All quite on the Contract Front

[Shackattack]

I'm an IT project and have been working in IT/IS for a long time coming onto 17 years.

Am i being paranoid or as you hit your 40s do the IT contract roles just dry up. I have never been out of work more than 3 weeks in the past 10 years.

However over the last year at has taken me close to 3 months to secure a new role. For the life of me I don't know what is going on.

I did have one bad contract which for the only time in my career lasted 4 weeks, I quit as the digital director was an absolute Psycho who had sacked a PM before me, when I pointed out delivering the project in 3 months had become an issue as his suppliers where 6 months behind, he took it very badly and started to throw his weight about.

Is it possible to get black listed? is the IT job market just very quite now. Any advise anyone could give would be massively appreciated.

[alreadypacked]

I'm an IT project and have been working in IT/IS for a long time coming onto 17 years.

Am i being paranoid or as you hit your 40s do the IT contract roles just dry up. I have never been out of work more than 3 weeks in the past 10 years.

However over the last year at has taken me close to 3 months to secure a new role. For the life of me I don't know what is going on.

I did have one bad contract which for the only time in my career lasted 4 weeks, I quit as the digital director was an absolute Psycho who had sacked a PM before me, when I pointed out delivering the project in 3 months had become an issue as his suppliers where 6 months behind, he took it very badly and started to throw his weight about.

Is it possible to get black listed? is the IT job market just very quite now. Any advise anyone could give would be massively appreciated.

No I don't think it's anything to do with age, it's just the market.
Different industries expand and contract, tied to market forces.
It's a good idea not to tie yourself to one industry, try to expand into different areas, new technologies. Example Cloud etc.

Re-vamp your CV. Read LinkedIn, lots of posts about removing old stuff from CV. How to get your CV past Keyword tools.

Don't worry about the past you can't change it, move on.

Things have changed in the contract world, time to reinvent yourself.

Join groups, network, you are not old you are an expert, thats 100+ on your day rate.

[TheFaQQer]

I'm an IT project

All good projects come to an end.

[quackhandle]

It's all good on the gravy train but sometimes market forces dictate that you have to pull over into the sidings for a while, whilst waiting for the green light.

Or you may stay there indefinitely due to a points failure.

qh

[suityou01]

How does one direct digits?

[TheFaQQer]

How does one direct digits?

The one directing you to the door is a good starter.

Or the middle one telling you to leave.

[suityou01]

The one directing you to the door is a good starter.

Or the middle one telling you to leave.

Oh dear. Do you get this a lot?

[VectraMan]

Quite what?

[suityou01]

I'm an IT project and have been working in IT/IS for a long time coming onto 17 years.

Am i being paranoid or as you hit your 40s do the IT contract roles just dry up. I have never been out of work more than 3 weeks in the past 10 years.

However over the last year at has taken me close to 3 months to secure a new role. For the life of me I don't know what is going on.

I did have one bad contract which for the only time in my career lasted 4 weeks, I quit as the digital director was an absolute Psycho who had sacked a PM before me, when I pointed out delivering the project in 3 months had become an issue as his suppliers where 6 months behind, he took it very badly and started to throw his weight about.

Is it possible to get black listed? is the IT job market just very quite now. Any advise anyone could give would be massively appreciated.

Black listing, no. It's a myth.

Take a fresh print out of your CV. List half a dozen or so of your ideal gigs from the job boards. Reach each one in turn making a list of buzzwords. Check your CV over for the buzzwords.

Are you tailoring your CV before sending it in?

Are you registered on more than one job board? I use jobswerve, jobsite, monster and reed.

Chin up, nothing to do with age, you've just done your first lap of the block and are now actually worth something

[eek]

Black listing, no. It's a myth.

Take a fresh print out of your CV. List half a dozen or so of your ideal gigs from the job boards. Reach each one in turn making a list of buzzwords. Check your CV over for the buzzwords.

Are you tailoring your CV before sending it in?

Are you registered on more than one job board? I use jobswerve, jobsite, monster and reed.

Chin up, nothing to do with age, you've just done your first lap of the block and are now actually worth something

Says the person who last week was looking at spending hundreds getting his CV rewritten as he couldn't get an interview..

That is not to say the advice here is wrong. Tailor your CV for the role to ensure the buzzwords in the advert are clearly on your CV and press submit. Then wait 15 minutes and phone the agent to see if they got your CV...