Contracting Market

[minestrone]

I have just been laid off from my contract in the USA where I was for the last 9 months. I am a Brit so I have decided to head back to the UK after having 6 weeks off in South America which will put my arrival back in Blighty about mid July. I am a Java bod with 10 years experience using Java and everything that goes with it... so is there much going on in the Java market reet noo?

Cheers!

Nothing going in Java, hunners going for each job when they go up. If you go for a job on jobserve make sure you get the CV in pretty damn quick, I think agents just get swamped with CVs and close the gate after the first 100 applications. I know things will be picking up in August when I will be looking again.

[OwlHoot]

Imagine going out and having a skinful of Guinness and several large vindaloos.
Then imagine the next morning on the toilet as all the waste products from the previous night emerge
- get up and look down at the toilet bowl.
See what you have produced, then multiply it a thousand fold until it fills the new Wembly stadium.

Now you're getting close to the current state of the market.

Chortle. I've seen how grim the market is, but touch wood I've only had two weeks bench time so far this year, as opposed to four months in 2002. Been working like a one-armed paper hanger and now starting a six-monther. Let's hope to God it keeps up, and seriously the very best of luck to anyone else reading this.

[oracleslave]

So you reckon it would be a bad idea to jack in a 100K job with 5 weeks a year holiday where I work about 60-80 hours a week though with unsociable hours?

I'm not sure you know. I think you're all just making it up.

Remember a good contractor will always get work.

MF in (10 years a contractor blah blah, never a period on the bench, blah blah, 1st for interviews blah blah) Mode.

Keep the job and be disciplined enough to work no more than 45 hrs a week without a day off in lieu. See how you feel in 2 months.

[BrilloPad]

Hello

I used to be a contractor and a poster on this board, but went perm. Now I think I may go contracting again.

Does the panel think this is a good idea? Is the market looking up or has it taken a pasting?

Yours

MF

Join us. You now you want to post alongside atw again......

[Fred Bloggs]

If I ever get a staff job again (I hope I don't) I will definitely be joining a trade union. After 6 months membership they will back you all the way when you refuse to work beyond your contractual terms and conditions. In my last staff job I bitterly regretted not having a union membership behind me. I would look upon union membership simply as a way of protecting my rights from unscrupulous employers, of which there are many these days, it seems.

[JoJoGabor]

What Unions can you join as a permie IT consultant? I need some backup to push back on my 60 - 70 hour week!!

[Moscow Mule]

What Unions can you join as a permie IT consultant? I need some backup to push back on my 60 - 70 hour week!!

Unite.

[Fred Bloggs]

What Unions can you join as a permie IT consultant? I need some backup to push back on my 60 - 70 hour week!!

Depends, public sector-

http://www.unison.org.uk/

Private sector-

http://www.unitetheunion.com/

http://www.amps.demon.co.uk/

http://www.ukape.org.uk/index.htm

[Fred Bloggs]

Seriously, never again would I let an employer sh!t on me from great heights as is the general treatment meted out to employees these days it seems to me.

I prefer contractordom, obviously.

[moorfield]

I prefer contractordom, obviously.

Me too, and I'm fortunate to be gigged. But I'm plotting my way out, had enough of city IT an all its tulipe, nice safe public sector accountancy job is where I'm planning to be in 5-7 yrs time I think.