Tomorrow

[oliverson]

Is groundhog day.

I'm going to search for a contract on Jobserve (again) only to find that yet again virtually nothing exists in my field (WPF, banking, London) but if I get lucky and there's a role I'll jump on it, as will the 100+ other applicants. Cv into a black hole. Rinse and repeat.

[russell]

Is groundhog day.

I'm going to search for a contract on Jobserve (again) only to find that yet again virtually nothing exists in my field (WPF, banking, London) but if I get lucky and there's a role I'll jump on it, as will the 100+ other applicants. Cv into a black hole. Rinse and repeat.

WPF only? What about general C sharp .NET? Must be hundres of .NET roles out there?

[eek]

Is groundhog day.

I'm going to search for a contract on Jobserve (again) only to find that yet again virtually nothing exists in my field (WPF, banking, London) but if I get lucky and there's a role I'll jump on it, as will the 100+ other applicants. Cv into a black hole. Rinse and repeat.

You're down on yourself which will do you no good if the agent rings. Take the day off and Thursday and start again next Tuesday relaxed and refreshed.

Also try outside banking I never know why people want to work in that sector.

[nomadd]

Is groundhog day.

I'm going to search for a contract on Jobserve (again) only to find that yet again virtually nothing exists in my field (WPF, banking, London) but if I get lucky and there's a role I'll jump on it, as will the 100+ other applicants. Cv into a black hole. Rinse and repeat.

Well, if it's any consolation, in two weeks time I'll be joining you. Markets pretty bad, for sure. But hey, that's all part-n-parcel of contracting.

As ever, been given the "big sell" by my current IB client about a permie role. And, of course, as they know the market is bad and many contractors have "folded", they've made a typical derisory offer. I still feel I'm better off contracting, even if it takes me 7.5 months to find a job like it did in 2009. God forbid I couldn't go permie.

Oh well, at least we can share war stories. And as someone has already said: chin up!

[Scrag Meister]

Is groundhog day.

I'm going to search for a contract on Jobserve (again) only to find that yet again virtually nothing exists in my field (WPF, banking, London) but if I get lucky and there's a role I'll jump on it, as will the 100+ other applicants. Cv into a black hole. Rinse and repeat.

Really?

All I get sent these days are C#.NET roles in banking in London, and I've only done odd enhancement/debug tasks and not my primary skill.

C# WPF Banking

Seem to be plenty from the search I have just done. Reasonable rates too unless they are phoney roles.

[kaiser78]

You're down on yourself which will do you no good if the agent rings. Take the day off and Thursday and start again next Tuesday relaxed and refreshed.

Also try outside banking I never know why people want to work in that sector.

Agree - have a break from it over Easter and start refreshed from next Tuesday. Enjoy the holiday.

[oscarose]

In my experience when encountering dry spells one has to avoid negative thoughts and when they occur turn them into a positive. Otherwise your doubts become self-fulfilling prophesies. My advice is to break this cycle and do something different today and forget about work until after Easter.

After the break, try different approaches e.g. networking sites (LinkedIn) and calling old clients.

[ChimpMaster]

Well, if it's any consolation, in two weeks time I'll be joining you. Markets pretty bad, for sure. But hey, that's all part-n-parcel of contracting.

As ever, been given the "big sell" by my current IB client about a permie role. And, of course, as they know the market is bad and many contractors have "folded", they've made a typical derisory offer. I still feel I'm better off contracting, even if it takes me 7.5 months to find a job like it did in 2009. God forbid I couldn't go permie.

Oh well, at least we can share war stories. And as someone has already said: chin up!

Depends on what you class as 'derisory' but I would certainly consider a (decent) permie job at this stage of our economic disaster. Contracting has been hit double, with the economic decline of the West and with the increased offshoring or onshoring of Bob.

My market is completely dead too. I've been contracting for a short few years now and I completely understand that (unfortunately) I will have to go permie very soon. If that job pays reasonably (for me that would be £60K) and allows me to learn new skills, then that's me happy for a couple of years, while I plan my return to the contract world.

[nomadd]

Depends on what you class as 'derisory' but I would certainly consider a (decent) permie job at this stage of our economic disaster. Contracting has been hit double, with the economic decline of the West and with the increased offshoring or onshoring of Bob.

My market is completely dead too. I've been contracting for a short few years now and I completely understand that (unfortunately) I will have to go permie very soon. If that job pays reasonably (for me that would be £60K) and allows me to learn new skills, then that's me happy for a couple of years, while I plan my return to the contract world.

Appreciate where you are coming from. But I live in London - and you can't live in London on £60k (well, not if you don't own a house.) Living costs here are insane. I'm lucky to be on a dirt cheap rent in a nice house, so I'll take the gamble of sticking to contracting for now. I've also built-up a warchest of £200k (after the dreadful year that was 2009) so I'm not panicking just yet.

I've been contracting 23 years, so I guess I've learnt to live with the ups and downs. Only need a couple more years of contracting and I can walk away from I.T. completely, so I might as well hold out for a final last stab at something.

Got a telephone interview lined up for a role now, and a couple more in the pipeline. Who knows, something might come of them. Fingers crossed!

[scooby]

Appreciate where you are coming from. But I live in London - and you can't live in London on £60k (well, not if you don't own a house.) Living costs here are insane. I'm lucky to be on a dirt cheap rent in a nice house, so I'll take the gamble of sticking to contracting for now. I've also built-up a warchest of £200k (after the dreadful year that was 2009) so I'm not panicking just yet.

Well move to somewhere cheaper!!!