State of the Market

[hungry_hog]

Did a quick count of contracts over the years, 10 of which only 3 arrived via agency!
Which means all the rubbish convos over the years, back and forth phone calls, chasing, being chased, answerphone tennis, dancing around the maypole at 2am during the summer solstice for 3 measly contracts… seems a poor return!

[ladymuck]

What parts do you enjoy doing? Given the choice I would be looking at change management but for reasons I've never understood there is zero money in helping companies ensure the changes they make stick and the project is a success...

My favourite gig recently was a document migration project that I really didn't think would work, and am still not convinced the end solution was the right one. A bit of Comms, writing training guides and FAQs, a bit of SharePoint site administration and configuration, validation of the migration, lots of coordination and collaboration with the business. Sort of change management, sort of something else.

[Fraidycat]

Definite new tax year uptick on Jobserve. 46,000 jobs. If i recall correctly, the high last year was low in the 50s. The december lows were around 20,000.

[willendure]

Originally posted by willendure View Post
The USA has more Millenials than Boomers, which will save them in around a decade or two. Europe only had a population bulge around the Boomers, and shrinking after that. Oh dear.

Rather interested in this one. Does this mean that they'll be jobs should you wish to keep working? There's also this current trend of large numbers 'on the sick'. I'm technically happen to keep going (at present) so in a way I this 'lack of workers' suits.

Retirement of the boomers may present an opportunity in the sense of opening up the most senior positions, yes. This is my hope too. As a contractor though, we are rarely in a position to step into a more senior role though are we? The more senior the role I think the more likely it is to be inside IR35, and why give roles like that to contractors anyway, businesses surely want people with more skin in the game.

Unfortunately it also signals a more widespread and general economic decline. The classic example being Japan which was booming in the 80s. Their baby boom started much earlier, after their succesful conquests in Asia before the second world war. They hit peak productivity in the 80s and then began a decline into the worlds oldest and fastest aging population. Its a case study in what is happening or about to happen in other parts of the world that are now hitting the same demographic decline.

[willendure]

Sent my CV to an agency for an attractive looking contract that seems to almost perfectly match my skill set.

Can't get the agent on the phone. So I phoned the agency. The agency don't even answer their own phone. Business hours and its just a recorded message! Doesn't look like its a 2 person outfit either. I'm so frustrated by this, all we can do is chuck our CVs into the black hole and cross our fingers.

I read on the agents page that he likes playing golf and having a pint. I guess he is probably enjoying both whilst "working" from home.

[barely_pointless]

Thanks, I've been on trailhead and the moment I've seen users referred to as trailblazers, I've switched it off, I just can't stand that lingo, but then again it's an American company, so maybe that's normal for them...dumbed down sql? jeez and here's me thinking it can never be more dumbed down. I actually wondered what SF devs actually do, I presume there's a lot of front end with a bit of backend via the dumbed down SQL? I come from a C++ env with a low of pre-built libs, so I wouldn't call my self a dev, so perhaps it's the thing for me.

Overall it feels like a very basic offering (in terms of product, it's a CRM at the end of the day, how complicated can it be?), rolled around in American lingo glitter, but paying way more than my industry. I'm just worried that if I move into it being in the burned out state that I am it will be a slippery slope.

SF devs use amongst others, Apex which is an object oriented - blah, blah, if you know C++ you'd take 5 Min to build a class (*the issue is the configuration components/integration in the SF ecosystem or lack of it you have to work with), used to be a b***th to integrate, they bought mule soft a year or so ago so that;s all done through a flow now - along with Rest Api's and any 3rd party plugs, SF FE moving to a web/java/container thing called lightening from the legacy FE template with it;s own logic for screens/reports and integration. (v similar to the oracle logic on reporting mid 000's) , to be honest, SQL backend is very simple and you's get whacked with a wooden spoon by mum if you try an write anything in there,

eg: SF CPQ (configure -price- quote - pronounced Emperor's new clothes) ->. spreadsheet anarchy -> price books with loads of product combo's etc, load them all in, SF crashes once again lazy lazy lazy

or ?

do some bloody analysis on the spreadsheet prior to loading the entire shoot8ing gallery into SF and work out a curation *outside

biggest problem I see with SF is the low barrier to entry for expert, especially agile ones, Product Owners/BA's etc

This of course, good or bad, causes work............

[dsc]

[...]Green industry jobs seemed all the rage back in summer 2022. I remember at the time myself and a couple of friends had approaches for jobs in solar energy, wind farms, electric vehicles and more. Now that Labour appears to be watering down their flagship Green Investment policy, don't expect an upturn any time soon

Actually the two last project we had are UK based, one massive one is also UK, but it got sold to a competitor...don't ask. Apparently it was a good idea and will make money...not sure how, if you can't get enough work for your workforce.

[dsc]

This makes sense to me in the light of what I have been saying about the dollar milkshake, and also higher rates, and interest rate inversion. Capital is tight right now, banks are not lending, the savings rate is close to zero, government are constrained by debt. Wind energy is capital intensive. A gas power station, you build it, then pay for the gas through the life of the power station. A wind farm, you pay for the whole lot up front, then it runs (just about) for free. So its a cyclic industry. It will pick up again if capital gets looser, which it is bound to sooner or later.

Apparently green energy was all fine and dandy when there was a lot of gov subsidies, nowadays those are drying up and so everyone's scaling back :/ it seems like whatever industry I get into, turns into a tulip mess sooner or later

Anyways, udemy c# course here I come, perhaps I can rebrand myself as a developer in the next 5 years. UI / UX design wouldn't be so bad either, but I have a feeling that branch is oversaturated atm anyway, so who the hell would want to hire / train a 40yo+...

[willendure]

Here are govt stats on immigration visas:

https://assets.publishing.service.go...-mar-2023.xlsx

Looking at Q1 2023 (the most recent figures available), there were 20K visa grants in the categories of Senior or Specialist Worker and Skilled Workers (non-health).

Looking at the Q1 2023 occupations drill down, I count >600 in IT business analysts, architects and system designers, and easily >1000 in programmers and software development professionals. I know we are not all IT contractors here, but that does seem likely to be the stats of most interest on here. Take a look yourself if you want others.

Saying one thing and doing another? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68626430

[willendure]

Apparently green energy was all fine and dandy when there was a lot of gov subsidies, nowadays those are drying up and so everyone's scaling back

Don't forget though, a government subsidy is capital too, money borrowed on the public books ultimately. The magic money tree only appears to be magic to the simple minded, the capital still comes from somewhere and is subject to interest rates. Consider also, when the government borrows too heavily you get a "crowding out" effect - less borrowing available at those rates for businesses.