State of the Market

[GJABS]

You core skill is C sharp. So you wont be expected to be an expert in Angular/React, just enough experience to modify an existing codebase with extra features and bug fixes.

You need to read up on them, understand what the fundamental problem they are trying to solve, best practice for using them and then spend a few days playing with them using your IDE. You can either write a demo app from scratch but easier to download someone else's existing project from Github and modify it. Then Google the 30 most asked React/Angular interview questions, although as a C sharp dev you probably never going to be asked anything detailed about them

Then put the skill on your CV.

Interesting. That's useful advice- and is probably a constructive solution to the problem. thanks!

[FIERCE TANK BATTLE]

Sadly I wish that were true, the gigs are generally titled "Angular/React Developer" we are looking for someone with experience using angular/react to build a site blah blah. It tends to be a headline skill.

I had it on my CV for a bit but then I had an interview and they asked me a couple of really technical questions about how to do something with components and I was like sorry I have literally no idea.

I did do all the usual sample stuff, built a basic site etc, but then you end up in a gig and a year goes by and you completely forget what little you learned. I really need to use it in anger. Bit like Blazor, I made a little website using Blazor and then my last gig they decided to use Blazor to make the site, what a ballache it was trying to use it properly! Combing through github and forums to fix all manner of issues and understand why some things didn't work properly etc. After a year of that I feel I could take a Blazor gig now, and I'd need the same for angular/react.

The idea of getting a contract as a learning thing is a good idea. If any come up I will jump on them, otherwise I might have to dip into perm land.

[siddhantkumar]

You didn't just accept their offer without countering?!?!

Obviously it depends on the field, but £600-700 outside is for most of us a very good rate. Above that and you're often looking at Director level bespoke approval.

Reality is two identical roles at different clients can have two completely different rates. Sometimes you just get lucky that your client is the higher rate.

No I didn’t. Recruiter had sent the spec with per day rate. I had insider employee too to pass on cv. So there was higher chance for selection for interview. Rate wise, i come from permi role with long history in same org which (now looking back) was paying me peanuts

[avonleigh]

Perm role, 25% below what I regard market rate (although above market benefits). 2 stage interview, face to face, second about a week after the first.


I asked about reimbursement, "We don't normally but I can certainly ask".

They are taking the piss, right?

Sorry, not understanding. Reimbursement for what?

[PCTNN]

Ah you mean the sift. What do you think worked best?

Easy, you just don't put dates for the gigs you've done.

Say you started contracting in 2010, you put a vague job title like I don't know "front-end developer [contractor]" from 2010 to present. And underneath you list the gigs you've done, either all of them or just the ones you consider more relevant to the gig you're applying to. Agents won't see any gap, won't automatically bin your CV.

It's not rocket science.

[Fraidycat]

Contracts that were paying a standard £550-600/day inside last year are now all over the place.. even as low as £250-300! The work is the same.

History repeating.

Exact same thing happened in 2001, after 9/11 and the dot com bubble bursting.

£550 - 600 a day down to £300 a day, within a year. Except back in 2001, £300 was worth almost what £550 is today!

[The_Equalizer]

Sadly I wish that were true, the gigs are generally titled "Angular/React Developer" we are looking for someone with experience using angular/react to build a site blah blah. It tends to be a headline skill.

I had it on my CV for a bit but then I had an interview and they asked me a couple of really technical questions about how to do something with components and I was like sorry I have literally no idea.

I did do all the usual sample stuff, built a basic site etc, but then you end up in a gig and a year goes by and you completely forget what little you learned. I really need to use it in anger. Bit like Blazor, I made a little website using Blazor and then my last gig they decided to use Blazor to make the site, what a ballache it was trying to use it properly! Combing through github and forums to fix all manner of issues and understand why some things didn't work properly etc. After a year of that I feel I could take a Blazor gig now, and I'd need the same for angular/react.

The idea of getting a contract as a learning thing is a good idea. If any come up I will jump on them, otherwise I might have to dip into perm land.

Totally with you on the "completely forget what little you learned". I've taken to using boot camps, cough splutter, to fill the gaps/sharpen up. Ones with actual problems you have to code in steps. Not for the coding itself, but the nuances of said language/framework. You can pile through several in a few months keeping the projects so you can refresh quite quickly. With a few pointers nearly all the learning comes back.

[sreed]

Easy, you just don't put dates for the gigs you've done.

Say you started contracting in 2010, you put a vague job title like I don't know "front-end developer [contractor]" from 2010 to present. And underneath you list the gigs you've done, either all of them or just the ones you consider more relevant to the gig you're applying to. Agents won't see any gap, won't automatically bin your CV.

It's not rocket science.

Might not be rocket science but I didn't think of that, might have helped in my recent hunt for a new contract.

For the gigs underneath, do you put dates on each of them?

[Fraidycat]

Sadly I wish that were true, the gigs are generally titled "Angular/React Developer" we are looking for someone with experience using angular/react to build a site blah blah. It tends to be a headline skill.

Why would you apply for those, you want to apply for a full stack C sharp developer role that requires some experience with React or Angular, something like a 80% back end, 20% front end role.

A role titled "Angular/React Developer" sounds like 80%+ front end work and expert level knowledge of those skills.

[Snooky]

Easy, you just don't put dates for the gigs you've done.

Say you started contracting in 2010, you put a vague job title like I don't know "front-end developer [contractor]" from 2010 to present. And underneath you list the gigs you've done, either all of them or just the ones you consider more relevant to the gig you're applying to. Agents won't see any gap, won't automatically bin your CV.

It's not rocket science.

You'd also need to make sure your LinkedIn details don't show those dates, assuming agents are savvy enough to track you down.