Engineering- quiet as the grave at the moment..........

[Fred Bloggs]

Er, theres a recession on, dont you know.

Ahh, that explains it then

[KathyWoolfe]

I can see your point, but even if there's work around now that doesn't mean it'll be the same situation come july.

Sorry to be pessimistic. On the plus side, you may get an extension! Which is another reason I always wait till a gig has ended, as sometimes they only offer an extension at the last minute.

If there really is a shortage of work in your skill-set, why not use the time between now and then to expand your skills into areas that may complement your existing ones (and therefore be beneficial on your CV), with a view to moving into a different arena at some point in the future? Even if you do this in your spare time, you don't have to say that on your CV!

I agree with you whole-heartedly. I mean there's no point in moving contract for the sake of moving. Although the project end date is currently the same as my contract end date, I can see the project continuing for some time after that - but theres no guarrantee that I will be extended even though I've been already extended twice.

I was interested in the open source thread in the Technical forum and I am currently investigating this avenue, so you see, I'm not sitting back being complacent!

[Fred Bloggs]

I think opensource is a great way to keep your skills sharp. I don't know how a typical client views it, but myself I'd be really impressed if someone was putting a couple of hours a day into a good OS project.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Well and good Kathy - dont laugh - but the best advice I can offer is to take a few weeks off after your current assingment - you never know they might even offer you an extension.

Its an axiom of life but the more you try to grasp something - the more it slips away - so when you give up worrying about your next assignment - Pop !

One lands on your plate.

But a holiday is much more fun ! And I am sure you deserve it.

After all - how many summers do you or I have left ?

[Xenophon]

After all - how many summers do you or I have left ?

The average human lifespan is something like 30,000 days.

So, get busy living!

[AlfredJPruffock]

The average human lifespan is something like 30,000 days.

So, get busy living!

Right on !

Well when I pop my mortal clogs - I cannot be accused of not living life to the full - perhaps too fully at times I admit - but as its all going to fade away - why not ?

That reminds me - I shall be in that sinful city of Amsterdam tonight - and why not ?

[PAH]

The average human lifespan is something like 30,000 days.

And most of them rainy ones by the look of it. I'm getting thoroughly sick and tired of the crap weather we have in the UK.

Before anyone posts it's sunny where you are, don't bother, I won't believe you!

[gingerjedi]

I don't know how many more contracting Engineers are lurking here, but despite the much hyped "skills shortages" I have never known the contracting jobs market to be so dismal. 3rd quarter last year the industry seemed to be booming. Since before christmas everything seems to have died. There was a "real, actual" job released last week by a client company I know and that resulted in 7 agencies ringing me one after the other all in less than an hour. It smells of a desperate market to me, I've never had that happen before. Any insight out there as to what has happened the last 4 to 5 months to make things so dismal?

Aerospace work in Filton seems pretty buoyant at the moment, Airbus have won a few big orders and they’re always crying out for stress engineers plus Rolls Royce is only across the road, I've seen quite a few jobs posted recently (I'm only a time served apprentice not an engineer as such) but I've been out of the game for 5 years whilst I pursued an IT career so the agents wont touch me, I guess they think I'll be off at the first sniff of an IT upturn... which of course I would.

[Fred Bloggs]

Enjoy the Grolsch, and behave like a proper Brit in Holland, insisting they scrape the 3" of froth off the top and fill the glass properly FFS!!!

[AlfredJPruffock]

And most of them rainy ones by the look of it. I'm getting thoroughly sick and tired of the crap weather we have in the UK.

Before anyone posts it's sunny where you are, don't bother, I won't believe you!

If the rain comes they run and hide their heads.
They might as well be dead.
When the sun shines they slip into the shade
And drink their lemonade.

I can show you that when it rains and shines
Its just a state of mind !