State of the Market

[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.

[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.

[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

[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

[Fraidycat]

he had found my CV in his spam folder - must have sent that guy a CV >10 times

That's why your CV was in his spam folder

[Cookielove]

I had a few calls/emails but nothing that actually came to fruition...

[Cookielove]

LinkedIn has changed a lot I got fed up of it all it was becoming like Facebook people's life stores, pics of away days/weddings/kids and quotes of the day ..... a lot of inane drivel. Plus a big rise in number of sob stories as people out of work and can't feed kids etc/no xmas in this house type stuff.

I'm toying with deleting my account altogether...

[willendure]

Be active on LinkedIn.

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?

[willendure]

With what I am told is an impressive CV, there is nary a call, and zero response to the issuance of CVs.

Can relate. I rewrote my CV last year, then did some CV writing workshops at the start of this year and refined it again. I honestly think my CV is now stunning and everyone I send it to should be falling over themselves to call me. Sent it recently for a job that was a perfect match but no interview yet...

Haven't had a cold call from a recruiter for maybe 6 months. It used to be annoying all those calls, and I know some contractors even would have a looking for work burner phone that they could switch off when not looking!

I suspect AI is playing a bigger role in the hiring process nowadays and it is entirely possible that a great CV is getting canned by a lousy AI. Got a reply from a recruiter not so long ago claiming he had found my CV in his spam folder - must have sent that guy a CV >10 times over the last couple of years. At least now I have his direct contact details..!

I actually have a decent contract at the moment. Just getting itchy feet and looking for something else. I dare not leave the current one without something else lined up because I think this market is going to continue for quite some time. I could be wrong, but I think major recession on the way and that means a recovery at least 18 months from now.

[oliverson]

By the time of the dotcom crash, and the swiftly following 9/11, I had only just started in contracting and so did not have much a CV. That said I was out of work for only four months following each 'event'.

Indeed, I crashed out of the telco industry after the dotcom mess, and then, having found a project in the travel industry, crashed out of that too after the twin towers came down. I was genuinely concerned just which industry I would contribute to its demise just by being a part of it...!

As to the 2008 mess, I was lucky enough to cruise through that blitz.

But now, this is far worse. With what I am told is an impressive CV, there is nary a call, and zero response to the issuance of CVs.

Roll on 2025...

Something will turn up, it always does. Seen this thing a few times. My last stint was 17 months on the bench, some by choice but not all. What I have learned in all this is there's no point stressing about contracts that aren't there. If they aren't there, they aren't there and no amount of pressing F5 on Jobserve is going to fix that. Network as much as you can. Go back to old contacts. That eventually got me out of a hole in the financial crash and stopped the rot. Be active on LinkedIn.