Feedback please....(on current TELCO test job scenario)

**tim123** · 7 February 2008, 08:08

All Telco work is dull now and has been so since 2001.

It simply did not pick up after the downturn. The Siemens-Lucent-Nokia-Alcatel mergers (whichever way round it was) did not help, as there are now 2 large companies where there used to be 4 (large companies).

Working for this type of company may not be your niche, but the fact that bwtween them they have released (approx) 10,000 engineers onto the market means that there are a lot of extra people looking for jobs with the skills for the sector.

But on the good side, your 4 week gap will not bother anybody

tim

**malvolio** · 7 February 2008, 08:09

Originally posted by Darren_Test View Post

Hello,

I have few queries about current TELECOM testing contract market sitn...

Is TELCO testing market is absolutely DULL now..?

I have been trying to grab a testing contract for past 4 weeks (As usual I did the mistake of completing a role in dec) with out any success...I saw few roles but even the roles with suitable specs did not earn any calls from agencies..!! are there 100s of telco testers jumping and grabbing these roles..? But I am getting few calls regarding Perm roles...!! Did all contract roles moved to PERM now due to economic down turn..??

Any one facing similar sitn in this domain (telco testing)..????

After 4 weeks of unproductive jobsearch I am getting in to a panic mode as no response from agencies .Though I have around 8+ testing experience including few years as test manager role I find market very very tough..! Now I am panicking and started applying for test analyst roles as well. Is that good idea..?? or will this devalue my CV??

I prepared 3 sets of CV with common skeleton with different emphasis like

- test manager CV -> with more info on management experience showing actual position as test manager/test co-ordinator in the CV.

- Test analyst CV -> more abt technical side of testing & just removed "position" section as I donot want to say I was Test manager there as it might lead to be seen as over-qualification..!!

- test Automation CV -> more in to experience around tools etc...

is this (different CVs) a good idea..??or I might get negative reviews from agencies as I am trying for test manager as well as test analyst roles..????

How I could hide my 4 weeks of jobless condition from the agencies ..??? Will this 4 week's gap make me a very weak candidate due to fact that I was unable to grab any in 4 weeks..???

Also first I was looking only around M4 corridor now open to any where in England..!!

Any response will be highly appreciated....Thanks in advance..

Focused CVs are no bad thing, especially if they get you the gig, or even the interview for a gig. Don't get hung up on job titles since they mean diferent thigns to different people: as long as the work itself is consistent and relevant, the CV will hang together.

However you need an attitude readjustment - you're a contractor, 4 weeks off is neither unexpected nor exceptional and you should work on the assumption you'll have 7 months paid work a year. Plus you're not jobless, you are looking for new work. If you're going to panic because nothing's happening, go back to being a permie.

**Darren_Test** · 7 February 2008, 09:19

thanks Malvolio & tim 123.....

Yes...Telco was down from 2001...But still there was enough roles to play with till now...In mid 2007 as well I got a good contract with in 2 weeks (from one of those mergered companies mentioned above), even during that 2 weeks I got 10+ calls from agencies/day & they did arrange many interviews as well.

But now the sitn is any of these agencies (normally they will be pain in *** with calls) not contacting at all..!! For example I did apply for close to 100 testing roles(mgr, analyst,lead...) in this week so far...I haven't got any useful calls so far..!Just got couple of calls on Permie roles which I never applied..!

What happened to 100+ relevant applications I send..? Most of them are matching with one of my CV (either Mgr or analyst or auto)Only reason I could see is enough high qualifying CVs are pending with each agancy..?? if thats the case why these mo**ns advertiseing for Cvs at all..???

I have been changeing companies after 1 or 2 extensions normally.Longest contract was 12 months only. Is that a huge negative factor for a contractor..??I surprised to hear 4 or 5 years contracting for sameclient from some of the posts here..!! that will be more or less likea permie right..??

You might suspect my CV could be rubbish...I should say after reviewing & rewriteing CV for last 4-5 years its almost a perfect CV ticking all aspects mentioned in different CV sites...!

Only doubt I have is since I am applying with 4 different CVs am I a blacklisted candidate with all agencies..?? Is there some thing like blacklisted candidate set by all agencies..? like recruit agency Association (ATSco) do have blacklisted candidate list..????

getting bit paranoid i think....

**Darren_Test** · 7 February 2008, 11:06

any thoughts on this highly appreciated...especially if some one else also faceing similar sitn

**FiveTimes** · 7 February 2008, 11:22

Its a bit slow at present, you might have to wait until ed of Feb/March time for when the new budgets get approved.

Hang in there, something will happen.

I hope that your CV isn't like any of your previous posts and changes colour every paragraph

**Darren_Test** · 7 February 2008, 13:40

Ok thanks...colours are just for getting attention only...

**Dow Jones** · 7 February 2008, 13:50

Testing times

On testing, from the PM perspective, the emphasis is now on business testing and uat, not on technical and automated. Soft skills essential for this. A lot of stuff is now done by test consultancies employing permies and indian monkeys.

**Darren_Test** · 7 February 2008, 14:11

thanks..but before UAT some one needs to do ST right..?Or ST is no more done in UK ..rather done in offshore..?? even in that case I am not sure any thing dramatically changed in last 2 months. This was the case for last 2-3 years right..???

**Dow Jones** · 7 February 2008, 14:35

User-driven

What has happened is that the project and hence test lifecycles have shortened dramatically. Whereas before you had to go through unit, system, regression, e2e, etc before uat, now PMs are under pressure to deliver in the shortest possible time and with a tight budget. You can spend months testing something and surely it would be free from bugs, however by the time the users get it it might be out of date or out of scope, so they want to get their hands on it asap to give feedback. Testing budgets have been cut as a result by a lot and bau/std testing is carried out offshore as you already pointed out. One thing you can't offshore is the user/client liaison, holdie-handie type, which is what the market is after atm. Not so much specialist, but soft skills, as i said before.

Feedback please....(on current TELCO test job scenario)