Reply to: State of the Market

[SussexSeagull]

Fortunately for me I am also an EU citizen but I will pitch in with my poorly written paragraphs.

It seems that Spain is for the EU what Florida has become for the US. Everyone fleeing their home countries / states to escape the wokery, crime and poorly designed gov policies in their home country. Not that a perfect place exists out there but people are tired and want change.

I'll bite. So please tell me how Black Lives Matters or any other social movement has actually diminished your ability to earn money?

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

A minor head injury?

yeah it probably gave me that as well.

[jamesbrown]

which has helped to give me a small cussion

A minor head injury?

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I've been lucky to be in continuous work since covid with a couple of self-imposed breaks. I've also done some additional work on the side on a few occassions which has helped to give me a small cushion. The biggest problem I see now is that the market is completely dead. I have a plan B well in motion now that manages to pay about 25% of my income but I still depend on contract work as my bread and butter. I've never seen the market so dead at this time of the year with basically zero calls from agencies, but I should be ok with my current gig for a few more months. I'm in the process of moving to the middle east as I'm of the opinion that Europe is basically dying and it's just a matter of time before we have a serious brain drain as there is nothing to really live for here anymore.

[eek]

I don't mind going into the office. I don't volunteer but if the role was interesting and occasional office presence was the only stipulation then I wouldn't be adverse to it. Sorry!

Think that very much depends on where you live

Inside IR35 with days in London not a change
Outside IR35 with days in Leeds or Edinburgh - not a problem

Outside IR35 days in London - depends on the contract.

[ladymuck]

Can I just check we all got the memo about not throwing fellow contractors under the bus by accepting "X days in office" roles?

I don't mind going into the office. I don't volunteer but if the role was interesting and occasional office presence was the only stipulation then I wouldn't be adverse to it. Sorry!

[oliverson]

0 days in the office and you better be brilliant otherwise the work will be off-shored.

Current project (and client) is 0 days in the office but I'm not taking that as the future.

I'm 0 days in the office now and current client was totally remote prior to the pandemic.

I really do have mixed feelings about this now. On the one hand I'm significantly better off financially and I get to be around for my family instead of working in London, along with all the other nice-haves of not having to commute to the office. But on the other hand I miss being part of something, the prestige of working in the City, getting smashed on the train back north to my home (yeah, sad I know), zipping around the tube system, meeting friends at bars after work, etc. But do I really want to go back to spending c. £ 30k+ on travel and accommodation, sharing a flat, etc. Mixed feelings. My last London gig was 2 days in the office. 48 hours away from home. Whilst that was a great setup, I'm now 5 years older. Just wouldn't be for me anymore, unless I had to.

[GigiBronz]

You mean they have alligators there?


So if you hear a knock on your front door and can't see anyone through the spy hole DON'T open it.

Why not? You can always take it for a dance ...

https://youtube.com/shorts/vXI0wKna5_0?feature=share

[SueEllen]

Fortunately for me I am also an EU citizen but I will pitch in with my poorly written paragraphs.

It seems that Spain is for the EU what Florida has become for the US. Everyone fleeing their home countries / states to escape the wokery, crime and poorly designed gov policies in their home country. Not that a perfect place exists out there but people are tired and want change.

You mean they have alligators there?


So if you hear a knock on your front door and can't see anyone through the spy hole DON'T open it.

[GigiBronz]

If you are going to apply for a Spanish Nomad visa next month, please contribute to the thread

Fortunately for me I am also an EU citizen but I will pitch in with my poorly written paragraphs.

It seems that Spain is for the EU what Florida has become for the US. Everyone fleeing their home countries / states to escape the wokery, crime and poorly designed gov policies in their home country. Not that a perfect place exists out there but people are tired and want change.

[Bluenose]

Just returned from Spain and going back there in a few weeks, weather is better, food is better and also a lot cheaper.
Also plan to spend more time with my parents during the summer, they are in their 60's and I think I will regret it later if I do not get to spend more time with them now.(been away for multiple years)

If you are going to apply for a Spanish Nomad visa next month, please contribute to the thread

[sadkingbilly]

Just returned from Spain and going back there in a few weeks.

bye

[GigiBronz]

If you plan to leave the UK and go somewhere cheaper then you have that option.

The way i see it taking a perm job isn't the end of the world, you can jump whenever the contract market picks back up. Or even sooner if you want and return back to the bench or leave the country whenever you feel like it.

If you were cold called about hybrid perm roles then you could of found a fully remote one if you had actively looked. Seems like it got a lot harder last week to even find a good perm role.

Having a large contractor warchest on hand and taking a perm role that covers living expenses is not indentured servitude, it is when you have no savings and living paycheck to paycheck that life gets really hard.

Just returned from Spain and going back there in a few weeks, weather is better, food is better and also a lot cheaper.
Also plan to spend more time with my parents during the summer, they are in their 60's and I think I will regret it later if I do not get to spend more time with them now.(been away for multiple years)

BUT, how I see it, getting a permanent role is usually harder than a contract:
- you are demotivated because the pay is tulip, even 100-120k, taxes are too high (and they'd want their pound of flesh for that salary).
- slightly lower salary but good company is probably preferred than a salary that would always put you in the spotlight.
- almost all of the roles I have seen are 2 days on site central London
- the hiring manager would be very reticent to hire a contractor because he/she might think that you would be harder to control than the rest.
- your technical ability / work ethic / resilience is futile when a hiring manager looks for 'cultural fit' and control.

The best punchline that describes the job market today: "Finding the most willing slave"

I am not running out of money just yet but it would ne nice to wake up with a purpose, have some work that brings you meaning. Not just show up, talk the usual corporate crap and pretend you are doing a good job for the privilege of getting paid 4k net per month.

I accepted two days for a 40% rate increase.

I kind of regret it and dread every Wednesday and Thursday however I would like to thank TFL and the rail unions for doing what they can to help.

Landed on Gatwick a few days ago and had to zig-zag around London by train only to be able to get to the Isle of Dogs. The underground was not working.

If you live in London it is still crowded in the morning but if you leave outside London and have to rely on trains to get in - that is a pain. And most people are in the later situation as you get more for your £ outside of London. (rents have gone up also 30% in some area of London, which nobody seems to be talking about - salaries still the same) Tickets are an arm and a leg. I don't know how many people are not complaining about it.
Most people pay 40-50£ for a round-trip ticket just outside of M25, that and also a lot of time wasted eating for services. IT beats me where they find the energy, especially that you are showing on site just for the presence. Meetings are almost all the the v virtual anyway.

[TheDude]

Can I just check we all got the memo about not throwing fellow contractors under the bus by accepting "X days in office" roles?

I accepted two days for a 40% rate increase.

I kind of regret it and dread every Wednesday and Thursday however I would like to thank TFL and the rail unions for doing what they can to help.

[Bluenose]

Can I just check we all got the memo about not throwing fellow contractors under the bus by accepting "X days in office" roles?

Since RBS London campuses went ad-hoc/fully remote in 2014 (and many others followed suit) I have not been forced into the office for almost 10 years now.

The only roles I have seen for 3-5 days in the office are those attached to the Military/Police/Associated Agencies etc.