Want gig in the South West - how to go about finding it?

[theroyale]

My contract in London finishes next month and I'd like to move out to the South West where my girlfriend lives and continue contracting there. A quick search of Jobserve shows that this is probably the most underrepresented part of the country. What do people recommend in terms of how to go about finding work in that part of the country? Get in touch with local agents/agents in Bristol?

Does anyone have any contracting experience from Somerset/Devon/Cornwall...?

A nice alternative would be a WFH with upto 2 days/week on site in London or anywhere else, but again, how to go about looking for something like this?

My skills are in SQL/BI dev, quite current (as in SQL Server 2008 R2) but no real niche products/applications..

[JoJoGabor]

Not much work down there, you may find something in bristol or Plymouth? May have to go further afield to SOuthampton or Portsmouth

[malvolio]

Time was, you wanted work in Bristol you'd talk to Sandersons. these days they've been taken over tby the bean coutners, all the good guys have scattered and the ones that are left fulfil your every expectation of agent's abilities to know their market and their contractors. So Jobserve is your friend.

I've lived in Bristol for all the 16 years I've been freelance. I've had two gigs here, and one of those was in Bath. However, the catchment area for clients is as big as Greater London but with much better motorways, it depends how far you want to drive each day.

[Scrag Meister]

I don't think they have broadband and computers down there!

I should know I'm from there, although in London now, have a house in Mid Devon too, best of both worlds.

[northernladuk]

Trawl jobserve with keywords for the area. Put -London -Northwest and all other common areas. Search for South, South West and individual hubs on industry you are interested in and the keep your fingers crossed.

Could research some of the large companies in the region and then go find if they have PSL's etc.

There is no one quick way.

[stek]

Seem to be a lot in my field in Gloucester, DV and SC cleared though.

[SimonMac]

Liverpool Victoria in Exeter are ramping up recruitment.

[theroyale]

Time was, you wanted work in Bristol you'd talk to Sandersons.

I had a few-week contract in Exeter a couple of years ago (went sour though with client not agency), so there's one agency I can talk to. From what I remember of Exeter it was more people-to-people based than you'd expect in bigger towns. Which is why I wonder if getting in touch with individual agencies might work...

[Pogle]

I've been working in the South West for 25 months now and cant seem to get anything near home- in the North West
The joys of contracting eh?

[theroyale]

Pogle
I've been working in the South West for 25 months now and cant seem to get anything near home- in the North West
The joys of contracting eh?

What's your impression in terms of how contracts come up and are handled (by client managers, agencies...)? Anything I should be doing differently wrt the SW?