State of the Market

[JustKeepSwimming]

lower the supply price to increase demand.

That's not really how it works? I doubt someone out for 6+ months is being lofty with rates or batting away opportunities with lowish rates.

[jamesbrown]

Bear in mind that things can turn around pretty quickly. In the US, inflation has dropped off a cliff and wage increases are exceeding price increases again. Context in the UK is different, obviously, particularly w/r to energy, but it can turn around quickly. Current predictions of higher rates for longer could end up looking as silly as earlier predictions of lower rates for longer. In that case, hiring/procurement will respond pretty rapidly. So, yes, tough business climate in the next few months, but I wouldn't rule out a rapid turnaround.

[rocktronAMP]

I've been contracting for almost 18 years now. In all that time I think I've only beucen out of contract for around a month.

I'm based pretty close to London, but I've mostly skilled up/done training to keep myself valid. Am I just extremely lucky? I can't imagine how stressful it would be being out of contract for months at a time (even though I've obviously built up a war chest).

This isn't a humble-brag, I just don't get how it's possible to be out of contract for that long? Are folks just fussy on day rate/skillset?

Circumstance

As a Java engineer (previous consultant and now a technical lead now permie) even before the pandemic, and this latest Mortgage FIASCO, I found contracting feast and famine. It really is to do with luck, and a combination of people skills, project and corporate culture. I have been in a couple of toxic ones. I should have bailed and walked, but either I am dumb and the money was just too good for the time it lasted. I do think you need savvy and competence to make contracting really work. Without contracting, I would not have found additional interest in Cloud Computing, Digital Transformation, Web Stuff and Architecture. Staying with the same perm employer for 10 years would've been boring.

Like you I could and did jump on the fast Virgin train to London Euston. I could be in the Holborn or 100 Bishopsgate office in 1 hour 20 minutes tops especially in 2019. Maybe, I should've been harder working too, because those days are gone. 98% of my work is remote now.

It depends on the prospects, clients, geography, the secret cash budgeting and the real opportunites in IT projects. It all depends on the good old RAT RACE, competition between contracctors. COMPETITION BETWEEN SUPPLIERS (think GOV.UK engagements, if Cap Gem loses a 2 year biggie, then think what happens tothose contractors relying on Cap Gem to keep them fed? Lack of renewals?) Oh yeah. Do you have a brillaint (social) network b0redom ? If you have good reliable people, who care about you, and you care about them, and they are looking out for you, then that helps as well, because many gigs don't reach JobServe, CW Jobs. Ah but wait a minute ....

[dsc]

Or retrain.
Or accept lower rate.
[....]

The first one doesn't really work for contractors as they need to have skills and experience in using them. Second only works if the market is flooded with good candidates (hence low rates) and you still manage to get an offer. If your skills are not in demand, then go back to point 1 and maybe take a perm job to retrain / use the skills, then go contracting.

Overall I feel like IR35 changes might've wrecked the market a bit, loads of people went perm / inside and those who are fine inside will most likely not go rocking the boat looking for something else. I'm just not sure where the extra people on the market are coming from, maybe fired from the likes of Meta / other large corps? Contractors were doing fine in a market with no perms looking for work, but it seems like now there's plenty perms to choose from, so even jumping from contracting to perm is uber hard.

[JustKeepSwimming]

I'm just not sure where the extra people on the market are coming from, maybe fired from the likes of Meta / other large corps? Contractors were doing fine in a market with no perms looking for work, but it seems like now there's plenty perms to choose from, so even jumping from contracting to perm is uber hard.

I think double jobbing and also cost of living forcing people in roles to be more proactive in looking for new opportunities. Many of my mates are actively applying for better paid roles almost out of necessity, and these are people who aren't the 'never stay more than 18 months' type of ladder climbers.

[Fraidycat]

The first one doesn't really work for contractors as they need to have skills and experience in using them.

Not really. You should be an expert and have lots of experience at your core skill.

Then other skills that are also in demand but you don't really have much or any experience off, you put them on your CV when needed, and you should have enough knowledge to blag about them confidently at interview.

Time during interviews is limited and the interviewer rarely has time to go deep into secondary skills the job requires. They might ask one or two questions about them and then move onto the next area.

[dsc]

Not really. You should be an expert and have lots of experience at your core skill.

Then other skills that are also in demand but you don't have really have much or any experience off, you put them on your CV when needed, and you should have enough knowledge to blag about them confidently at interview.

Time during interviews is limited and the interviewer rarely has time to go deep into secondary skills the job requires. They might ask one or two questions about them and then move onto the next area.

Blagging is one thing, but we all know that a skill not used in a year is effectively a non skill. You either use something all the time or quickly forget it. Sure if you are smart you'd be able to figure things out (or chatGPT your way out of some things), but at the end of the day it all depends how the job is structured ie. what core skills / extra skills are required.

[GJABS]

..but we all know that a skill not used in a year is effectively a non skill. You either use something all the time or quickly forget it.

I don't think that's really true. I got a SQL Server DBA role a few months ago even though I hadn't worked as a SQL DBA for four years. But I had 20 years experience with it. I hadn't forgotten anything important. (In the intervening 4 years I had worked with Spark SQL on Databricks as a developer, which has some things in common but is not really the same).

[BlueSharp]

I don't think that's really true. I got a SQL Server DBA role a few months ago even though I hadn't worked as a SQL DBA for four years. But I had 20 years experience with it. I hadn't forgotten anything important. (In the intervening 4 years I had worked with Spark SQL on Databricks as a developer, which has some things in common but is not really the same).

I agree, it takes only a few days to blow away the cobwebs for some of the old skills. SQL has not really changed much in 20 years.

[eek]

I agree, it takes only a few days to blow away the cobwebs for some of the old skills. SQL has not really changed much in 20 years.

+2 - returned to an old skillset after 2 years completely away last year - didn't take long to remember things and I still know way more than the youngsters..