State of the Market

[Sub]

[/LIST]Like another poster here, I'm wondering whether I'm a resting contractor, or an (involuntarily) retired contractor.

This can be the case for many. We likely still need to wait until debt bubble will pop and bear the pain of it before there will be space for further grow. But when it happens, there will be no going back to sweet contract market open to anyone who can do work.

Only ones who possess niche skills, run actual businesses and developed their own network will be working on outside basis. Rest of the today's contractors will be some type of employee, with or without employee rights.

[SussexSeagull]

This can be the case for many. We likely still need to wait until debt bubble will pop and bear the pain of it before there will be space for further grow. But when it happens, there will be no going back to sweet contract market open to anyone who can do work.

Only ones who possess niche skills, run actual businesses and developed their own network will be working on outside basis. Rest of the today's contractors will be some type of employee, with or without employee rights.

I don't know why we go down this 'I am a better contractor than you' purity test from time to time. I hear a lot about these fabled niche skills but the problem is with them is if there was a large market for them then they wouldn't be niche. We all (or at least should be) maintain and develop a network. As for working outside or not, that really isn't up to us anymore.

The market is terrible and we don't know if that is a short or long term problem. That is an industry wide problem.

[sadkingbilly]

This can be the case for many. We likely still need to wait until debt bubble will pop and bear the pain of it before there will be space for further grow. But when it happens, there will be no going back to sweet contract market open to anyone who can do work.

Only ones who possess niche skills, run actual businesses and developed their own network will be working on outside basis. Rest of the today's contractors will be some type of employee, with or without employee rights.

wil abilty to rite in English be recquired?
asking for freind.

[TheLordDave]

I have been on the bench since April, longest bench time I have ever had. Finished up a 2 year outside role. Best rate I have ever been on.

so far I have had 0 interviews. Even getting put forward to a client is nigh on impossible. Of the few I have managed they have cancelled before it happened as they already filled the role.

I decided to apply for some inside roles lately. Crap rates but at least it’s something. Like inside roles paying less than I was on 15 years ago.

All was going well, interview scheduled, then cancelled an hour before as “due to my experience and having worked outside in my last role they don’t think I will stay if offered a better rate.”

This was for a 12 week contract with a consultancy that usually has outside roles.

it’s getting to the tipping point now, warchest is all but gone. Looking at moving to a better catchment area/downsizing to get the kids in a decent school as the local state is in special measures.

really didn’t think it was going to be this bad…

[BlackCountryContractor]

I'm currently in a contact but the project has been going south for a while so I've been looking; one interesting chat I had with a recruitment consultant is that closures of IT recruitment agencies have been accelerating due to the state of the market and no one is interested in outsourcing now the covid-era rush to hire permanent jobs is finished.

Going to be a very long year of trying to find gigs.

[SussexSeagull]

I'm currently in a contact but the project has been going south for a while so I've been looking; one interesting chat I had with a recruitment consultant is that closures of IT recruitment agencies have been accelerating due to the state of the market and no one is interested in outsourcing now the covid-era rush to hire permanent jobs is finished.

Going to be a very long year of trying to find gigs.

Must be said there are a lot of recruitment agencies out there. Although seemingly less now.

[escapeUK]

I'm currently in a contact but the project has been going south for a while so I've been looking; one interesting chat I had with a recruitment consultant is that closures of IT recruitment agencies have been accelerating due to the state of the market and no one is interested in outsourcing now the covid-era rush to hire permanent jobs is finished.

Going to be a very long year of trying to find gigs.

For those of us in contract, its clearly incredibly important (probably never more important) to keep the one we have (get it renewed) and make sure we impress. Also warchests should be measured in years you could go without working, never months. For me, 2 years is my absolute minimum.

[SussexSeagull]

I had a similar contract.
They had about 15 testers, all from India.
Every time they found something that "didn't work" they would raise a bug. No investigation, no root cause analysis, just raise a bug and assign to one of the BAs.
Just randomly bash in source data and hope for the best.
So we end up with about 80 bugs which are not actually bugs.

For those of us in contract, its clearly incredibly important (probably never more important) to keep the one we have (get it renewed) and make sure we impress. Also warchests should be measured in years you could go without working, never months. For me, 2 years is my absolute minimum.

I think we would all like a two year buffer but with increasing gaps between contracts and the rising cost of living so think it is a pipe dream for most.

[Unix]

I think we would all like a two year buffer but with increasing gaps between contracts and the rising cost of living so think it is a pipe dream for most.

I depends on how long you've been contracting, I've been doing it 15+ years and have a 3-5 year warchest (depending on my spending). Obviously those just starting out aren't likely to be in this position but you should be saving/investing a part of your income in quickly accessable liquid assets (not only SIPP).

[unixman]

I have been on the bench since April, longest bench time I have ever had. Finished up a 2 year outside role. Best rate I have ever been on.

Ditto and ditto (January)

I decided to apply for some inside roles lately. Crap rates but at least it’s something. Like inside roles paying less than I was on 15 years ago.

Many people, I think, suffered the lamentable "less than I was on 15 years ago" affect. Throughout our industry and others. My last rate was great, but still, after inflation, less than I was on in 2007/8 (and disregarding inside/outside)

All was going well, interview scheduled, then cancelled an hour before as “due to my experience and having worked outside in my last role they don’t think I will stay if offered a better rate.”

Very enervating. They should realize a contractor is unlikely to leave a contract early in the current climate. Due, among other reasons, to the upheaval and the blot it leaves on your CV. ("Why did you leave that contract early?")