State of the Market

[PerfectStorm]

An old client asked for me back. I said sure, for an extra £50. Interviewed, said they really liked me, but could I drop the raise? I said no, suspecting agency hardball. They called my bluff.

Sometimes you have to try

[oliverson]

Do you think this helps? I tried to make it explicit that I am a contractor on LinkedIn and checked the option for Contract Work only. All I got was emails from recruiters for permie roles...

I actually deleted my LinkedIn last year, since I got fed up maintaining it. Was possibly a bit hasty in doing that...

Have you ever found a contract through LinkedIn - or networked contacts through it that led to a contract?

Currently sat in the greatest contract of my 20 year history, approached directly by a firm on LinkedIn. I'm netting more than at anytime contracting at the London investment banks and I don't have to be in London mid-week and consequently don't have £30k+ expenses per annum, and the IR35 reforms don't apply

[agentzero]

It is important to spend time doing things, and with other people. In November I started volunteering at my local food bank. It was literally to write the best before dates on the end of tins of baked beans etc donated by Sainsburys. Even though it is not economically productive work, your subconscious doesn't know that, and your mental health will benefit.

Well done for getting out there and doing that. I volunteer sometimes at a food bank too and have taken well off friends along too. The types of think the economy is great and poorer people are lazy. One day there and talking to people coming to fulfill their food needs and it seems to change people and their understanding of what poverty is.

Some postcodes have only rich people living in them. If they don't leave these rural areas they don't understand what the real economy is doing. I don't believe the recession stats now and think they are manipulated datasets. All the signs point to UK already being in recession now.

[tjccjt01]

Have you ever found a contract through LinkedIn - or networked contacts through it that led to a contract?

I got my last contract after responding to a job ad on LinkedIn. That's probably the only reason I stick with it; the job search function is so bad it's unbelievable.

[edison]

Well done for getting out there and doing that. I volunteer sometimes at a food bank too and have taken well off friends along too. The types of think the economy is great and poorer people are lazy. One day there and talking to people coming to fulfill their food needs and it seems to change people and their understanding of what poverty is.

Some postcodes have only rich people living in them. If they don't leave these rural areas they don't understand what the real economy is doing. I don't believe the recession stats now and think they are manipulated datasets. All the signs point to UK already being in recession now.

I certainly don't believe poor people are lazy but was a bit shocked to find a food bank has opened in the middle of the town I live in - a very affluent market town.

During the pandemic I was contracting for a council in London. A few colleagues were rediverted to working supporting food banks. We used to get updates from them every few weeks in our all team standups. All quite eye opening.

[SussexSeagull]

Got my current, and best day rate ever, contract through LinkedIn.

[BigLadFromBeeston666]

Less than a month left. Extension promised but not sign of it yet. Market looking tepid. Some absolute BS rates being advertised. I'm hoping we get a boom economy later in the year when interest rates come down...

[willendure]

If you use LinkedIn to find contracts are you "active" on it, in the sense that you write publish articles, post to groups, network agressively and that sort of thing? Seems fiarly time consuming to do these things, but maybe I should if it can be worth it.

[willendure]

Less than a month left. Extension promised but not sign of it yet. Market looking tepid. Some absolute BS rates being advertised. I'm hoping we get a boom economy later in the year when interest rates come down...

PMSL.

When interest rates come down... that always, every time over the last 100 years at least, always comes too late. The economy will implode, then they will have to cut rates while the carnage plays out.

[BigLadFromBeeston666]

Hmm. Not sure. I think there's going to period of asset inflation in the housing markets and stocks. Neither one of us know, so I guess we'll check back in 6 months :thumbsup: