State of the Market

[SussexSeagull]

I have this happen a couple of times now, one back in my permanent days and once as a contractor. You have an interview with a test lead, which in all three examples for me has been a woman, and their boss. You get on ok with the manager but come across as a threat to the test lead.

It is a tightrope walk between selling yourself in an interview and sounding like you know it all.

Alternatively I am crap.

[Lance]

Alternatively I am crap.

perhaps you're just expensive.
At my last 2 contracts the testers have been quite large teams of Indians. Great for volume of testing, not so great for quality of interpretation of test results. So if you're not trying to be a test lead you're maybe competing with the low cost Indian teams.

[jjdarg]

I am perfectly aware of that. What seems to happen is a lot of entirely unrelated client requirements for a contractor happen at once.

When I am out of contract, it can take a few months to get the next gig. By the time I'm ready to sign the next contract though, I usually have three offers from three different sources and have to make a decision.

When it rains, it pours, and quite often it is buyers' market until it isn't (when I'm finally selected, it's probably because clients are now ready to scrape the bottom of the barrel :-) ). I know my CV probably pops up on most agents' searches when the appropriate roles are released, as I am usually contacted by at least three, and sometimes as many as 10(!), agencies.

[KentDogWalker]

Hoping the market bounces back after Xmas. Been months since I took a role, I aint dropping my rate.

[heyya99]

Hoping the market bounces back after Xmas. Been months since I took a role, I aint dropping my rate.

Do agents not avoid you if you have a break?

[eek]

Do agents not avoid you if you have a break?

Agents will call the most suitable candidates they find on their system. That means it could be you after a break, assuming other (say more recently contracted) candidates aren't available...

[SlipTheJab]

Do agents not avoid you if you have a break?

I avoid agents

[northernladuk]

Do agents not avoid you if you have a break?

I'd be surprised by that comment from any other poster :

[heyya99]

I'd be surprised by that comment from any other poster :

Agents are numpties. Even if you have been contracting chocablock for years, they still want to know 'what ya been up to' since the last one ended. Ya'll are deluded if you think breaks aren't a disadvantage in these competitive times.

[northernladuk]

Agents are numpties. Even if you have been contracting chocablock for years, they still want to know 'what ya been up to' since the last one ended. Ya'll are deluded if you think breaks aren't a disadvantage in these competitive times.

So why did you need to ask?