State of the Market

[jamesbrown]

Not the site I visited before which I found very helpful and full of optimistic open and mature individuals.

That was probably sasguru or MarillionFan.

[SchumiStars]

I do find people posting on forums odd including this one.

I have previously posted on here about the special, super contractor who only works outside contracts has a pipeline of contacts and is rarely out of work.

Whilst this maybe true for some, the majority including me, have to fight, scrap, beg and work very hard to find the next contract.

I have been a contractor for 20yrs. I have only done UK contracts because that's all that I have won. If I had been offered a EU/ME contract I would be packing my bags.

Someone posted a few pages back about permi jobs in the region of 200k-400k. I have never seen these amounts offered to programmers. I have met people on 300k and they are usually C-level/Medical Doctors and have a secretary.

On the basis of some of the posts beforehand, I am trying to find out about jobs in Germany though.

I am in numerous groups, on many websites and constantly searching on LI. I do this on a daily basis.

I live in London, educated from Oxford University and I am security cleared. I have a clean credit file and I am willing to work in any office in the world, 7 days a week.

Why can't I find a job?! WTF is wrong with me?

[oliverson]

I do find people posting on forums odd including this one.

I have previously posted on here about the special, super contractor who only works outside contracts has a pipeline of contacts and is rarely out of work.

Whilst this maybe true for some, the majority including me, have to fight, scrap, beg and work very hard to find the next contract.

I have been a contractor for 20yrs. I have only done UK contracts because that's all that I have won. If I had been offered a EU/ME contract I would be packing my bags.

Someone posted a few pages back about permi jobs in the region of 200k-400k. I have never seen these amounts offered to programmers. I have met people on 300k and they are usually C-level/Medical Doctors and have a secretary.

On the basis of some of the posts beforehand, I am trying to find out about jobs in Germany though.

I am in numerous groups, on many websites and constantly searching on LI. I do this on a daily basis.

I live in London, educated from Oxford University and I am security cleared. I have a clean credit file and I am willing to work in any office in the world, 7 days a week.

Why can't I find a job?! WTF is wrong with me?

It's those gym muscles mate!! Bicep envy!

[Fraidycat]

Why can't I find a job?! WTF is wrong with me?

I think you have admitted yourself a couple of times on this thread, that you often struggle with technical questions during the interview.

In a market which is flooded with candidates interviewers are not as forgiving compared to when there is a shortage of candidates.

[SussexSeagull]

If you define "skills" both in terms of on the job and being able to acquire new work, your skills in the latter are by definition better than many of us on here - because you are finding work, so you claim, and we are not. Yes it is in many respects dark and sad from our perspective, because we are seeing a reality that is rather bleak.

This. Getting contracts is the most important skill a contractor has and other skills are just something that facilitates that.

The most technically gifted contractors aren't always the most successful. It tends to be ones who from day one of a new contract are planning their next contract, although I am not convinced that works in the current environment.

[fatJock]

In those examples they are probably entrenched in an industry or sector that they have a good reputation in. For those of us not so fortunate, and I use that word unapologetically because fate plays a hand in even the best managed career, that isn't am option for us and even if it was would be chasing the same contracts as them, not creating new ones.

I think there is inevitably some truth in that linked with earlier posts from me - although there has been a downturn even in the Logistics industry I am in there is value in having a long term exposure to one sector as it gives continuity of exposure to products, providers and a more focussed network to lean on when things get a bit tighter.

I suppose when compared alongside industry career diversity both have their positives and negatives.

[Dorkeaux]

This. Getting contracts is the most important skill a contractor has and other skills are just something that facilitates that.

The most technically gifted contractors aren't always the most successful. It tends to be ones who from day one of a new contract are planning their next contract, although I am not convinced that works in the current environment.

That's me, probably.

Though to suggest it has all been a cunning plan is a few steps too far.
Rather than the being in one of the fabled "niches", I'm more like an ant in the microwave stumbing around avoiding being cooked in the nodes.

I'll stick a post in the "Plans for getting back in the game" thread.

[willendure]

More bad news for the UK/London IT market:

On May 20, the London start-up 'Builder.ai' confirmed that it would be appointing administrators with the loss of about 1,000 jobs.

Although I think the some of those job might be in India as they were using 700 Indians behind the scenes to run what looks like a scam AI website.

Now I am wondering, who writes worse code? AI or Indians.

[willendure]

I do wonder how long this contracting malarky is left (22 years now) however I started following tech contracts online and Contract Spy on LI and if there is any positive I see a lot more gigs that are outside IR35 than inside.

Thanks for tips about TCO and Contract Spy, will give them a look. I also see more outside than inside, just looking at Jobserve, seems to be about a 7:1 ratio.

[SussexSeagull]

Dude, I'm giving you another chance. I didn't come here to "debate" about contracts out there but rather just to help. Not sure if I can help you as you seem to have an unnecessary chip on your shoulder. But let me go try anyways.

Nope, you lost me there. Again, really no need for it.