel, subsistence and client wrong internal term limits. You need to be careful with duration at a client, but with multiple contracts simultaneously surely going past 1 year 364 days is perfectly ok, as long as all parties agree it's outside IR35 and it is genuinely outside IR35.