Reply to: .net contracting market

[cosmos]

The market seems excellent to me – so much about. I’m of the same opinion – theres a huge demand for .net experts (as they saying, no one ever got fired for going down the Microsoft stack) and even if the contracts dry up there are stacks of permie positions you can go in to…

[cojak]

I'll get around to it when I'm in a foul mood...

[Steelman]

why is everyone answering?

I'm confused. Why is everyone taking the trouble to answer this guy who is has been rude and discourteous on the board?

"There are two types of people in life: radiators and drains"

[diseasex]

By begging or really annoying someone....

Crap , that was suppose to be "practice interview" and with lower rate ehhhh

[eek]

Just got a contract after first interview... they want me on 15th of june. How to sort this out with current employer when im on 1 month notice?

By begging or really annoying someone....

[diseasex]

I'm seeing plenty JavaScript contracts @400/pd so yeah I guess it IS a niche

Just got a contract after first interview... they want me on 15th of june. How to sort this out with current employer when im on 1 month notice?

[diseasex]

Don't know how you can really call that niche & I don't know why anyone thinks they are not technologies oversubscribed with cheap overseas workers like anything else that is open source & easily learned online.

Note to self: must update CV with "I am having 5 years' AngularJS"

I'm seeing plenty JavaScript contracts @400/pd so yeah I guess it IS a niche

[SunnyInHades]

technologies oversubscribed with cheap overseas workers like anything else that is open source & easily learned online.

That goddam internet.

1990 - not a Bob anywhere in the UK, no outsourcing to Bob land or anywhere else, everyone doing the 'C' thang, buying big thick textbooks.

[Gumbo Robot]

im talking about front end in general - html5 angular css3 bootstrap nodejs etc.....

Don't know how you can really call that niche & I don't know why anyone thinks they are not technologies oversubscribed with cheap overseas workers like anything else that is open source & easily learned online.

Note to self: must update CV with "I am having 5 years' AngularJS"

[wonderboy]

Sign the contract before jumping ship.

Never stop learning technologies.

Avoid technologies that are seen as "easy" or are associated with a low rate.

Ignore anything recruiters tell you. If you think you are objectively decent at C# aim for 400/day in Greater London. 350 in the provinces. Do not believe what recruiters tell you about rates. 400/day is literally peanuts for any company you want to contract for.

First contract makes no difference. You either can or cannot develop C# and work in a team. Permie experience can be no different to contract experience.

On the other hand if you are very junior and have a weak CV then you will have a very weak bargaining position. Adjust accordingly.

If you can honestly develop C# applications, then there is room in the UK contracting market for you.

[diseasex]

Jump on the BizTalk train with me woop woop

No idea what that even is =)

[eddie1507]

Jump on the BizTalk train with me woop woop

[cityben]

Without blowing my own trumpet, I'd say I was an Umbraco expert or close to, being certified and developing for 5 years using it commercially. So that's my niche. I'm new to contracting but my aim is to get Umbraco contracts where I can but be open to general .net contracts, like the one I'm on now. Now I'm recommending that my client builds their own site and other projects using Umbraco. I believe as a consultant/contractor its part of the role recommending best solutions and as they know I have that niche, they agree.
I'm not naive (or have enough of a war chest) to only do Umbraco. If a contract doesn't allow much Umbraco I'll still do stuff at home to keep skills up.

[MicrosoftBob]

Yeah I wanted to apply for a role with umbraco and had an impression that umbraco was just a bonus, they were looking for a technical guy that would develop something in .net for it and maybe have some CMS experience. Either way i thought id pick this and other popular technologies up while on the bench, while further certifying myself and give it a shot on an interview. Other story is that they often require an expert with stuff like umbraco or CRM, but based on feedback they sometimes want "cheaper" contractor without certain, less important skill and willing to train him if hes the right fit. Am I not right?

Depends on the client, anything vaguely new media, they really want a front end developer, that knows a bit of .net and has used umbraco, with the emphasis on front end, with strong ajax skills for whatever framework they deem flavour of the month

The other end is integration work, where it's hot on back end skills and knowledge of the APIs warts and all, and some front end skills are needed but not to new media ninja levels

People who really want Umbraco experts are consultancies selling themselves as Umbraco experts, everything else says it, and really it means something else

[diseasex]

The first time I had to use Umbraco in anger the boss had decided it was trendy and wanted to use it as a deployment platform to integrate every site and system, you just learn fast when there's no one else around to help you

It's the background knowledge that's more important, so that you can adapt to anything thrown at you as sooner of late clients will give you insane demands you have to work around, specific technical skills won't always be enough, you have to be able to learn on your feet

Yeah I wanted to apply for a role with umbraco and had an impression that umbraco was just a bonus, they were looking for a technical guy that would develop something in .net for it and maybe have some CMS experience. Either way i thought id pick this and other popular technologies up while on the bench, while further certifying myself and give it a shot on an interview. Other story is that they often require an expert with stuff like umbraco or CRM, but based on feedback they sometimes want "cheaper" contractor without certain, less important skill and willing to train him if hes the right fit. Am I not right?