State of the Market

[dx4100]

Not sure how the contractor marker will recover from this point.

Seems to be too far gone to be just a blip in the economy. The way interest rates are, it looks like everyone including companies are holding onto their purse strings quite tightly.

It may even be another 12mths before we see the market improving. All, I can say, is I'm holding off ordering a new kitchen.

It will recover like it always does. UK Plc still needs temporary workers and always will. Some contractors will leave and go perm. Demand will return. Things will rebalance and things may even swing in our favour again.

Personally I am getting tooold for all this and just waiting for the right perm role to land. And on that note, interview this week for just such a thing.

We have been here before. Around 2010 it was bad.

[dx4100]

I had a recent outside gig in the Wharf in insurance but I think the days of significant numbers of outside contracts are well and truly over in most of FS.

I get don't get the love for outside roles. I have done both inside and outside and inside is by far a simpler thing.

Only real advantage of outside is if you are having to travel a lot to make the gig work. Other than that, I enjoy the simple life of inisde. Just need to make sure the rate is adjusted to compensate enough.

[edison]

It will recover like it always does. UK Plc still needs temporary workers and always will. Some contractors will leave and go perm. Demand will return. Things will rebalance and things may even swing in our favour again.

Personally I am getting tooold for all this and just waiting for the right perm role to land. And on that note, interview this week for just such a thing.

We have been here before. Around 2010 it was bad.

I didn't start contracting till 2013 but heard that rates bottomed at at almost half what they were pre-the financial crash? Hopefully we won't experience that given rates are already lower in real terms since then.

[oliverson]

I saw a post yesterday from an experienced cloud and DevOps engineer with one of the worst 'desperate straits' stories I've come across. If it was accurate then I feel for the guy but I couldn't understand how someone got into such a state in just a few months of no work given their experience and skill sets.

Think I just saw that one. Unbelievably embarrassing.

[SussexSeagull]

I saw a post yesterday from an experienced cloud and DevOps engineer with one of the worst 'desperate straits' stories I've come across. If it was accurate then I feel for the guy but I couldn't understand how someone got into such a state in just a few months of no work given their experience and skill sets.

I saw that one. He did look, on paper at least, to be a highly qualified guy but the way he came over might struggle interviews.

[rocktronAMP]

I get that people are desperate, but surely you can look through your contacts and simply DM the relevant ones, no? Yes less of an "impact" or reach, but way more professional which is something you still need to land a job.

What do you want desperate people to do then? "Giz a job" from the Black Stuff https://youtu.be/aObZJN9zDtA?si=Nv8YVYoo-JKFo7Qi

I think you can randomly bombard people in your connections about the situation.
Lots of people have well over 1,000 connections and it is confused the seconded followers in the Linkedin business model.
So it is really easy to manually pump out messaging every one of your contacts, with a template text from Notepad++. Every day, work your way through 50/75/100 connections with a template like this:

"Hi Debbie____.

Next month, I will have to sell my house. I'm in a total bind. I have hidden our situation from my wife/husband/partner. Worried about the kids.
Can I furnish my CV to you to give to your HR person? "

A lot of "Debbies" (and "Brians") may just ignore, block you, tell you to heave ho or if you are lucky might have a modicum of empathy and send your crafted CV to HR.
If you are out of options, your bank account is in the severe red, missing mortgage payments, or about to miss the first one; who give a flying blip about so- called professionalism? The situation is real, and if enough decent politicians see the public evidence, then actually it might help us all (eventually).

[WTFH]

There's also those who are saying "I can't find a role", when what they mean is they can't find a role that meets a very specific set of criteria.
When times are tough, you have to look outside your box.

Don't rule out inside IR35 gigs
Don't rule out ones where you have to stay away from home
Don't rule out "permanent" roles, you can always quit after 6 months or a year.

More than zero a year going into your personal bank account is better than zero.

There is work out there. Speak to any tame agents you have a good relationship with

[DrewG]

Don't rule out "permanent" roles, you can always quit after 6 months or a year.

Questionable ethics taking a perm role knowing you'll bail at the first good contract offer.

And you have the nerve to question my ethics?

It's all good until it affects you isn't it?

[BlueSharp]

I saw a post yesterday from an experienced cloud and DevOps engineer with one of the worst 'desperate straits' stories I've come across. If it was accurate then I feel for the guy but I couldn't understand how someone got into such a state in just a few months of no work given their experience and skill sets.

I think I saw the same post, my initial thoughts were why the hell are you still restricting yourself to only outside roles?

[SussexSeagull]

There's also those who are saying "I can't find a role", when what they mean is they can't find a role that meets a very specific set of criteria.
When times are tough, you have to look outside your box.

Don't rule out inside IR35 gigs
Don't rule out ones where you have to stay away from home
Don't rule out "permanent" roles, you can always quit after 6 months or a year.

More than zero a year going into your personal bank account is better than zero.

There is work out there. Speak to any tame agents you have a good relationship with

I agree, although it would need to be fairly well paid for me to do a role that was in IR35 and required staying away from home. Probably one or the other for me.