State of the Market

[DevUK]

Seen this gem this morning: https://www.cwjobs.co.uk/job/busines...nt-job89128793

'Unpaid assignment'. Disgrace.

[ladymuck]

Seen this gem this morning: https://www.cwjobs.co.uk/job/busines...nt-job89128793

'Unpaid assignment'. Disgrace.

Aka internship? Always thought those were a snide scam too

[Paralytic]

Seen this gem this morning: https://www.cwjobs.co.uk/job/busines...nt-job89128793

'Unpaid assignment'. Disgrace.

Doesn't even say how long the contract is for!!!!

Everyone should apply just to waste their time.

[PerfectStorm]

A 2-3 week extension is being talked about at the moment. Definitely the smallest yet but that's the new IR35 rules for you. I just want to know when I can finish and go on holiday

[simes]

Many folks seem to be going perm - this does reinforce the mantra that many were permitractors anyway.

It could also mean;

1. There are fewer contract jobs in the market
2. There are people who still have mortgages to pay
3. Those same people want a stress free life and so take the least contentious way out. Or through...
4. That not All those going perm are necessarily going into a perm version of their previously contract job. Although I accept a number will.
5. Irrespective of whether one was or was not a permietractor, the blanket assessments or culling of PSCs will Never be a conclusive assessment of the existence of permietractors. Just that the clients want a stress free life. One has nothing to do with the other, as evidenced by permietractors and real contractors alike getting caught up in the fun.

[PerfectStorm]

I reckon anyone who's cutting now and getting into a permanent really isn't cut out for the "changing environment" nature of being a contractor. Unless it really is do-or-die stuff, seems a bit early to throw in the towel.

[madame SasGuru]

I reckon anyone who's cutting now and getting into a permanent really isn't cut out for the "changing environment" nature of being a contractor. Unless it really is do-or-die stuff, seems a bit early to throw in the towel.

Panic early and beat the rush - came April there could be 100s more applying for the job

[Barry Badrinath]

Panic early and beat the rush - came April there could be 100s more applying for the job

That was certainly my thoughts, and started a permie job in October. It had kind of coincided with really starting to feel really unfulfilled in the contracting roles I was doing (mostly generic BA / PM roles for the big Banks), so took a chance on a perm role that was pretty different to what I have done before. It's a hit to take home pay, but decent enough and at the threshold the wife and I had agreed on.

I'm enjoying the role so far, and liking the team. It's much more technical than I was used to, and am enjoying the learning element of it although definitely feeling a fair bit of imposter syndrome at times. The permie admin / personal development stuff isn't great, although perhaps a bit more bearable here than when I was permie at one of the Banks 10 years ago as is a smaller company.

[LetterBox]

I reckon anyone who's cutting now and getting into a permanent really isn't cut out for the "changing environment" nature of being a contractor. Unless it really is do-or-die stuff, seems a bit early to throw in the towel.

Well that's just silly talk. I have been contracting 20 years, this is the biggest thing to hit the freelancing industry in that time IMO. In the short term the market will be hit very badly, a correction will be made over time, general feeling is this will take a long time. The market will not get back to where it was, banks will probably never return and if they do, they will be nowhere near the numbers they recently had as freelance.

Massive risk for warchests currently, change of client and entering perm or inside will see poorer freelancers, but it needs to be done to mitigate warchest drain, moving to inside or perm at a different client is dealing with the "changing environment" and is a reasonable course of action. Protecting the warchest is protecting the business.

[Grasser73]

Well that's just silly talk. I have been contracting 20 years, this is the biggest thing to hit the freelancing industry in that time IMO. In the short term the market will be hit very badly, a correction will be made over time, general feeling is this will take a long time. The market will not get back to where it was, banks will probably never return and if they do, they will be nowhere near the numbers they recently had as freelance.

Massive risk for warchests currently, change of client and entering perm or inside will see poorer freelancers, but it needs to be done to mitigate warchest drain, moving to inside or perm at a different client is dealing with the "changing environment" and is a reasonable course of action. Protecting the warchest is protecting the business.

Alternatively, you could view this as exactly the sort of situation that a warchest is for.