Java/J2EE Contractor - Cannot get an interview!

[oracleslave]

I'm familiar with your position. You're pitching yourself too high.

Try going in at average 350 per day and build on that.

P

Sorry, could you repeat that?

[Peter Loew]

Sorry, could you repeat that?

Originally Posted by Peter Loew
I'm familiar with your position. You're pitching yourself too high.

Try going in at average 350 per day and build on that.

P

[oracleslave]

I'm familiar with your position. You're pitching yourself too high.

Try going in at average 350 per day and build on that.

P

I'm familiar with your position. You're pitching yourself too high.

Try going in at average 350 per day and build on that.

P

Great thanks.

[Peter Loew]

Great thanks.

NP, glad I could help.

[Bumfluff]

£500 - £550 is market rate imo in banking at the moment for this guys skills, £350 a day is more data input

[rocktronAMP]

Hi All,

I've just moved to London from Australia (coming up to 4 weeks ago). I have been looking for senior java and/or j2ee development work (preferably within investment banking or telco's) with no luck.

I am a senior developer who has been contracting in Australia for 2 and a half years and been in Java/J2EE development for 6 years. I have 2 years of blue chip retail and institutional banking experience and 6 months of investment banking experience alongside 1 year of media and 1 year of Telco experience. I have around 4 years of spring and hibernate (which everyone here seems to love). The rate i have been putting myself is £500-550. I have lowered my rate to £450 to £500 with no luck in the last week.

I have had my CV reviewed by Aston Carter and a few others but even though I have been put up for about 30 positions, which i follow up every 2-3 days, i have not been put forward to interview. I have been told a number of things like:

• My CV is strong and have a lot of skill in java/j2ee
• The market in February is ALWAYS really bad, so be patient
• The market is saturated with UBS developers who have as much java experience, but heaps more industry knowledge

I have no idea what to believe and i feel i am being stuffed around by the agencies. In Australia I am used to only 4-5 agencies helping me get good contracts, here i have dealt with maybe 20. I have read the Newbies guys on contractoruk but yeah no luck.

Can anyone in Java/J2EE give me some pointers about how to maybe rejig my CV so I can at least get to 1 interview!

cheers,

::mark

Hello

I have wondered the same thing. Just who are these contractors getting the job?

1) If another contractor is undercutting then it is probably true they are more considered.

2) In the banking market for contractors, there are some really tough interviews. Phone Interview , technical test , Face-2-Face, Sign -off.

3) Agencies are being extremely carefully who they put through to their clients. Competition is tough for contractor candidates, but woe betide the agent who puts through the wrong candidate, less that other agency gets the deal.

4) Current climate for Java/J2EE is not improving over time. It is getting difficult because budgets are narrowed by the client and also a buyer's market. Client can insist on 10 bullet point items e.g: PL/SQL, Credit Derivatives, FX, Cross Margin, Java Threading, Object Oriented Analysis, UML, Web Skills and Business / Trading Knowlege . Throw into it your requirements for Java/J2EE Spring Hibernate too.

My conclusion is that one needs the trust of the agencies, which you do not have unfortunately because you are still relatively unknown to them. Your track record in Australia cannot be verified at first hand too. I think it worth lowering your rate and looking for different industry (new media or retail). Alternatively you could get a job as a contract -to-permanent or become permanent if you want to really stay inside the investment banking domain.

I'd love to see the CVs of contractors who are winning these gigs, but I don't suppose we will ... they are the silent winning minority.

Also read the 1000 gig submission thread about CV writing advice for good measure, strongly recommended

Tough 2008 for all me thinks!

[BrilloPad]

Hi All,

I've just moved to London from Australia (coming up to 4 weeks ago). I have been looking for senior java and/or j2ee development work (preferably within investment banking or telco's) with no luck.

I am a senior developer who has been contracting in Australia for 2 and a half years and been in Java/J2EE development for 6 years. I have 2 years of blue chip retail and institutional banking experience and 6 months of investment banking experience alongside 1 year of media and 1 year of Telco experience. I have around 4 years of spring and hibernate (which everyone here seems to love). The rate i have been putting myself is £500-550. I have lowered my rate to £450 to £500 with no luck in the last week.

I have had my CV reviewed by Aston Carter and a few others but even though I have been put up for about 30 positions, which i follow up every 2-3 days, i have not been put forward to interview. I have been told a number of things like:

• My CV is strong and have a lot of skill in java/j2ee
• The market in February is ALWAYS really bad, so be patient
• The market is saturated with UBS developers who have as much java experience, but heaps more industry knowledge

I have no idea what to believe and i feel i am being stuffed around by the agencies. In Australia I am used to only 4-5 agencies helping me get good contracts, here i have dealt with maybe 20. I have read the Newbies guys on contractoruk but yeah no luck.

Can anyone in Java/J2EE give me some pointers about how to maybe rejig my CV so I can at least get to 1 interview!

cheers,

::mark

Aston Carter are idiots. I gave up on them a while ago.

[BrilloPad]

£500 - £550 is market rate imo in banking at the moment for this guys skills, £350 a day is more data input

£500-£600 for C++/.net. £350 for Java/data input.

[swamp]

I started a new gig early this year and I got my asking rate (475) -- just.

I could have walked into a number of roles at 400-450, but I held firm and got what I wanted. I'm in Java but outside Banking. Aston Carter told me to go perm in IB or forget it.

Java rates seem to have softened a bit, and I know of some big projects ending in other places so I reckon they will soften further

Basically you chose the wrong time to come to London for contracting. Where were you last year?!

HTH

[SomeoneElse]

Thanks bumfluff and rootsnall.
I still have to go well in the interview. In the interview i organised here with RBS from Australia i went REALLY REALLY bad on some questions (maybe its the 1 and a half months at Torquay beach - Australia with my girlfriend and not working that got me!). I'll have to knuckle down before this one!

cheers,

::mark

Hey mate. As agents, Aston Carter would have received feedback from the client following the interview that as you went "REALLY REALLY bad" in. They will be hesitant in putting you forward again as it reflects poorly on them.

My advice would be to not apply through Aston Carter for further positions. Also, consider updating your CV to the "UK" format which, I think you'll find, is quite different from the Aus. layout.

Good luck and hang in there - you'll be fine.