Job market...

[lukemg]

Luke,

congratulations.

Milan.

Easy tiger ! I went through a tough spell after 10 years of finishing contracts on Fridays - starting the next monday. Came out of a contract and the phone just didn't ring - at all, for weeks despite all the usual efforts to conjour up some interest.
It was fairly scary and took 2 years in permie work to re-invent myself and get some skills the market might actually want. Back on contract but slightly scarred by that experience where everything you have been working on for many years now has no value. Most people in IT can find themselves in this position, especially contractors no matter how hot you think you are now.

[Zorba]

rootsnall,

for heaven's sake man, how many times do I have to tell you, would you please not blag about how good things are in your technology area, we don't want the herd coming over to spoil our party, if we're not careful before we know it everyone will be doing .Net

I'm currently looking for my next .Net contract and must say, the market is hot hot hot

Milan.

.net? Naah, you want to be doing batch scripts and VB scripts. Yessirree... that's definitely the skills area I would be training up in if I wanted to get into this contracting game. No doubt about it. Oh, and Lotus Smartsuite. Yep.

[thunderlizard]

Picking up again - you reckon?
All I'm seeing is signs of the top. Everybody wants junior developers, nobody wants a PM. Agents are ringing me up at 7pm. Banks aren't bothered about prior banking experience (even factoring in the effect of everybody who actually has banking experience having shipped out to the hedge funds). And it's getting on for seven years of plenty since Enron.

[wendigo100]

.net? Naah, you want to be doing batch scripts and VB scripts. Yessirree... that's definitely the skills area I would be training up in if I wanted to get into this contracting game. No doubt about it. Oh, and Lotus Smartsuite. Yep.

The world will always need tape-changers.

[bobhope]

Picking up again - you reckon?
All I'm seeing is signs of the top. Everybody wants junior developers, nobody wants a PM. Agents are ringing me up at 7pm. Banks aren't bothered about prior banking experience (even factoring in the effect of everybody who actually has banking experience having shipped out to the hedge funds). And it's getting on for seven years of plenty since Enron.

Glass half empty?

We've had 3 good(ish) years. 2000-2003 were diabolical. Only since 2004 has it really picked up.

[rootsnall]

Glass half empty?

We've had 3 good(ish) years. 2000-2003 were diabolical. Only since 2004 has it really picked up.

I was reading the PCG election candidate manifestos last night ( including from our local representative - bit long winded possibly !? ) and one of the candidates was claiming it was lobbying by the PCG ( by him ! ) that had prevented overseas people coming in and thus the market had picked up. Not sure about the claims as I'm currently a token native amongst many overseas bods but the market does seem pretty good and rates have gone up in my game.

[wendigo100]

I was reading the PCG election candidate manifestos last night ( including from our local representative - bit long winded possibly !? ) and one of the candidates was claiming it was lobbying by the PCG ( by him ! ) that had prevented overseas people coming in and thus the market had picked up. Not sure about the claims as I'm currently a token native amongst many overseas bods but the market does seem pretty good and rates have gone up in my game.

I don't know which candidate you are talking about, but there was a PCG campaign led by Gurdial Rai to get the government to drop its "IT skills shortage list", which had thrown open the door to abuse of the Fast Track Visas scheme. (Another government scheme having opposite consequences to those intended? Perish the thought!)

Anyway, the PCG campaign was successful - he got the ear of the government and somehow persuaded them to drop the list, about 4 years ago.

If it is Gurdial you are talking about, from what I remember he was a good man. Not sure about him single-handedly improving the IT market over here, but the PCG action certainly helped.

[richy_rich]

Market picking up ??????

I've been contracting for exactly 4 days now & have not got my first contract yet!

Cheers,

RR.

[rootsnall]

I don't know which candidate you are talking about, but there was a PCG campaign led by Gurdial Rai to get the government to drop its "IT skills shortage list", which had thrown open the door to abuse of the Fast Track Visas scheme. (Another government scheme having opposite consequences to those intended? Perish the thought!)

Anyway, the PCG campaign was successful - he got the ear of the government and somehow persuaded them to drop the list, about 4 years ago.

If it is Gurdial you are talking about, from what I remember he was a good man. Not sure about him single-handedly improving the IT market over here, but the PCG action certainly helped.

I haven't got the PCG paperwork with me but it sounds like the right person, I have been complimenting him ( or ? ) on another thread for being bothered to take action when others such as myself are too lazy. I have a feeling he is the candidate who has dropped out !?

I was overseas at the time ( taking jobs off locals in another country ) but rates plummeted in my skillset when the IT skills shortage list was in place. It did coincide with the dotcom fallout.

[SallyAnne]

Market picking up ??????

I've been contracting for exactly 4 days now & have not got my first contract yet!

Cheers,

RR.

You just looknig for jobs at home Rich?

BTW - what's with that stupid metro bridge?!! Why on earth have they painted it that colour? Got the train into newcastle yesterday and it looks fecking ridiculous