Anybody come back to the UK contract market from abroad - how did you play it?

[roobydoobs]

Hi all,

I'm currently based in North America. I'm looking to return to the UK soon - back into the IT Contract market.

I'm thinking about applying for contracts from here first, but I'm concerned that I'll be ruled out if I'm not in the UK (I'm a UK Citizen BTW).

The main benefit of my employment here is I'm on 2 weeks notice, so can start a contract pretty quickly and my current employers are flexible with leave, so can attend interviews when I need to..

Just wondering if anybody on here has done the same and what their experiences were? Any Agents on here who would like to give there opinion on my situation?

Thanks!

[northernladuk]

Market is pretty rubbish here at the moment so I would think anything that differs you from the norm will count against you. That would include the agent ringing abroad, the time differences, the lack of availability for you to interview at a moments notice and so on....

No harm is plugging away now and at least getting your CV out there but can't see anything progressing until you are back on UK soil IMO.

[rurffy]

Be prepared for 2 months bench when you return....

[TombRaider]

Be prepared for 2 months bench when you return....

Depends on your skillset. I have managed to line up UK contracts while working overseas with little gap between contracts but it helps that I work in the UK one day a week and so can attend interviews in the UK - can't see how you could do that from the US.

And NLUK is right on - the key difference when applying is that the agents drop the phone like a hot iron when they realise they are calling you on a mobile away from the UK

[roobydoobs]

Thanks for the feedback.

I was assuming it might work against me, but wondering if others had got around that - telephone interviews etc.

TBH, I can get to an interview within a few days (I'm on the East Coast, so only 6 hours to London) - so I'm hoping there may be a few days leeway for an interview.

I have enough for 4 months on the bench, but not really looking forward to doing that, so going to try and at least secure something first.

[roobydoobs]

Depends on your skillset. I have managed to line up UK contracts while working overseas with little gap between contracts but it helps that I work in the UK one day a week and so can attend interviews in the UK - can't see how you could do that from the US.

And NLUK is right on - the key difference when applying is that the agents drop the phone like a hot iron when they realise they are calling you on a mobile away from the UK

I'm an Oracle DBA.

If I really need to , I can attend an interview within 2 working days, so I get a call on Mon, I can attend on Wednesday. Combined with a 2 week notice period here, I'm hoping I might get lucky...

The long distance phone thing is something I have to think about, I guess I need to start talking to agents, get a bit of a relationship and discuss how best to play it. Any agents on here who can throw in their 2 pence worth?

[quackhandle]

Be prepared for 2 months bench when you return....

+1. Good luck out there.

qh

[sunflower]

Good luck with your hunt. Some companies are happy to do a first interview on skype these days, even for UK gigs not too far from your home base.

Some agents don't bite even when the gig is in the UK in another town a couple of hours by train, even if you are able to go on interview at short notice.

[roobydoobs]

thanks for the good wishes everybody - I think I might need them...