Why don't the agents reply? I mean come on ... !

[Loco]

Just keep plugging away I guess. Don't rely on the reply, just keep applying for more!

If you are not quite getting the roles, then it could be an indication that you have not quite crossed the threshold, the market is bad in your skillset, or the more experienced are nabbing them!

If you find your funds are getting low, then get yourself a permie role for a year or two. This will build your skillset, experience and cashpot.

Then repeat...

Hope that helps, don't lose faith!

[MrMark]

Just keep plugging away I guess. Don't rely on the reply, just keep applying for more!

If you are not quite getting the roles, then it could be an indication that you have not quite crossed the threshold, the market is bad in your skillset, or the more experienced are nabbing them!

If you find your funds are getting low, then get yourself a permie role for a year or two. This will build your skillset, experience and cashpot.

Then repeat...

Hope that helps, don't lose faith!

Not so easy to get a permie role either!

To be honest, I wouldn't blame the OP for lying on the cv, to get past the gatekeepers. It's not something I've done, which is probably why I've ended up unemployable according to some agents. Pretend you've developed x, y and z websites (but give genuine company names run by friends), and learnt f and g skillsets. Better still, develop that killer site and/or app and avoid the whole scenario..

[d000hg]

Heck no. At 30 seconds to glance through each one, 212 applications would take almost 2 hours. Your client wouldn't expect you to put in 2 whole hours effort in exchange for 20% of somebody's rate for their entire contract, would they..?

You're taking the same condescendingly ignorant tone a non-technical manger does when they say "it's just programming, that stuff is easy..."

[Loco]

Not so easy to get a permie role either!

To be honest, I wouldn't blame the OP for lying on the cv, to get past the gatekeepers. It's not something I've done, which is probably why I've ended up unemployable according to some agents. Pretend you've developed x, y and z websites (but give genuine company names run by friends), and learnt f and g skillsets. Better still, develop that killer site and/or app and avoid the whole scenario..

Yup! As many posters have said, the key thing here is experience. Do whatever you can to get the experience - even if it means that killer app that will change/nuke the world!

[thunderlizard]

You're taking the same condescendingly ignorant tone a non-technical manger does when they say "it's just programming, that stuff is easy..."

Not completely. As a not infrequent CV-sifter, and a recipient of hourly "May I introduce to you..?" emails, 30 seconds to move somebody to the odi profanum vulgus et arceo pile or not is generous.

[The Agents View]

Heck no. At 30 seconds to glance through each one, 212 applications would take almost 2 hours. Your client wouldn't expect you to put in 2 whole hours effort in exchange for 20% of somebody's rate for their entire contract, would they..?

Use a bit of business nouse would you?

A) If i can do something in 5 minutes, or two hours, with the same net result, which am I going to do?

B) A computerised search, can scan CV's in more depth than I can, in far less time.

C) It takes at least 3 minutes per CV to get an outline guide to what a person does, and whether they'd be vaugely suitable for what I'm looking for. It then takes a 15-20 minute conversation to confirm that they have the skills, qualify out weaknesses, assess interest, discuss rates, and pull together a plan of action. The most effective recruitment time in the current climate, is within the first 4-5 hours of a contractor being requested - stick that in your calculator.

D) 3/4 or more of all the applications I get, are from people chancing their arm - not proper contractors, and certainly not people I would be looking to represent my brand within a client - at the end of the day, a PMO manager, will (if they have any sense at all) have the words PMO, Project Office, Programme Office, or Project Manager in their CV - the initial sifting process simply takes out anyone who has no mention of these elements in their CV and are therefore not experienced in what I need - I can't bang a square peg into a round hole, so why bother trying?

E) I come back to the point of why would I? If you had a piece of code, that someone else had already written, but previous to your arrival, but that did what you needed it to do, would you go with the code, or start over again, write the code yourself and come up with exactly the same answer? Which one would be more productive, assuming both work equally well??


Oh and for your information - anyone with any kind of business nouse, would know all of the above.

[dynamicsaxcontractor]

Hello,

I have more than 3 years of experiences of working in the IT industry. I took a break and did my Masters.

I opted for a contract based position. Now there are loads of contracts being offered across so many websites. And there are many where I just simply fit. II have th experience, technical skills and everything. Heck I told them I am even willing to relocate just to kick start my contractor life.

First of all the agents never reply/call back. Even if I call them they go through the whole resume and then they go in a sombre tone 'umm this looks all good for the job desc, ok I will forward it to the client and come back to you' ..and poof , they go away and no reply nothing.

I know they don't have time and all but I just want to know how do they then work? What stops them from putting me in line for the interview? Is this because of competition? I started using reed.co.uk, which is pretty popular and also shows total number of applications per ad. I applied for positions where I was the only one who applied and I ticked all the boxes in the description and still they went AWOL.

Can anyone tell me how to tackle the situation?

Dont expect agents to get back to you with bad news, its a part of the game. I have a couple of agents I have been talking to for years, if they have a possible role they call me about it, if it won't come off they wont tell me. I just know that if they don't call me back the role never happened, waste of everbodys time to have a chat about a role that never happened.

[Ignis Fatuus]

B) A computerised search, can scan CV's in more depth than I can, in far less time.

Really? More, yes. More depth, not if "depth" means "understanding". Oh well, maybe yes after all.

PS "nous".

[thunderlizard]

TAV,
Now that is more like it. You've shifted from "the only thing I can do" and "I simply do not have time" to something more businesslike: that it's a decision you make freely in order to earn maximum profit with minimum effort. I've got no argument with that.

[The Agents View]

Really? More, yes. More depth, not if "depth" means "understanding". Oh well, maybe yes after all.

PS "nous".

Thanks for the sp.

You can turn your tone down slightly - my understanding of my market sectors personally is extremely high (I love the sector I work within, as well as having it as my job).

The difference is, that if someone doesn't have the NOUS, to explain that they have worked in the PMO world, it doesn't matter how good my knowledge is, or what method I use to sift - ultimately neither me, or a search method is going to pick it up, so these people are inappropriate - there is absolutely no point in taking people to the stage of a conversation, if they're clearly not the right person for the role. If you're a developer, do you not think your CV should say "developer" in it somewhere?

FYI I had an application for this role, which I happened to look at on a whim - I knew it hadn't hit the initial , very high level criteria of having project or programme in the CV. The persons work history? Boots - Sales Assistant. Burger King Franchise - Customer Assistant. Small IT technical business - Cable puller. Now seriously, I ask you, for a £350 per day role, why would I even speak to this person - it's just wasting my time!!