Struggling to get to an interview...

[Smartie]

Is anyone generic?

Generic BA core skills aren't going to get you very far if you have no prior experience as a contractor.

It's the Domain specialisms that clients are interested in (agents wouldn't know a domain specialism if it hit them over the head).

Look at extracting as much as you can from your Telecom knowledge to show that it's relevant to a software development project (or whatever).

Think about the projects you've worked on - most companies have the same core functions - finance, HR, sales etc. so you can expand on those areas at least.
Also, liberally sprinkle words like 'agile', 'cloud' and 'big data' throughout your CV - as long as you can back it up at interview of course. Key words rule in today's recruitment process.

[rashm2k]

Having a similar issue here, my current role I've done quite a bit of collateral management in finance, but can't seem to get an interview. Got a call from one agency but the pricks just wanted references really. Gave them only a name, no number.

I've even tweaked my CV to be better and added the table at the top listing my skills, but to no avail.

Care to swap CV's to take a look at? I'm also trying the Java space too - but about 3 years experience (but I'm good at what I do!)

[northernladuk]

Having a similar issue here, my current role I've done quite a bit of collateral management in finance, but can't seem to get an interview. Got a call from one agency but the pricks just wanted references really. Gave them only a name, no number.

I've even tweaked my CV to be better and added the table at the top listing my skills, but to no avail.

Care to swap CV's to take a look at? I'm also trying the Java space too - but about 3 years experience (but I'm good at what I do!)

3 years experience in the main skill you are trying to sell? That is going to be your main problem not your CV.

[rashm2k]

3 years experience in the main skill you are trying to sell? That is going to be your main problem not your CV.

I could bump it up to 4 years, as thats how long i've been out of Uni, I just need to get to the interview stage, once I'm there I generally have plenty of experiences that show I bring something unique to the game.

What if I lowered my rate? I mean I must be able to get something at £300 per day in the north west?

[northernladuk]

I could bump it up to 4 years, as thats how long i've been out of Uni, I just need to get to the interview stage, once I'm there I generally have plenty of experiences that show I bring something unique to the game.

What if I lowered my rate? I mean I must be able to get something at £300 per day in the north west?

I don't know coding and I do know that there are some young coders on here doing ok but generally you take on a contractor because he is a specialist in his field and brings some value to the table. 4 years out of uni wouldn't scream that to me if I picked up your CV tbh. As I say coding could be different and that could be enough but I can't help but think you are on the backfoot in that situation.

Maybe need one of our experience coders on here to give their view.

[GazCol]

I could bump it up to 4 years, as thats how long i've been out of Uni, I just need to get to the interview stage, once I'm there I generally have plenty of experiences that show I bring something unique to the game.

What if I lowered my rate? I mean I must be able to get something at £300 per day in the north west?

Client co’s want expertise in a field that people have honed over decades with many years of those spent contracting – lowering your rate because you are relatively inexperienced in your field might get your foot in the door in terms of interviews but it’s not really a sustainable way of getting contract after contract.

[MyUserName]

I could bump it up to 4 years, as thats how long i've been out of Uni, I just need to get to the interview stage, once I'm there I generally have plenty of experiences that show I bring something unique to the game.

What if I lowered my rate? I mean I must be able to get something at £300 per day in the north west?

If you lower your rate then you might be able to get a gig because an agent might put you forward and pocket the difference. The client generally will not accept a lower quality contractor for less money. They usually want an expert to come in who has done the same job (or at least similar) before who will hit the ground running.

4 years is not much experience unless you have some specialist business knowledge or are an expert in a niche technology?

[rashm2k]

Client co’s want expertise in a field that people have honed over decades with many years of those spent contracting – lowering your rate because you are relatively inexperienced in your field might get your foot in the door in terms of interviews but it’s not really a sustainable way of getting contract after contract.

Generally I'm able to hold my own even against programmers with lots of experience (I've been messing with computers since I was 14 - started with x86 assembly!). More recently I've built my own (quite complicated) mobile app with Qt on the N9/Blackberry 10, to show I didn't just 'fall into' programmer mode, but what I always wanted to do.

I'm just not sure how I can get this across to the client, once I'm at the interview I'll be OK.

Collateral management, Risk Management and Middle Office stuff would be my main niche skill set and maybe Tableau too.

[northernladuk]

Generally I'm able to hold my own even against programmers with lots of experience (I've been messing with computers since I was 14 - started with x86 assembly!). More recently I've built my own (quite complicated) mobile app with Qt on the N9/Blackberry 10, to show I didn't just 'fall into' programmer mode, but what I always wanted to do.

But this means nothing when your only way in to a client is via your CV. Your mobile app experience and playing with computers since 14 is also useless and frankly sounds a bit silly. You are supposed to be a professional. The same can probably said for people with 10 times your experience. I'm in my 40's and have been messing with computers since I was 14 as well. These are not qualifications of a professional.

I'm just not sure how I can get this across to the client, once I'm at the interview I'll be OK.

Collateral management, Risk Management and Middle Office stuff would be my main niche skill set and maybe Tableau too.

Your CV demonstrating your experience is how you get it across. The rest of the stuff you mentioned is just nonsense and if you start sprouting that in an interview you won't have a cat in hells chance. Thinking all that is of any use is the difference between a pro and a newbie out of uni I am afraid.

[MyUserName]

Generally I'm able to hold my own even against programmers with lots of experience (I've been messing with computers since I was 14 - started with x86 assembly!). More recently I've built my own (quite complicated) mobile app with Qt on the N9/Blackberry 10, to show I didn't just 'fall into' programmer mode, but what I always wanted to do.

I'm just not sure how I can get this across to the client, once I'm at the interview I'll be OK.

Most contract developers started with computers when they were young and most can tell anecdotes of things they did (none of these anecdotes can be verified).

Saying that you can 'hold your own' against programmers with lots of experience means nothing, for all I know it just means you have never realised how out of your depth you are or that you work with senior programmers who are very gentle with you (not saying that this is the case and I cannot verify otherwise).

Saying you have written an app which is quite complicated means nothing, your opinion of quite complicated might be vastly different to mine.

Therefore once we get down to verifiable facts - you have less experience than most of your competitors and hence agents are less likely to put your forward as they know clients are more likely to chose someone more experienced.

Collateral management, Risk Management and Middle Office stuff would be my main niche skill set and maybe Tableau too

These are not really niches. Could you specialise within them (or at least blag it)? For example I thinking of something like this level of detail "4 years of experience writing low level, fast throughput data plugins for investment banks in C++".

If a client wants someone doing that then you might have more experience, at 4 years, than other people despite having less experience overall and this *might* be enough to get you in.