State of the Market

[Old Greg]

Be careful as moving from contract to perm in the same role is an IR35 siren alert...

Close the business down. How likely are they to come after you personally?

[jayn200]

Yeap fully aware! It's one of the negatives on my list.

I go from thinking just accept the role, skill up and take a look at contracting again in 12 months to know your worth and ask for a higher salary and be prepared to walk.

I'm seeing quite a few jobs being posted on the usual sites but the number of applicants seems to be very high. I know that approx 175 applied for my current role.

If you aren't tied into a house/car payment you can always leave too, go somewhere warm and cheap. Relax, do a few certs leisurely over the course of 6 months and see if market improves.

Cost of living is so high in london it's almost cheaper to leave and not work vs work a perm job here. I don't know how anyone can survive on a perm salary in london.

[GhostofTarbera]

I've had a few conversations recently where I was told the client had outright dropped the rate because they know people are desperate. And when I say dropped, I mean ~£150 below where it should be.

Hopefully those pricks will get burned the second the market picks up and they lose all their contractors who are only there due to desperation.

It’s the new norm rate, only the niche skills will stand up


Sent from my iPhone using Contractor UK Forum

[NowPermOutsideUK]

On the other hand, permanent roles are still there but the salaries are slightly lower than 12 months ago, like that's the price you need to pay to get the "certainty" of a permie role.

I do keep coming across this on the board and I am really puzzled at what people expect that to mean - Just yesterday on the FT they did a webinar on what perm rights are and its clear if you have worked for two years you do not get anything...

Permie roles are getting cut just as easy as contractors and your notice period is all you should aim to get

Just my 2 cents

[simes]

I suppose one plus of contracting remote/WFH is that you don't have to take only one gig at a time.

Indeed.

The only issue I think I will need to get my head around is juggling two disconnected calendars. And not giving cause for concern when it comes to blocked time which does not appear to have any viable reason for blockage...?

To the well-wishers, many thanks.

[sira]

I once applied for a perm ERP Consultant job at Oracle. I got a reply from them inviting me to an interview - almost 9 months after i joined their main competitor, SAP!

That's pretty darn impressive. Someone clearly failed to pass their probation

[PCTNN]

I do keep coming across this on the board and I am really puzzled at what people expect that to mean - Just yesterday on the FT they did a webinar on what perm rights are and its clear if you have worked for two years you do not get anything...

Permie roles are getting cut just as easy as contractors and your notice period is all you should aim to get

Just my 2 cents

Exactly, there is no certainty whatsoever. At my current client, we're getting towards a situation where both contractors and permies are getting cut. Although starting from contractors and permies (maybe) later.

This is why the only thing to do when considering a permanent job is to do a thorough check of the company and the role and try to get a good idea of whether your permanent role has potential and is going to be there in the future. Easier said than done.

[SussexSeagull]

I don't care if it is a so called 'permanent' role or if you have the world's most niche skill, if there isn't the work there then it isn't there.

Do what you can to get through the next few months.

[BlueSharp]

Verbal renewal confirmation with a 10% rate reduction, renewal to be for 3 or 6 month, however the paper work is 'delayed'...

[vwdan]

It’s the new norm rate, only the niche skills will stand up


Sent from my iPhone using Contractor UK Forum

I have niche skills The rate is purely due to COVID - even the lead up to IR35 didn't dent rates, if anything they improved. So I'm pretty confident of a return to a real normal eventually.