Non Existant Roles

[escapeUK]

Now would not be a good time to make the leap imho but if you are then good luck to you!

Is there ever a good time for most things in life? Just quit and go for it.

[Wils]

Thanks for the responses folks. I knew it wasn't going to be easy. Was hoping being in London might help. Catch 22 with the money needed to chuck the perm job I am afraid. Luckily not in a panic. I'll let you know if I manage it.

[northernladuk]

Is there ever a good time for most things in life? Just quit and go for it.

This is the top and tail of it I think so +1 from me.

What you should do however is do a bit of research first. Something many new people posting on here seem to fail to do spectacularly. Use the time to top up your training, learn about how to write a CV, read the newbie guides on the right, monitor jobserve or similar closely so you know the market situation and rates.

Don't just jump in blind thinking about the money which many seem to do.

[tractor]

...

Or rates suspiciously lower than advertised elsewhere.

There seem to be a lot of micro agencies springing up or at least, lots of agencies I've never heard of before now in the market place.

I'm guessing these are the typical Black Apple or Silverlink Technology spearhead for crowbarring in another 5000 ICT's. They always offer dozens of just above minimum wage technical roles then complain to Vince Cable that the UK has no skills. He then obliges with a pad of blank visas!

[jmo21]

Hi,
every role that goes onto jobserve cost money. If every agent that was sat on their backside and bored was spunking money up the wall on joke ads just to get a CV they would go bust. What I have seen in the market over the last month is this:

They don't do it because they're bored, or to just get CV's.

Look at as a way of trying to buy leads to find business and it's not that stupid.

How useful this is, I have no idea, but I think that is effectively what they are trying to do.

How much does a job serve post cost? couple of hundred quid? they do job lots too.

So say £200, and a day of an agents time, phoning say, 100 applicants that apply.

Even if they get one solid lead into a client co, it might well be worth it.

[bobspud]

Does that mean it's getting easier to move from perm to contract (4 weeks notice problem) or am I wishful thinking? Just asking as I am trying to do that at the moment and want to gauge my chances.

Honestly? I would not be coming into this market at the moment. The market is far too full of green guys that have jumped on the boat for easy pickings. Its really not like that at the moment. I'd look for a perm role for slightly better money and wait it out for another year. If the IR35 starts to go against us this year then you would have found that you gave up loads of perm benefits for no financial advantage.

[bobspud]

They don't do it because they're bored, or to just get CV's.

Look at as a way of trying to buy leads to find business and it's not that stupid.

How useful this is, I have no idea, but I think that is effectively what they are trying to do.

How much does a job serve post cost? couple of hundred quid? they do job lots too.

So say £200, and a day of an agents time, phoning say, 100 applicants that apply.

Even if they get one solid lead into a client co, it might well be worth it.

No they can do that far easier using LinkedIn there just isn't the time or money to use Jobserve like this. I can point you at agents that will tell you straight. One girl was telling me that they chased to place over 200 HP roles last year and go no more than a handful of interviews just because the roles die almost as fast as they come live...

Today I got another interview confirmation for a call ASAP having waited weeks for them to come back, and had an agent call me almost immediately for a role that should also get me an interview. So I am entering the bench on Friday with some optimism.

[Wils]

Honestly? I would not be coming into this market at the moment. The market is far too full of green guys that have jumped on the boat for easy pickings. Its really not like that at the moment. I'd look for a perm role for slightly better money and wait it out for another year. If the IR35 starts to go against us this year then you would have found that you gave up loads of perm benefits for no financial advantage.

Thanks for the advice. Not quite green though; I have contracted once before. Also have over 10yrs exp in what I do.

[Gentile]

Non Existant Roles

"Non-Existent"


My favourite one doing the rounds at the moment concerns a 'role' that's been reposted ad infinitum by one Robert Gibson of Noir Consulting, seeking every .Net skill under the sun. Apparently, the "global internet icon" that's desperately seeking said skills has an onsite gym and games room, if any of you are interested. There's also a casual dress code, free ice cream and a bring your cat/dog to work scheme probably. If I was into watching saggy middle-aged men squeezing themselves into jeans three sizes too small every single day and not just on Casual Fridays, I'd be right in there I can tell you. The really weird thing is, said "rare" roles are more common than you might think! He's posted the exact same spec for just about every major city, town and rural backwater in Britain. So, there's hope for you death metal t-shirt wearing, games-playing .Net developers, whichever part of the country you happen to live in. I'm sure he can't just be CV farming, and these roles are as really real as my tan, aren't they?

I can only imagine that Mr Gibson doesn't know how to use Google, otherwise he would surely be embarrassed at being such a transparent spammer.

[SueEllen]

Thanks for the advice. Not quite green though; I have contracted once before. Also have over 10yrs exp in what I do.

You are still green though.

I've been talking to quite a few contractors who don't know the basics - some have had a contract at one place for years while others have just refused to take on the responsiblity of learning things such as how VAT works as their accountant does it for them.*

The best thing to do is use the guides under navigation and if they are too dry, use the search facilty of this board to find the answers to your questions.

*Do a search on "Upton" and you will find why this is a bad idea.