State of the Market

[NomadPanda]

Same role, same industry (biased towards insurance), much less experience than yourself, but I've found a sharp up-turn in calls from agency contacts and LinkedIn messages in last few weeks.

If you haven't already, try the LinkedIn Premium month free trial. A fellow contractor has just secured a gig through LinkedIn, and suggested by going Premium he had a significant increase in contacts.

Admittedly, I am not currently looking, so the agents I'm talking to may well just be on a fishing expedition.

This is good to hear but my experience of Linkedin is that its becoming more like facebook and the quality has suffered. Recent example only yesterday an agent who I didn't know contacted me about a role which I already knew was filled last week. I asked this random agent to confirm if it was the same client and role ...no reply

From reaching out to my network which is where I would normally get contracts, very quiet, regular clients not hiring BA contractors right now...and I hesitate to mention Brexit is possibly a reason

[northernladuk]

This is good to hear but my experience of Linkedin is that its becoming more like facebook and the quality has suffered.

Absolutely this. I'm bloody sick of it at the moment. I don't think there has been a single post on my feed that is remotely useful/interesting today.

[fiisch]

LinkedIn seems to be a bit of a numbers game - for every 4-5 messages, I tend to find one yields an interview, whereas the others go dark. I've noticed a recent trend of HR staff from the hiring company contacting me direct inviting me to apply for a role (I'm not blowing my own trumpet - I should imagine my CV is extremely weak and experience very thin compared to many of you; I am only in my early 30s) - this does tend to be for permanent roles, but seems a little bit desperate. Almost as if they are struggling to get applicants...

Apparently - and I have only heard this second hand - the LinkedIn Premium profile boosts your chances of being matched to agent's search criteria. I have yet to give it a try - I am waiting until I am actively looking for a contract before giving this a go.

Current situation: just renewed first (proper) contract, have not done a shred of work for three months as pipeline is stalled due to a merger. Not for the want of trying, but there is very little work on at the moment, but they seem to like having me around. Nice people, nice, prestigious company, but bored to tears. I have not received a single work-related email since early February. I cannot afford not to work as I don't yet have much of a warchest, and waiting to move house before dipping my toe back in the market.

[SoleTrader]

LinkedIn seems to be a bit of a numbers game - for every 4-5 messages, I tend to find one yields an interview, whereas the others go dark. I've noticed a recent trend of HR staff from the hiring company contacting me direct inviting me to apply for a role (I'm not blowing my own trumpet - I should imagine my CV is extremely weak and experience very thin compared to many of you; I am only in my early 30s) - this does tend to be for permanent roles, but seems a little bit desperate. Almost as if they are struggling to get applicants...

Apparently - and I have only heard this second hand - the LinkedIn Premium profile boosts your chances of being matched to agent's search criteria. I have yet to give it a try - I am waiting until I am actively looking for a contract before giving this a go.

Current situation: just renewed first (proper) contract, have not done a shred of work for three months as pipeline is stalled due to a merger. Not for the want of trying, but there is very little work on at the moment, but they seem to like having me around. Nice people, nice, prestigious company, but bored to tears. I have not received a single work-related email since early February. I cannot afford not to work as I don't yet have much of a warchest, and waiting to move house before dipping my toe back in the market.

In the process of signing my first contract, wish mine was like that, you got it good!

[Hobosapien]

Current situation: just renewed first (proper) contract, have not done a shred of work for three months as pipeline is stalled due to a merger. Not for the want of trying, but there is very little work on at the moment, but they seem to like having me around. Nice people, nice, prestigious company, but bored to tears. I have not received a single work-related email since early February. I cannot afford not to work as I don't yet have much of a warchest, and waiting to move house before dipping my toe back in the market.

Do they still pay you even though there's no current work for you to do?

Just turned down a contract extension as there has been no work for a while but they wanted to keep me around in case any turned up while the company is going through major changes, yet wouldn't pay any form of retainer. Bollox to that.

Still deciding what to do next. May get out of IT altogether as I don't need a high income so may do something for an easier life and to give back to the local community somehow. Volunteer life guard on the local beaches or something now we're into tourism season.

[fiisch]

Rather bizarrely, yes, still getting paid and working normal hours, except I don't actually have any work to fill those hours....

One key piece work I did complete when I first started was updating a specification document with >100 functional design changes as a result of defects raised. The defects and the documents last update were from 2007........

[BR14]

Do they still pay you even though there's no current work for you to do?

Just turned down a contract extension as there has been no work for a while but they wanted to keep me around in case any turned up while the company is going through major changes, yet wouldn't pay any form of retainer. Bollox to that.

Still deciding what to do next. May get out of IT altogether as I don't need a high income so may do something for an easier life and to give back to the local community somehow. Volunteer life guard on the local beaches or something now we're into tourism season.

that's maybe not easier, - more fulfilling , perhaps

[Klodge]

That would bore me to tears having nothing to do. Hope you get 'something' to get your teeth into

LinkedIn seems to be a bit of a numbers game - for every 4-5 messages, I tend to find one yields an interview, whereas the others go dark. I've noticed a recent trend of HR staff from the hiring company contacting me direct inviting me to apply for a role (I'm not blowing my own trumpet - I should imagine my CV is extremely weak and experience very thin compared to many of you; I am only in my early 30s) - this does tend to be for permanent roles, but seems a little bit desperate. Almost as if they are struggling to get applicants...

Apparently - and I have only heard this second hand - the LinkedIn Premium profile boosts your chances of being matched to agent's search criteria. I have yet to give it a try - I am waiting until I am actively looking for a contract before giving this a go.

Current situation: just renewed first (proper) contract, have not done a shred of work for three months as pipeline is stalled due to a merger. Not for the want of trying, but there is very little work on at the moment, but they seem to like having me around. Nice people, nice, prestigious company, but bored to tears. I have not received a single work-related email since early February. I cannot afford not to work as I don't yet have much of a warchest, and waiting to move house before dipping my toe back in the market.

[Bluenose]

Rather bizarrely, yes, still getting paid and working normal hours, except I don't actually have any work to fill those hours....

One key piece work I did complete when I first started was updating a specification document with >100 functional design changes as a result of defects raised. The defects and the documents last update were from 2007........

The reason for this is that in certain I.T roles where the perm salary would be between 100-120k, they can't fill them properly (due to 60-62% tax) and are accepting that when they do, they need to allow said peeps to do less work and/or not be in the office much.

Peeps who used to earn £70k are being employed into these roles which means the people who were inside the 100-120k bracket have either left for contracting or are considering their options. Those who can stay have good reasons for doing so i.e. pension, family healthcare.

Strategically this general culture is allowing companies the business case to hoard I.T labour.

Your story of sitting around not doing much is common at the moment, especially in the Insurance industry.....

[Hobosapien]

Interesting feedback. What sort of roles are paying that well and yet they are needing to hoard labour so people are finding themselves often with little to do and clients are happy to pay for that?

I presume this is inside IR35 or risks being so?