State of the Market

[Bluenose]

I'm less IT more automation engineering and the market at the moment is a cruel joke, absolutely dead, nothing contract-wise. Perm-wise there's some jobs out there, but unless you are a 100% perfect fit you hear nothing back. I was thinking that in these uncertain times there would be more contracts as you can easily drop contractors when things go rough, but clearly that's not the case. I think it might be a good time to wrap up my ltd and use that ER whilst it's still there, then re-think leaving the UK altogether.

This is what a 90% drop in job market activity feels like.

It could be like this for another 12 months.

[Bluenose]

Yeah I got 19 phonecalls in August 2015 when I uploaded my CV.

I had one phonecall last week about a .NET gig but it's another one in a location that's difficult to get to if you don't drive.

This is now the longest I've been out of work since the big crash of 2001-02. Thankfully I did get a settlement from a company that agreed to hire me in March then backtracked and I have something non-coding related for September.

If anyone's warchest is getting low then start looking for other things ASAP because the word on the street is that even minimum wage jobs are hard to come by in some parts of the country.

Yep and you are not alone either.

[elsergiovolador]

An agent called me today with the same role he called me a month ago. Still quite laughable rate...

[quackhandle]

An agent called me today with the same role he called me a month ago. Still quite laughable rate...

Getting to be a pain having to deal with them but I've been spoilt last two years with going direct.


qh

[northernladuk]

An agent called me today with the same role he called me a month ago. Still quite laughable rate...

He clearly thinks you are the perfect fit for that rate......

[BABABlackSheep]

I got a call from an agent last week. See if I was coming free to work at the same company I’m with now, different location, different team.

Found out he had already received 120+ cv’s for the job over the weekend and couldn’t be arsed reading them ?

[Old Greg]

He clearly thinks you are the perfect fit for that rate......

I didn't know Sock Shop was still in business.

[Old Greg]

I got a call from an agent last week. See if I was coming free to work at the same company I’m with now, different location, different team.

Found out he had already received 120+ cv’s for the job over the weekend and couldn’t be arsed reading them ������

By the time he's learnt to read...

[vwdan]

Projects seem to be picking up - some of my consultancy contacts suddenly need me on point again, so hopefully that's some green shoots. A few projects that got binned during COVID have just started up again, and I've actually had to turn down a few bits which feels painful given I've been sat doing next to nothing for a few weeks.

Also finally got a proper interview for a decently paid gig, too and it's a really interesting one too. Only 3 submitted CV's, resulting in 2 interviews too so I'm hopeful my niche has retained some semblance of sanity.

[SussexSeagull]

Quite quiet so far this week. These things ebb and flow though.