Reply to: State of the Market

[dsc]

Been sending my CV for a few jobs recently that I had quite a strong match for. After some initial enthusiasm (car salesman like) from the recruitment agent that I would be one of only 2 put forward, it still fizzled out and they opted to interview candidates with most industry experience first, rather than just go by the tech skill set. I guess when they get 100s of applications they can be as choosy as they like and tick off all of their desired experience criteria.

I think what bothers me about all this is that I am starting to get a feeling like I might be over the hill as a contractor. I'm 48. In the first 20 years of my career, I seemed to be able to talk my way into anything tech related. My dad held cradle-to-grave type employment when he was starting out in the UKs defense industry, but left to become a contractor. His advice was be a contractor when you are young but get into something more reliable before you get too old, and he certainly found it harder to find contracts as he got over 60. Possibly an issue our generation faces that his did not to the same extent, is that tech is evolving ever faster. As a chartered engineer in his generation, things certainly changed, but just not at the pace it is for us.

A friend, same age as me is on the bench, and had a couple of interviews by 25 year olds from which he was promptly rejected.

Old dogs need some new tricks?

I'm 40 and I feel like this is the case not only for contracts but perm as well. The "old" boys typically want to have a reasonably good salary / rate which might not be the case with someone younger without a family / mortgage / used to a certain standard of living. I've seen ads for most generic roles where 5yrs+ exp is enough and a few lead / head ones where 10-12yrs+ are also acceptable, that's all still well below 40yo in terms of age. I'm already tulipting my pants what happens when I'm 50yo and still have a good 10-15yrs ahead of me :/

[Fraidycat]

Anyone else noticed some positive rebounce lately?

Hadn't heard from recruiters for a year but today all of a sudden I've received 3 OIR35 opportunities via email and 2 in my Linkedin inbox.
I'm a software engineer.

Grab em! Those could be the last of the April bounce, which normally fizzles out towards the end of May.

Or maybe this is start of more longer term improvement, stock markets around the world have been doing well this week.

[JazzyFry]

Anyone else noticed some positive rebounce lately?

Hadn't heard from recruiters for a year but today all of a sudden I've received 3 OIR35 opportunities via email and 2 in my Linkedin inbox.
I'm a software engineer.

[willendure]

Disaster strikes and we are moving from 2->3 days in the office from July.

Oh no. Just when it gets hot and humid and you want to be sitting in the garden in shorts with a lemonade and ice keeping an eye on your mobile for work messages.

[willendure]

Been sending my CV for a few jobs recently that I had quite a strong match for. After some initial enthusiasm (car salesman like) from the recruitment agent that I would be one of only 2 put forward, it still fizzled out and they opted to interview candidates with most industry experience first, rather than just go by the tech skill set. I guess when they get 100s of applications they can be as choosy as they like and tick off all of their desired experience criteria.

I think what bothers me about all this is that I am starting to get a feeling like I might be over the hill as a contractor. I'm 48. In the first 20 years of my career, I seemed to be able to talk my way into anything tech related. My dad held cradle-to-grave type employment when he was starting out in the UKs defense industry, but left to become a contractor. His advice was be a contractor when you are young but get into something more reliable before you get too old, and he certainly found it harder to find contracts as he got over 60. Possibly an issue our generation faces that his did not to the same extent, is that tech is evolving ever faster. As a chartered engineer in his generation, things certainly changed, but just not at the pace it is for us.

A friend, same age as me is on the bench, and had a couple of interviews by 25 year olds from which he was promptly rejected.

Old dogs need some new tricks?

[Cookielove]

M&S and Waitrose take on older workers…also B&Q.

[TheDude]

Disaster strikes and we are moving from 2->3 days in the office from July.

[SueEllen]

Think the supermarkets prefer to employ students over older people as well. My son, was able to find a part time job with Tesco pretty easily.

Older people are better for pickers and delivery drivers. However there has been a massive decline in online supermarket deliveries.

[SueEllen]

Sainsbury's don't ask your age but the rest do apparently.

[Fraidycat]

Surely that can't be the case? In The Times today, Jeremy Hunt and Mel Stride tell us that the jobs are there if people want them...

I think there are plenty of non "cushy" minimum wage job around that are hard to fill. Most of these require some leg work/hard graft. Like deliveroo or factory work, picking strawberries etc

Supermarket and retail shop floor jobs and are considered cushy in comparison and much easier to fill. The big retail chains also pay 10 to 20% above minimum wage for entry level roles making them even more attractive.

[edison]

Still finding naff all that's not insurance, FS, needs SC/DV, or other bar to entry for a general noddy role.

I suspect my part time hours this month will be reduced to zero hours next month so I need to find something or learn how to shelf stack in Morrisons.

I would call myself a generalist, which worked very well when the market was good but is a real handicap when the market is in the state it is now.

Pharma is another sector advertising a lot of jobs but sector experience is needed 95% of the time.

[edison]

With the levels immigration at the moment, the large supermarket brands get 100s of online applications per shelf stacking role and first dibs get given to insider referrals. So just like the contracting market at the moment your application doesn't even get opened most of the time.

Driving delivery jobs might be easier to 'walk into', someone i know was telling me they cant find van delivery drivers even though were paying £17 per hour in west london. Pre brexit he never had problems finding drivers.

I was surprised to hear a friend tell me his son got his HGV licence last year and now earns more than his dad in IT (who is a fairly well paid IT manager).

[edison]

Sounds like Only Fans

To be fair, Only Fans creators probably earn more than many contractors now LOL.

A friend of mine has a child in their early 20s on there making a lot of money.

[avonleigh]

Think the supermarkets prefer to employ students over older people as well. My son, was able to find a part time job with Tesco pretty easily.

[Smartie]

Surely that can't be the case? In The Times today, Jeremy Hunt and Mel Stride tell us that the jobs are there if people want them...