How worried are you?

[swamp]

The good news is that contracting will pick up at the start of the upturn.

The bad news is the upturn may be some years away.

The worse news is a lot of contractors in work are probably finishing long term roles this year. Might be a real squash on the bench for a bit.

[MrMark]

I'm booking an appointment with Nationwide to get our mortgage switched to interest only then I will take whatever I can get, even if I get a role with a decent rate we'll keep it that way so I can build up a war chest for next time.

I’m reading Paul McKenna’s ‘Change your life in 7 days’ to keep my self esteem up, it would be so easy to slip into despair in this situation.

I'm busy trying to keep busy on private projects (for example howtofightback - if anyone here can pop across and add to advice re: finding work, I'd be grateful). I'm thinking of enrolling on a course, but I just fear forking out what's left of my money and then I get offered a contract... may have to bite the bullet on that one.
Funny thing is, weather is great at the moment, but I've no desire to get out in it, in case I miss an opportunity that turns up...

[Epiphone]

The warchest is running down so starting to poo it a little

[realityhack]

(for example howtofightback - if anyone here can pop across and add to advice re: finding work, I'd be grateful).

500 Server Error

[MrMark]

500 Server Error

Oops! At first I thought it was my site, but apparently the whole servers gone down...It's being looked at...

[MrMark]

Fingers crossed, we're back howtofightback . Until the host provider decides to reboot I suppose?

[Gonzo]

I dont know if this is rational thinking, or wheter I've just spent too much time listening to you lot panic.

You have probably spent too much time listening to this lot.

Yes, it will probably be harder to get your next gig than it was to get the last few.

But, we should be expecting periods when gigs are hard to find to happen from time to time. It is not so long since the last contractor downturn and it was not uncommon for people to be benched for a year back then.

It is easy for me I know. I was expecting to take a long time out now and have planned accordingly.

[PM-Junkie]

The good news is that contracting will pick up at the start of the upturn.

The bad news is the upturn may be some years away.

The worse news is a lot of contractors in work are probably finishing long term roles this year. Might be a real squash on the bench for a bit.

Actually the contract market usually picks up before the start of an upturn. And the start of the upturn is usually 2 months before the media twigs that the upturn is started.

[MrMark]

Actually the contract market usually picks up before the start of an upturn. And the start of the upturn is usually 2 months before the media twigs that the upturn is started.

You would have thought, wouldn't you, that the best people to take on initially are contractors, since they can be got rid of easily at short notice, if things turn bad again? There again, the same arguments actually apply to permies..

[snaw]

You have probably spent too much time listening to this lot.

Yes, it will probably be harder to get your next gig than it was to get the last few.

But, we should be expecting periods when gigs are hard to find to happen from time to time. It is not so long since the last contractor downturn and it was not uncommon for people to be benched for a year back then.

It is easy for me I know. I was expecting to take a long time out now and have planned accordingly.

Great opint - if I didn't have kids I'd be off on a 6 month tour somewhere, or doign a ski season or something - fck it, use this time to take time out for yourself and go somewhere cheap and esacpe the misery!