Miners, shipbuilders, IT contractors?

[AnthonyQuinn]

I've just had to apply for an Indian visa to visit Goa. Every manager who is considering outsourcing should have to go through that process, then they can see exactly how rubbish their IT systems will end up and the kind of hopelessly inefficient bureaucracy they will have to deal with.

I have applied for an Indian visa, US and Schengen visa in the past. I didnt think the Indian visa was any more inefficient than the others. The others are much worse. Are you comparing the visa process to other countries or are you just talking about the point that you needed a visa.

[Notascooby]

Just to go back to the on-shored off-shore Solution Architect / TA / EA & BA's- If they're good then all is fine but if they're even average, then they will get ripped apart. The reason being that they need to interact with "real" stakeholders. The kind that won't think twice about calling you a tw@ and kicking your arse out the door.

When an off-shore BA writes a spec that needs to be put through google translate to workout wtf it's meant to say - then they get ripped to pieces, even if what they are putting across is actually good.

I've seen it with technical SME's - class people and experience but useless at stakeholder management and so quickly spat out the door.

Where as the dev teams don't have that level of access.

Unless you totally off-shore the design this will be a short-lived experiment from Wipro, CTS, Tata et al.

[DodgyAgent]

At what point did the miners or shipbuilders realise that their respective industries had died, never to return? When do we as contractors, particularly in the investment banking sector realise the same? The last 2-3 years have been a nightmare. 2012 is in my experience taking it to a completely new level. Maybe it's 'over'. Never to return? Time for plan b maybe.

mining is booming and shipbuilding is doing well in the oil gas sector, but not in the uk

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

OK admittedly I'm out in the Antipodes where things are still buzzing along, but it seems the IT contracting market still has life left in it. Yeah it is more difficult today than it was in say, the 90s, but then everything is. We may be on the bench a bit more, might have to work harder for a role, but in case you haven't noticed the average unemployment rate in the Eurozone is now over 10% and some countries are pushing 20%+.

When we are talking about the demise of IT contracting the following points should be remembered...

1. In boom times we think the good times will roll forever, and when it hits the fan we think that it will never get better. It’s just human nature.

2. This isn't a normal recession. This is the Great Depression Two. If you aren't lining up for a soup kitchen or lobbing concrete at riot police out of boredom you are doing well. If you are still getting paid hundreds of squids a day for naffing round in an office, you are doing very well.

3. The outsourcing to India is IMHO just a phase. New managers like to try and impress by doing something so they jump on the nearest bandwagon - currently outsourcing. We all know by now that it's a rubbish idea that saves no money - give a year or two and management will start to notice that as well. Then managers will be jumping on the new cost-saving bandwagon... bringing IT back in house where we have more control etc etc etc *yawn*

I've just had to apply for an Indian visa to visit Goa. Every manager who is considering outsourcing should have to go through that process, then they can see exactly how rubbish their IT systems will end up and the kind of hopelessly inefficient bureaucracy they will have to deal with.

Head down ride out the depression, it’ll all come around again…

I do hope you are right here. From my perspective I am doing better now than I ever imagined. Although I have hit a bit of a rate ceiling with my current skillset (and maybe due to the financial climate) I can hardly complain when I am getting 3 or 4 times what others are struggling to achieve...... Then again I don't want to get too complaicent. Maybe I am just lucky so far.....

[BolshieBastard]

I do hope you are right here. From my perspective I am doing better now than I ever imagined. Although I have hit a bit of a rate ceiling with my current skillset (and maybe due to the financial climate) I can hardly complain when I am getting 3 or 4 times what others are struggling to achieve...... Then again I don't want to get too complaicent. Maybe I am just lucky so far.....

hang on, not so long ago you were telling us you'd turned down an extra 85 quid a day because it wanst enough and you were aiming for 500+ a day.

Now you are telling us you are getting 3 or 4 times what others are? In the North West?

Are you only on 200 a day then

[Scoobos]

pleased to hear it.

I can comfortably say it feels like there isn't an industry left for me, and its not picking up

I've taken on principle a role that I wouldnt usually touch with a bargepole (it's technically wrong, economically wrong and just crap all round for 50% cut in my rate) - and they still haven't put pen to paper as they wait for approval.

[nomadd]

From my perspective I am doing better now than I ever imagined. ... I can hardly complain when I am getting 3 or 4 times what others are struggling to achieve...... Maybe I am just lucky so far.....

So why are you hiring yourself out as a Birthday Clown: http://forums.contractoruk.com/busin...ment-hire.html

[BolshieBastard]

So why are you hiring yourself out as a Birthday Clown: http://forums.contractoruk.com/busin...ment-hire.html

He sings a different song about his situation every time I see one of his posts!

Obviously the 'Tool' hire was too close for comfort.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

hang on, not so long ago you were telling us you'd turned down an extra 85 quid a day because it wanst enough and you were aiming for 500+ a day.

Now you are telling us you are getting 3 or 4 times what others are? In the North West?

Are you only on 200 a day then

Perhaps you should be a politician? Only you could spin what was an optimistic content posting into another opportunity to make some stupid, silly point. I am a fair way off £500/day at the moment but I am perfectly content with current rate....

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

pleased to hear it.

I can comfortably say it feels like there isn't an industry left for me, and its not picking up

I've taken on principle a role that I wouldnt usually touch with a bargepole (it's technically wrong, economically wrong and just crap all round for 50% cut in my rate) - and they still haven't put pen to paper as they wait for approval.

Unlucky mate - we all knew the risks when we first started out.....