State of the Market

[sadkingbilly]

currently on £600/day outside, fully remote.
old pal called me.

[Dorkeaux]

I have enough to live on for a year but am considering doing some bicycle food delivery to keep fit and to reduce the attrition rate on my savings.

I like it. Of my contractor cohort:

A good friend of mine recently took up a Chief Instructor's job at his gliding club. Pay is relatively terrible, but exactly the sort of thing I would love to do. He was unemployed for years previously.
Another mate used to take pub work between contracts. He really enjoyed the social scene.

Some of the permies I worked with at a well known travel company were so so badly paid that they all had second and third jobs.
One intrepid bloke took in computers to repair, and did limo driving as well.
Another did painting and decorating.

I wouldn't hesitate to drive minicab or bicycle, or any of this stuff if I was struggling to find a contract. Good on yah.

[SchumiStars]

I love cycling/running/gym but wouldn't want to cross hobbies with work. I suspect, I would loose interest quite quickly.

But good for you and everyone else who has an alternative income. Think we can all see that the market is not comimg back anytime soon. Both permi and contract.

It's a.very hard reality and not one anyone is enjoying.

I do enjoy reading the honest posta as it tells me I am not doing anything wrong.

No-one is entitled to a pain-free life.

[agentzero]

I have enough to live on for a year but am considering doing some bicycle food delivery to keep fit and to reduce the attrition rate on my savings.

Professional forum: Do what you have to, to keep the brain alive. You did post rude posts across this forum boasting when people posted similar stories, and at the time I did wonder how long it would take before you apologised after being in the same situation. It's nice to be nice. Nobody is too good to be out of work.

[siddhantkumar]

Joined first time contracting in sept 2023 after being permi for 18yrs (outside ir35, £650)... got increment in daily rates in between. Now client is asking everyone to go inside IR35! Any known issues before the discussion time comes? joining as employee may also on the table .. what should I factor in (tax implications etc) and what could be potential perm salary?

[jamesbrown]

Joined first time contracting in sept 2023 after being permi for 18yrs (outside ir35, £650)... got increment in daily rates in between. Now client is asking everyone to go inside IR35! Any known issues before the discussion time comes? joining as employee may also on the table .. what should I factor in (tax implications etc) and what could be potential perm salary?

Wrong thread. You should start a new one or look for the large number of existing threads with this topic. The main thing to note is that the supply chain (including YourCo) is going to be a bit stuffed in defending your earlier/existing status as outside IR35 unless the proposed (new) working practices are very different to the existing ones, which they won't be, of course. You should probably move on now and keep your fingers crossed that the liability doesn't end up with YourCo, which certainly isn't guaranteed under Chapter 10 (and is guaranteed to be with YourCo if under Chapter 8). That said, the market for IT generalists is a bit pants, so YMMV. But you were never outside IR35...

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Had an email about a Workday (what I used to do) contract - 25/30 hours must be certified. No mention of rate. Immediate start.
To be WD certified you have to be employed by a WD partner.
They are going to have fun finding someone to leave their job without giving notice and start this gig.
The "market" such as it is, is full of crazy requirements that I can't imagine are getting filled.

[SchumiStars]

Just done an interview for HCL Tech interview which went well but it's hcl so will expect nothing back.

Part1
SQL queries

Part2
Angular functions

Part3
Flatten multidimensional array

Right, I'm done for the day. Going cycling.

[TheDude]

Professional forum: Do what you have to, to keep the brain alive. You did post rude posts across this forum boasting when people posted similar stories, and at the time I did wonder how long it would take before you apologised after being in the same situation. It's nice to be nice. Nobody is too good to be out of work.

I don't think I have ever ridiculed people for taking a low paid gig to see them through - everyone who works deserves respect.

What I probably said was something along the lines that some people who have repeatedly failed to land new contracts may have overestimated their skills and abilities or need to reassess their position in the workplace. Just because you have earned a decent whack as a contractor in the past does not mean you will be at the front of the queue when/if the market picks up.

If that came across as smug or condescending then I apologise.

I am certainly reassessing my place in the marketplace. My main skill was well paid and in demand. It has dramatically fallen out of favour over the past 18 months and it is quite clear to me that I need to leverage my experience whilst gaining/regaining skills that are more in demand. It is highly likely that any next role is likely to be initially much lower paid. IR35 status is likely to be the least of my worries for quite some time and I suspect the same applies to many else on these forums.

[TheDude]

Just done an interview for HCL Tech interview which went well but it's hcl so will expect nothing back.

Part1
SQL queries

Part2
Angular functions

Part3
Flatten multidimensional array

Right, I'm done for the day. Going cycling.

This is the Indian consultancy - right? I cancelled an interview with them when they backtracked on hybrid working arrangements.