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[SussexSeagull]

I am glad a couple of people have found work. I guess the challenge is finding the contract after this in good time and not have another run of several months on the bench.

Still, a problem for another time and quite interesting that there seems to be some life in the traditionally quiet...

[SussexSeagull]

I suspect what happens is you become older than the person interviewing you and the perception is you are more stuck in your ways than younger candidates.

Certainly in what I did the focus went from doing decent Test Analysis that could then potentially lead to automated testing to having...

[SussexSeagull]

Broadly agree with that. I had a bit of time out after the crash in 2008 and post Brexit I had a year out, although in hindsight that was probably largely due to having a two and a half year contract that didn’t offer any sellable skills before that. Once the market adjusted during COVID I did ok....

[SussexSeagull]

Well done. Odd how two come along at once....

[SussexSeagull]

You do hear of people who are in a similar position to you and are doing ok or indeed quite well. I agree about word of mouth but it doesn't help if they haven't got any work going.

Problem is if the eco-system of contracting gets dismantled it will reach a point, or indeed might have...

[SussexSeagull]

I am out the game now but looking on here and on LinkedIn I think your experience is fairly atypical of the current contract market....

[SussexSeagull]

They probably put it on LinkedIn or told the agent. Some people are fairly open about it....

[SussexSeagull]

Many a slip between the cup and the lip was very much the lesson I took from my efforts to get a new contract (and seems ro be the experience of others) although Sods Law would probably dictate you get two offers at the same time after several months off.

If you do have a choice I would...

[SussexSeagull]

Ironically, with hindsight, the longest contracts I did were amongst the worst career moves I ever did in the long term because you fall into a rut of turning up, doing what turns into repetitive work and keep invoicing....

[SussexSeagull]

I think this is all fair comment. Plus I think offshoring has improved to the point that even if it isn't the best option in terms of quality, the money savings make it worthwhile....

[SussexSeagull]

I blame you as well....

[SussexSeagull]

Some of these 'horrible' youngsters actually make a fortune on YouTube and even if they don't, no one is forcing anyone to watch it. Plus it isn't just youngsters doing it.

I suspect we have several people on here who have peaked career wise (probably including me) who need someone to...

[SussexSeagull]

Really don't think the budget will make any noticeable difference either way. We have all been waiting for various events to come and go over the last couple of years and it hasn't happened. It is a long term structural change where contractors, especially outside, have fallen out of favour.
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