State of the Market

[hungry_hog]

I have a confirmed interview, 5 days on-site, 30miles away from home, paying £13.50 PAYE per hour. The job is software development requiring Java, Node, MongoDB, Docker and also security clearance.

Just to add, I'm an Oxford Grad, living in London. Unfortunately, it does seem as though I will be attending and lowering my own expectations of achievable day rate

Nevermind, got to take the rough with the smooth I suppose and no-one knows when this rough tide will end.

This is crazy
Not being funny but seems like you are being paid an offshore rate for an onshore job.

Have you looked at companies like Detica / BAE systems? They are chock full of technical people from top unis.

[jamesbrown]

I have a confirmed interview, 5 days on-site, 30miles away from home, paying £13.50 PAYE per hour. The job is software development requiring Java, Node, MongoDB, Docker and also security clearance.

Just to add, I'm an Oxford Grad, living in London. Unfortunately, it does seem as though I will be attending and lowering my own expectations of achievable day rate

Nevermind, got to take the rough with the smooth I suppose and no-one knows when this rough tide will end.

Astonishing. Not a criticism, because needs must, and I suppose you will be continuously looking for better roles. However, paying roughly the London living wage for a skilled role that requires security clearance is insane.

[avonleigh]

In the 15+ years I’ve known them, there are some contractors who are now looking for something, even though I never knew they needed to.

March tomorrow. the only way is up I suppose?

Indeed. That's my only positive take on things, is that the market cannot get any worse. But not seeing any green shoots either. Agents are pinning their hopes on market improving end of March, with the usual new financial year surge. But can't see it personally. Even public sector isn't improving anytime soon, if this mooted 1% cut in NI happens. Don't see that will help the private sector either.

[malvolio]

Astonishing. Not a criticism, because needs must, and I suppose you will be continuously looking for better roles. However, paying roughly the London living wage for a skilled role that requires security clearance is insane.

An HMG role perhaps, the rate is about right for a Grade EO office worker of around £28k pa. Not the first time a civil servant has calculated a contractor rate by dividing a grade salary.

[PCTNN]

I have a confirmed interview, 5 days on-site, 30miles away from home, paying £13.50 PAYE per hour. The job is software development requiring Java, Node, MongoDB, Docker and also security clearance.

Just to add, I'm an Oxford Grad, living in London. Unfortunately, it does seem as though I will be attending and lowering my own expectations of achievable day rate

Nevermind, got to take the rough with the smooth I suppose and no-one knows when this rough tide will end.

at that rate isn't it better to just go and stock shelves in tesco?

[tjccjt01]

at that rate isn't it better to just go and stock shelves in tesco?

Nope, you'll have a better experience on your CV going forward, more rewarding work (Nowt wrong with stacking shelves mind, just if you're a techie you'll probably enjoy doing techie things more) and a SC at the end of it.

T

[Fraidycat]

at that rate isn't it better to just go and stock shelves in tesco?

If you can get a job stacking shelves in one the big chains, 100s of applications per role. And they normally just go with someone they know..

[GJABS]

I have a confirmed interview, 5 days on-site, 30miles away from home, paying £13.50 PAYE per hour. The job is software development requiring Java, Node, MongoDB, Docker and also security clearance.
.

Look at it as voluntary work, as you'll probably spend most of that on commute costs etc.
Spend as much time as you can get away with, applying for other roles. And be prepared to walk at a moment's notice when you find something.
And take plenty of days off- no point in exerting yourself.

[Fraidycat]

I have a confirmed interview, 5 days on-site, 30miles away from home, paying £13.50 PAYE per hour.

This is the future everyone under 30 or 40 has to look forward to when AI takes most jobs. Everyone scrambling for the few jobs that cant be done by machine, and those jobs will be paying minimum wage job because so many people will be chasing them.

[dsc]

This is crazy
Not being funny but seems like you are being paid an offshore rate for an onshore job.

Have you looked at companies like Detica / BAE systems? They are chock full of technical people from top unis.

It's low considering it's software dev, but on the other hand the three grads I worked with for a company similar to BAE were on that "rate" (that's around 35k yearly), so maybe not a huge surprise.

I'm more interested in what the role actually is, we all know requirements are one thing and reality is something else.