How are people on the bench finding the market?

[OwlHoot]

Been on the bench for over a month now, for the first time in over 20 years.

I have enough to get by for now, but am applying on and off for around three or four contracts a week.

I only apply for contracts for which I know I am a good and often perfect fit, but the weird thing is I haven't had even one nibble yet, which, on past form, is pretty unusual, as is the notable near absence of phone calls from pimps.

I'm pretty sure most of these contracts advertised are not fake, e.g. agents fishing for leads, although I've suspected the occasional "too good to be true" sounding one may be.

So I'm curious to know other people's recent experience of applying for contracts or permie roles. Is the market still as dead as it seems in your areas? (Mine is python development, with Docker, AWS, Django, etc) Or is competition much worse these days?

I'm wondering if I should take my age off my CV, as that may be counting against me, because young people sometimes feel uncomfortable working with, and especially managing, older people! I recently read that these days a CV need not and arguably should not include the person's age.

[Old Greg]

Been on the bench for over a month now, for the first time in over 20 years.

I have enough to get by for now, but am applying on and off for around three or four contracts a week.

I only apply for contracts for which I know I am a good and often perfect fit, but the weird thing is I haven't had even one nibble yet, which, on past form, is pretty unusual, as is the notable near absence of phone calls from pimps.

I'm pretty sure most of these contracts advertised are not fake, e.g. agents fishing for leads, although I've suspected the occasional "too good to be true" sounding one may be.

So I'm curious to know other people's recent experience of applying for contracts or permie roles. Is the market still as dead as it seems in your areas? (Mine is python development, with Docker, AWS, Django, etc) Or is competition much worse these days?

I'm wondering if I should take my age off my CV, as that may be counting against me, because young people sometimes feel uncomfortable working with, and especially managing, older people! I recently read that these days a CV need not and arguably should not include the person's age.

CV shouldn't include age. The tricky bit is how to disguise your age when it might be given away by years of education (if you have any) or by the years of earlier jobs or contracts. Have a Google for ways of managing this. You can remove years from the education. You could also only include last 10 years of contracts.

[ladymuck]

I state on my CV that I have over 15 years' experience but my work history only goes back 5-7 years (depends on what fits best within three pages). I don't put dates of education or professional courses. I have been trading for 15 years but I have over 10 of work experience on top of that.

[Paddy]

Defiantly no age on CV. It maybe worth shedding some of the old contacts and removing some redundant technologies.
Agents and HR can be a bit narrow minded if the see CPM and DBase one on a cv, they think your time has long past.

[ladymuck]

In actual answer to the OP, I found the market by turning left at the end of my road, crossed over at the lights and carried on for about 200 yards. It was shut.

[Paddy]

In actual answer to the OP, I found the market by turning left at the end of my road, crossed over at the lights and carried on for about 200 yards. It was shut.

I was going to give that reply and then I thought no.

[ladymuck]

I was going to give that reply and then I thought no.

I didn't realise this was in general at first, hence my sensible reply.

[Old Greg]

I didn't realise this was in general at first, hence my sensible reply.

Still. No need to troll a thread when someone is struggling with the contract market.

[GigiBronz]

What market?

[scooterscot]

Always had still do keep my DOB on the CV. Why would I want to work for someone who has agist issues?