Tell me your views

[minestrone]

3 pages in and she has probably done a Carl Lewis.

[minestrone]

Many commentators predict that in the future, especially in the IT world, companies will hold a core group of generalist employees and augment them on a project-by-project basis with specialised contractors/freelance/consultant workers.

The contractor/freelance community was at it's height prior to Y2k. Coupled with the Tech boom, skills shortage and favourable tax conditions many moved from the safety of a permanent job into the more lucrative(at that time) freelance market. This wasn't a longterm shift but a short term opportunity, a bubble. Average contractors where in their early 30s.

Up until that point the hardcore contracting community consisted of very niche skills. That change caused more generalists to move into contracting.

With the dot com collapse, increase in FTVs and IR35 there was a massive collapse of the freelance market in the early noughties. Those who found themselves still able to contract were older contractors with niche skills(mainframe etc) or strong generalists. The average age now in the early 40's (and aging)

I don't hold with the prediction you have made. Pressure on the freelance market is two fold. Firstly the continuing premise by big business that there is a constant IT skills shortage. If your prediction holds true, it will be based on a self-fulfilling prophecy that employers will only retain a generalist population, hence causing a skills gap. The premise that there is a skills gap is based more on the cost of those skills. If companies have to pay for specialised freelance consultants then that cost will be at a premium, which in turn will drive the premise of a skills gap, which in turn will open the doors to foreign nationals. Self fulfilling.

The second issue is that of IR35 & tax. If the UK wants a specialised workforce to augment projects then it must make the risk versus reward ratio to being a micro business more attractive to those individuals who want to take the risk of going it alone.

The biggest threat to the UK IT market is globalizaton.

Just watch you don't write something clever, you might get quoted in the paper and then everyone will know your name is Benjamin, Benjamin.

[suityou01]

Just watch you don't write something clever, you might get quoted in the paper and then everyone will know your name is Benjamin, Benjamin.

No danger of that, seriously.

[MarillionFan]

Just watch you don't write something clever, you might get quoted in the paper and then everyone will know your name is Benjamin, Benjamin.

No danger of that, seriously.

I appeared in a Times Article last year with my photo as well. In fact, been in it twice in 10 years.

Old hat.

[suityou01]

I appeared in a Times Article last year with my photo as well. In fact, been in it twice in 10 years.

Old hat.

True story.

[realityhack]

Hmm.

[MarillionFan]

Hmm.

Bop.

[minestrone]

Many commentators predict that in the future, especially in the IT world, companies will hold a core group of generalist employees and augment them on a project-by-project basis with specialised contractors/freelance/consultant workers.

Reminds me of how a Doctors surgery works but the generalists and the specialists are on the same team in that situation and there is mutual respect, the immaturity of most clients produces a them and us mentality and they often do not like 'an expert' coming onto their patch to tell them what to do. Displaying your expertise in a subject can often get you on the wrong side of the permies and out the door.

Also most places now have no intention of hiring a specialist for top dollar to get the job done right, just hire in 5 numpties from India for the same price. Your average permie would rather work his balls off trying to coral a team of morons into getting something produced than hire a contractor to tell him how to do it right first time. Seen this countless times.

I don't think the mindset is there to have that kind of working pratice in IT.

That is how I see it anyway.

[suityou01]

Reminds me of how a Doctors surgery works but the generalists and the specialists are on the same team in that situation and there is mutual respect, the immaturity of most clients produces a them and us mentality and they often do not like 'an expert' coming onto their patch to tell them what to do. Displaying your expertise in a subject can often get you on the wrong side of the permies and out the door.

Also most places now have no intention of hiring a specialist for top dollar to get the job done right, just hire in 5 numpties from India for the same price. Your average permie would rather work his balls off trying to coral a team of morons into getting something produced than hire a contractor to tell him how to do it right first time. Seen this countless times.

I don't think the mindset is there to have that kind of working pratice in IT.

That is how I see it anyway.

Can't believe the countless times I have been hired as a subject matter expert only to be ostracised by the permies. I put in my opinion, watch them ignore it and louse it up, then help them do it right.

Hooman nature I'm afraid.

[Paddy]

I am writing a new series for The Times about self employed workers/micro businesses. The first of which looks at the issue of generalists verus specialists.

Many commentators predict that in the future, especially in the IT world, companies will hold a core group of generalist employees and augment them on a project-by-project basis with specialised contractors/freelance/consultant workers.

I'd like to find people willing to talk to me (for inclusion in the article) about this topic including how you differentiate yourself without closing off potential channels of work and how you pick, evolve, develop and refine your niche.

I won't just pick up random comments and put them in the paper. Comments posted here on the forum will be great as general (non attributable) background information. But I will organise a telephone interviews with those willing to talk to me on the record for inclusion in the article.

I look forward to hearing from you

Many thanks

Carol Lewis
Business Features Editor, The Times

The situation as I see it; there are very few members of management and HR that understand IT. It’s a bit like people not understanding the travel industry and lumping baggage handlers, airport shop assistants together with airline pilots and aircraft designers. Often IT directors are ignorant of the workings of the systems they manage. The industry is full of kick-backs when it comes to projects and as a result often the worst IT consultancy will be awarded the project.

Large IT Consultancies once awarded with a project will often go to the market and subcontract for the specialist services. That is one situation where we would come in. Furthermore, the corporate blame culture leads to IT employees being too scared to make decisions or handle critical systems, the IT department will then bring in contractors like us to do the tasks.

And my favourite is; where the corporate IT has messed their own system up, they quietly get in contractors fix it and let us slip away quietly.

Finally, the IT industry has been badly damaged due to the huge flood of fast track visa applicants that are supposed to be for highly skilled people but many are not and have bogus qualifications. The government can’t distinguish between a baggage handlers and pilot equivalents in the IT world.


The above is £30 worth, to you for free.