Jobstats graph, May worse than 2001

[HairyArsedBloke]

At what stage will the open door immigration, fast track visa, outsourcing, etc policy be reviewed? When we get to 4 million unemployed, 5 million, 50 million? After UK goes bust? When we start hanging MPs and corporate bosses from lampposts?

Sadly, yes it WILL have to go that far before anything will be 'considered'.

[Fred Bloggs]

Yeah, the over 50s may be totally screwed.

To be honest though, in engineering, age seems to be no bar presently. On my current job there's a 68 and a 67 year old both doing just as good work as the 20 somethings.

[BrowneIssue]

At what stage will the open door immigration, fast track visa, outsourcing, etc policy be reviewed?

Based on the 2001 experience, about 2012.

[bobhope]

IMHO, the downturn in 2001 seemed much worse, mainly due to the HUGE boom we had from 98-00 with Y2K, .com and the euro all happening at roughly the same time.

This time round, we've had an upturn, but nothing like the same magnitude. My rates over the past 2 years never reached the peaks of 2000 nominally, never mind in real terms.

[HeadOfTesting]

IMHO, the downturn in 2001 seemed much worse, mainly due to the HUGE boom we had from 98-00 with Y2K, .com and the euro all happening at roughly the same time.

This time round, we've had an upturn, but nothing like the same magnitude. My rates over the past 2 years never reached the peaks of 2000 nominally, never mind in real terms.

Same for me in relative terms. From memory I was on £440pd as a test analyst in London in 2001 but was on £650pd as a HeadOfTesting in my most recent role. That shows how overbought the market was last time.

HeadOfTesting

[HeadOfTesting]

i mean no offence, just making you think. Your forum id is "HeadOfTesting" and you sign your post as "HeadOfTesting" and I just wonder what your CV reads like? Maybe try lowering your "head" position to be a position more popular such as Test manager or Test Team lead and apply for such positions. In my opinion if a position as Head of Testing exists in some companies (and I`ve yet to see this position),i would see it as next to a senior managemnent postion in the career path and you therefore might not be considered for lowly positions as Test Team Lead or Test Manager. I know someone who has just landed a testing position and the next day even with hardly any management experience was also offered a test manager contract also so there is work out there. Maybe try selling yourself at these poisitions?

No offence taken.

My CV reflects my progression from test analyst to head of testing via team leadership, test management and test programme management. It's very grounded and fairly technical in its focus.

I have been applying for test manager positions and test programme manager positions but not team leading because they invariably require the candidate to still be hands on with scripting etc. I've not done that since 2003 and with a warchest that can last over 25 years if necessary I'm not interested or motivated to go back to that stuff; I'd rather start a new business (and am working on that actively at the moment).

Head Of Testing is a common position (but by no means universal as your experience reflects) and it is typically a senior position (awarding 3rd party contracts, overseeing tens and sometimes hundreds of people etc). So I'm pleased it sounds senior to you because it is.

Your colleague has been extremely lucky - the testing market has been totally blown away and whilst I don't know the details I would suggest that your anecdote probably reflects the desire by clients to get 2 roles (test practitioner and test manager) for one pay cheque .

I accept that very senior roles are far less common than those roles at the coal face and that's fine by me because as I say I've come too far to go back and am relaxed about never working in testing again if need be.

That said, I was told yesterday that I'm getting a permie interview some time next week. In that case they are looking for 3 roles from one pay cheque but I feel I need the interview practise.

Good luck to everyone.

HeadOfTesting