State of the Market

[fatJock]

Interesting. I am doing my first ever gig in logistics at the moment. Does seem to be quite an active industry, particularly around mergers and acquisitions and a race to build more joined up solutions internationally - tough when trade policy is changing so fast with Trump.

Yep, definitely lots going on. Not saying it's recession proof by any stretch of the imagination but it's served me well this last 25 years. Anyone who can sell something on the basis that it introduces service improvements / reduces costs certainly appeals when purses are being tightened.

Lots of acquisitions going on for sure, it's like musical chairs these days with my peers moving around but if you build up a network you can move from place to place as a contractor whilst getting some commonality in deployed systems and also people

Good luck with your gig.

[TheLordDave]

I applied for a contract the other day.

the skill set was react, typescript, aws and the usual crap that goes with it.

My cv got rejected by the client today for having no experience in react or typescript….

I have only done it for most of the last decade and it’s all over my cv and in every one of my past roles.

I know the market is tulip but even when you actually get a pimp to send your cv you get this.

first decent lead in 2 months as well. I may just pack it all in and pursue my professional golfing dream at this point.

[coolhandluke]

React gigs have gone the same way as .Net

[SchumiStars]

React gigs have gone the same way as .Net

After the dot.com boom, there was a massive crash 2001-2003. In that period, Microsoft had just built their .net framework and in order to ROI their investment they invested heavily into hiring developers to learn .net.

With the rest of the industry not hiring Microsoft had massive intake days at TVP and there were loads there including me going through the rounds of interviews.

Sadly it does look as if .Net is finally running out of steam. It always has poor market share to Java and was never as good. Although C# is awesome TBF. I would even say micro services are about at the same level with Java and springboot. But Java still takes it due to memory management and the use of annotation programming.

[ladymuck]

Does anyone else find LinkedIns job search functionality returns loads of irrelevant jobs if you do a keyword search?

It is rubbish. Either the platform designer or the people posting job ads don't know how to properly categorise them either so contract roles are advertised as full time (as that's the hours expected) and permanent roles are often advertised as contract because, I actually don't know that one.

I have gotten work, many times, via LinkedIn but never from a job ad. It's always through messaging from recruiters or contacts.

[BlueSharp]

It is rubbish. Either the platform designer or the people posting job ads don't know how to properly categorise them either so contract roles are advertised as full time (as that's the hours expected) and permanent roles are often advertised as contract because, I actually don't know that one.

I have gotten work, many times, via LinkedIn but never from a job ad. It's always through messaging from recruiters or contacts.

Likewise. I don't think I've ever got a positive response from a LinkedIn job ad.

I've been extended to end of July ~banana~, but the offshore agency firmly has a foot in the door now, not a chance they will deliver in time, so planning an extended summer break after this 2.5-year stint, with a hopefully rejuvenated economy full of SA contracts...

Either way, I'm going to fill my time building out a sales pipeline to break into consultancy/find a contract myself as opposed to waiting for an agent to find me a role.


Chat GPT summer/autumn plan:


Direct Outreach & Networking

• Leverage LinkedIn: Update your profile with recent projects, skills, and certifications. Post regularly with insights or case studies from past work. Directly message hiring managers or Heads of Architecture at target companies.
• Tap into your existing network: Let former clients, colleagues, and contacts know you're available. Ask for referrals or introductions.
• Attend local tech meetups or architecture forums: Engage in Birmingham-based events (e.g. Silicon Canal, meetups at Innovation Birmingham Campus) to build face-to-face relationships.
• Speak at events or webinars: Build credibility by presenting case studies or architectural insights.

🏢 Go Direct to Employers

• Identify target companies hiring Solution Architects: Use job boards and filter for companies hiring directly, then reach out to HR or hiring managers.
• Freelancer platforms with enterprise clients: Consider platforms like Toptal, Expert360, or BTG which cater to high-end contract work.
• Cold outreach to in-house IT departments: Focus on medium to large businesses in the Midlands (e.g. utilities, universities, NHS trusts) with known digital programmes.

💼 Market Yourself Strategically

• Create a personal website or portfolio: Showcase architectural diagrams, anonymised case studies, and delivery outcomes.
• Target niche markets: Use your specialisation (e.g. SailPoint, Mulesoft, ArchiMate) to approach companies undertaking related projects.
• Use job aggregators and alerts: Set up alerts on platforms like Jobserve, CWJobs, and ContractorUK for direct-to-client roles.

📈 Positioning and Differentiation

• Specialise with certifications: Upskill with in-demand credentials (e.g. AWS Solution Architect Pro, TOGAF, Azure Architecture Expert).
• Offer short-term advisory packages: Especially appealing to startups or SMEs without full-time architecture capacity.
• Consider interim or fractional roles: Universities, councils, and NHS bodies sometimes hire interim architects on fixed-term or part-time bases.

[ladymuck]

Chat GPT summer/autumn plan:


...

I got my current gig (part time, fully remote, swiss client) via a platform called MALT. What's supposed to happen is that all the contract is dealt with via the platform so they can take a cut but what actually happened was someone saw my profile, messaged me with some info, we had a call to discuss details and then did all the contract stuff off platform!

I was wary of it being a scam but took a chance as it is only a couple of hours a day effort so not impacting my full time client. However, they've turned out to be very reliable payers and they're hoping to extend my hours in the summer.

[dsc]

It is rubbish. Either the platform designer or the people posting job ads don't know how to properly categorise them either so contract roles are advertised as full time (as that's the hours expected) and permanent roles are often advertised as contract because, I actually don't know that one.

I have gotten work, many times, via LinkedIn but never from a job ad. It's always through messaging from recruiters or contacts.

LI Jobs works for me in a way as in it constantly throws job lists at me which have all the keywords (mostly one, so I guess that's easy), but those "we found a job similar to ###" is just pure rubbish, I recently clicked on a job ad for a position located in Spain and the dumb thing keeps recommending Spanish jobs all the time. Like, feck off mate, it was a one off

[SussexSeagull]

Recently saw a job advert on LI for a remote role that when you delved deeper it required you to live in one of four state in America. Not sure why that was advertised in the UK.

Granted that might have been the fault of whoever posted the job.

[Protagoras]

Right, what I was saying before about respect. You can be an engineer and get no respect, because its not like being a lawyer or architect or doctor. But what you can do about it is become a Chartered Engineer. That is what my old man was, and he always said when the market took a downturn companies would get rid of ordinary contractors first, but the CEs they would hang on to for as long as they could. Not a CE myself, so I don't really know if it carries the same value as it once did. Probably AI/HR don't know the difference anyway, so might not help you win any more work.

Just a rambling anecdote from an old engineer ...

In the mid 90s, I was working as a Chartered Engineer and the market for engineers was awful. The debate about 'titles' and 'respect' was current, but the only time I ever noticed any recognition was of 'EurIng' in Europe. Anyway, recognition doesn't pay bills. I'd 15 years engineering experience and my GF working in IT support at a London bank was being paid more than me! It was intolerable.

An MBA and move into IT consulting with a well known firm quickly doubled my salary, but never again did I have the real satisfaction of engineering work.

The situation now looks very different. Demand for engineers is strong, salaries are very attractive, and I'm told that CE is now highly sought after.

I'm not active in the IT market but it looks to be suffering from over-supply, low barriers to entry and commoditisation, so that only specialist skills now demand premium rates.

I'd recommend engineering to anyone, now that the rates of pay are sensible. Engineering grads I know still make more after 3 years in IT at the bank than those at an engineering consultancy, but I think engineering is probably more secure employment for the longer term.