How long doing another tech before agents/clients will disregard you?

[psychocandy]

Basically, for the last 25 years been doing two technologies - A and B. Both similar but different if you know what I mean. Split has been pretty much 65/35 A-B

Over the years, most of my roles (perm and contract) have been a mixture of both. Some just A, some just B. Generally I prefer A (and it pays more).

More recently I've been doing roles that are either 90% B or completely B. Trouble is I've found that now agencies are not keen if I apply for A roles since I've been out of it for about 6 months now.

Seems nuts to me. 20+ years experience - I aint gonna suddenly be useless because I've done something different for 6 months!

Anyone else encounter? Any way around this - apart from desperately trying to get a contract with A?

Must admit tempted to pay for certification exams for A.

[sal]

6 months of not using A shouldn't be a factor even in the IT world it's not that long for your skills to diminish. Could it be a temporary market where the demand for B is much greater than A rather than agents ignoring your experience with A.

How often do you change contracts, giving the fact that:

More recently I've been doing roles that are either 90% B or completely B.

But then you state:

I aint gonna suddenly be useless because I've done something different for 6 months!

[tractor]

Basically, for the last 25 years been doing two technologies - A and B. Both similar but different if you know what I mean. Split has been pretty much 65/35 A-B

Over the years, most of my roles (perm and contract) have been a mixture of both. Some just A, some just B. Generally I prefer A (and it pays more).

More recently I've been doing roles that are either 90% B or completely B. Trouble is I've found that now agencies are not keen if I apply for A roles since I've been out of it for about 6 months now.

Seems nuts to me. 20+ years experience - I aint gonna suddenly be useless because I've done something different for 6 months!

Anyone else encounter? Any way around this - apart from desperately trying to get a contract with B?

Must admit tempted to pay for certification exams for B.

You think too much.

MTFU, get your cv on JS and blag.

[kal]

Basically, for the last 25 years been doing two technologies - A and B. Both similar but different if you know what I mean. Split has been pretty much 65/35 A-B

Over the years, most of my roles (perm and contract) have been a mixture of both. Some just A, some just B. Generally I prefer A (and it pays more).

More recently I've been doing roles that are either 90% B or completely B. Trouble is I've found that now agencies are not keen if I apply for A roles since I've been out of it for about 6 months now.

Seems nuts to me. 20+ years experience - I aint gonna suddenly be useless because I've done something different for 6 months!

Anyone else encounter? Any way around this - apart from desperately trying to get a contract with B?

Must admit tempted to pay for certification exams for B.

Thought you were trying to get away from B in favour of A?. I think you have your A and B's mixed up. (Unix/Linux I take it )

[northernladuk]

You think too much.

MTFU, get your cv on JS and blag.

Completely this.

Come on PC you should know better by now. Remember the (arguable) mantra that you are only as good as your last gig. Agents don't assume you're useless they just have a host if people that can demonstrate it their last gig so you go to the bottom of the pile.

Instead of moaning about agents and clients why not try and understand how they work and it should become clear what you have to do.

[darrylmg]

Do some certification in B and just say to agents, that you're clearly not losing it as you studied for and got certificate X in B.

[SussexSeagull]

Depends on the demand for A and B.

[psychocandy]

Depends on the demand for A and B.

About the same. But A pays fair bit more.

[psychocandy]

Completely this.

Come on PC you should know better by now. Remember the (arguable) mantra that you are only as good as your last gig. Agents don't assume you're useless they just have a host if people that can demonstrate it their last gig so you go to the bottom of the pile.

Instead of moaning about agents and clients why not try and understand how they work and it should become clear what you have to do.

Yeh I know. Part of the problem is the clients I guess. There's a tendency to want EVERYTHING if they're paying for a contractor sometimes. The Van Driver wanted - must have experience of Red vans.

Extension of this is must have RECENT experience. Like your last gig must have been doing exactly the same.

I just find it nuts sometimes that they focus so heavily on your last gig. It seems sometimes that they'd rather get someone in who did exactly the same for the last 3 months, rather than someone whos got 20 years experience doing similar.

And dont even get me started on clients picking people purely on cheapness!

[northernladuk]

Yeh I know. Part of the problem is the clients I guess. There's a tendency to want EVERYTHING if they're paying for a contractor sometimes. The Van Driver wanted - must have experience of Red vans.

And what is wrong with that? I bloody would if I am paying that amount of money.

Extension of this is must have RECENT experience. Like your last gig must have been doing exactly the same.

Seems fair enough. There are more than enough people that have it. Why not accept that and stop whining?

I just find it nuts sometimes that they focus so heavily on your last gig. It seems sometimes that they'd rather get someone in who did exactly the same for the last 3 months, rather than someone whos got 20 years experience doing similar.

And dont even get me started on clients picking people purely on cheapness!

That's because you haven't got a clue about your clients or your agents, how they work, what they want etc etc. You just think about it all from your point of view.

It's pretty clear that as have moaned about nearly everything to do with clients and agents that the problem lies a lot close to home. Have you ever sat down and actually thought about your attitude to it all? It's hard to self critique but surely it's much easier than been constantly unhappy and feeling like you are being dumped on by agents and clients when really they are just doing what they do which happens to be more or less the same everywhere?