Reply to: State of the Market

[Fraidycat]

There are children playing with toys on YouTube that make millions a year

Instead of envying them why don't you join them and start your own youtube channel?

There is a big market niche for 'pessimism porn' and conspiracy theories.

Lots of Gen Yers like yourself who love to be told they are victims because they cant afford to buy a house, you can then recommend financial ideas to them. Youtube channels that are finance related have the highest revenue per view compared to all other types of channels.

[GigiBronz]

You do come over as a spoilt entitled snowflake.

You have it easy, compared to 99% of the world population.

F. the 99%, we were born with ambition and spent a lot of time in school (and in our free time) learning this trade.

I want to take what is mine. Not only some crumbles that get thrown away.

I am still humble in face of God but I want to make money so that I am not a slave for the rest of my life. And I can afford a comfortable life.

There are children playing with toys on YouTube that make millions a year and you are are calling 8k net in London and wanting to afford a bit more than eating in Greggs “entitled”?
it’s slave mentality.

[Fraidycat]

And the best benefit that came out of the pandemic (thanks China and Fauci) was WFH now is being taken away.
2 contracts and the risk is that YOU WILL BURN OUT in less than 6 months. Guaranteed.

You do come over as a spoilt entitled snowflake.

You have it easy, compared to 99% of the world population.

[SussexSeagull]

You’re wrong. You’re just spewing out the same old ‘jaded old man’ rubbish about fake roles etc.

It only takes 20 mins to tailor a CV.

Tailoring your CV is for the client, not for the recruiter

Get the clients name before sending your CV, if you can’t, it’s fake or you never bothered to learn to negotiate (usually the latter reading the posts around here).

I don’t even engage with agents asking for a CV before sending me a detailed spec. I’ve also never been out of contract unwillingly.

I agree about the benefits of a tailored CV. It's just if it is in a virtual pile with 200 other CVs it becomes a lottery.

Never been out of contract? Ok then.

[DrewG]

You’re wrong. You’re just spewing out the same old ‘jaded old man’ rubbish about fake roles etc.

It only takes 20 mins to tailor a CV.

Tailoring your CV is for the client, not for the recruiter

Get the clients name before sending your CV, if you can’t, it’s fake or you never bothered to learn to negotiate (usually the latter reading the posts around here).

I don’t even engage with agents asking for a CV before sending me a detailed spec. I’ve also never been out of contract unwillingly.

[GigiBronz]

I think people are not grasping the basic concept that central banks print money out of thin air and give it to companies for basically free. Companies in exchange hire people because more people more money. Governments are happy because people have a cubicle cage.

Now that the free money has ended an everything around us is crumbling, everyone is laying off people, maybe to get back the cheap money (everything works on debt). Maybe some other reasons... (I do not want to say because then I will also get called a conspiracy theorist)

Everything is basically a scam and inflation has been created by the government.
"People don't want to work anymore" - no, people want to work, people are purpose driven, people do not want to work for nothing while everything costs an arm and a leg. And the best benefit that came out of the pandemic (thanks China and Fauci) was WFH now is being taken away.

The other points mentioned: 1) working 2 x £300pd outside contracts is stupid, they might be both £500pd and agent pocketing the rest. Or usually cheap clients are more demanding than clients that can afford a healthy budget. 2 contracts and the risk is that YOU WILL BURN OUT in less than 6 months. Guaranteed.

2) over-tailoring your cv is stupid, you'd spend hours only to apply for maybe 10 gigs that might be fake or cv harvesting exercise. Who is recommending that probably doesn't have a clue.
If it is a direct role or you know someone in then maybe.

Regarding the state of the market, unfortunately I have caught a stomach bug and would be on a strict diet for the next few months. This would complicate travel very much so would be 1/2 days per month / remote only for now. I haven't seen a role like this in months so I guess I am benched for now.

For people that suggest 300pd, good luck with that, you are also assuming taking some risks. Getting a stomach bug in London is a genuine risk and if you have financial commitments you do not want a stomach bug to bankrupt you. If you are tight financially you should act now and not engage in hopeful thinking. ( I don't and I can stay abroad for a while where everything is cheaper and better)

[SussexSeagull]

Who cares what the ad specifies? If the client is a chain of supermarkets and they want a Java developer to work on an order management system, at the very top of your CV you should be talking about how you've worked end-to-end logistics and order management processes before you start talking about Java, Spring, and all the other tech you know.

The context of the application you're building is very important and somebody that has that context will often be favoured over someone that doesn't.

I don't understand people in tech that are out of contract for months at a time, I bet those same people have incredibly vague CV's. I never even send a CV until I get to spend an hour tailoring it to the spec. When a recruiter asks for my CV, the answer is "send me a spec first and tell me what industry the client is in".

Nobody cares that you know Java, they care that you've used Java to build a low latency trading platform or used Java to build a high throughput order management system. Understand the verticals in which you want to operate, if you don't have one in mind, I suggest you come up with a couple and base your CV exclusively around those verticals.

In the boom times, any muppet can get a contract. In the lean times, you really need to show value and deep understanding of the clients actual problems. Talking me to death about your SOLID design understanding is great but you really need to map that back to the actual business and its problems.

If you can't sell, you're going to starve in the winter and the snow is certainly falling right now.

All very well and good but if there are several hundred contractors - or more - chasing each contract it turns into a lottery where you are lucky if someone even reads your CV.

People have been out of work recently because there is a lack of opportunities around. There are people here with decades experience, or as you would call them 'muppets' struggling and to suggest it is a mass failure of job hunting technique by all of them is massively lacking in knowledge of the current climate.

[Bluenose]

Burner calls this week: zero and this is peak period for roles. people are starving out there for sure.

Just to throw in 50p on some of the other conversations going on.

a) Working multiple contracts is fine, double billing on T&M work can be a legal grey area but I think its illegal in some countries, for obvious reasons. Yes, people do it, and it works for me as long as the T&M timesheets *correctly* reflect the work you are doing on a T&M gig. I would never double bill on a T&M gig on the basis of ethics.

b) Tailoring CVs is good if you are not throwing the CV into a lottery ball meat-grinder to a Gen Z person who has not got a clue. Spending time tailoring a CV is a waste of time if you are dealing with a drone at the other end who is probably just filtering it on your location and previous work location names e.g. British National who has worked for B.P, Shell or Tesco, Sainsbury etc. Where tailoring is worthwhile is where you have a career veteran recruiter at the other end who's mortgage money depends on you getting an interview. Unless by 'tailoring' you mean, work-out the industry vertical and then lie comprehensively about your work location history. I bet people do that as well, but I am not one of them.

[DrewG]

I too see it often although I'm not a techie. Somehow I've worked in eight sectors for nine clients in the last 10 years. Based on my experience and what I hear elsewhere, financial services, pharma and retail are the sectors which most commonly prefer industry experience. Industries that are highly regulated often seem to be more picky as well.

Who cares what the ad specifies? If the client is a chain of supermarkets and they want a Java developer to work on an order management system, at the very top of your CV you should be talking about how you've worked end-to-end logistics and order management processes before you start talking about Java, Spring, and all the other tech you know.

The context of the application you're building is very important and somebody that has that context will often be favoured over someone that doesn't.

I don't understand people in tech that are out of contract for months at a time, I bet those same people have incredibly vague CV's. I never even send a CV until I get to spend an hour tailoring it to the spec. When a recruiter asks for my CV, the answer is "send me a spec first and tell me what industry the client is in".

Nobody cares that you know Java, they care that you've used Java to build a low latency trading platform or used Java to build a high throughput order management system. Understand the verticals in which you want to operate, if you don't have one in mind, I suggest you come up with a couple and base your CV exclusively around those verticals.

In the boom times, any muppet can get a contract. In the lean times, you really need to show value and deep understanding of the clients actual problems. Talking me to death about your SOLID design understanding is great but you really need to map that back to the actual business and its problems.

If you can't sell, you're going to starve in the winter and the snow is certainly falling right now.

[edison]

With the exception of finance, you never see that kind of thing mentioned much on job adverts eg "Must have deep retail experience" If it really was so important then you would see it more often. I guess it helps as a filter when the client gets a 100 CVs.

I too see it often although I'm not a techie. Somehow I've worked in eight sectors for nine clients in the last 10 years. Based on my experience and what I hear elsewhere, financial services, pharma and retail are the sectors which most commonly prefer industry experience. Industries that are highly regulated often seem to be more picky as well.

[dx4100]

How is there a risk especially if I'm using QDOS? Last gig was outside and I paid QDOS for the 35 assessment. Am I screwed?

If you are paying QDOS I presume you was responsible for deciding if it was inside or outside ?

There has always the risk of investigation, losing and the insurance for whatever reason not paying out. But that has always been the case and we can't reduce that risk much smaller.

[dx4100]

I think many people don't understand that they are carrying risk, especially if they use QDOS. Can you elaborate further and explain how you are moving the risk?

Sorry not sure what you are asking ?

The clause I had amended said I would be liable if the HMRC investigated and they deem it inside. Now the liability remains with the client / agency.

If the client is small, the old rules apply and I would be responsible. I would be able to fall back on tax investigation insurance and worse case (although some people think its useless) tax loss insurance.

[JazzyFry]

I think many people don't understand that they are carrying risk, especially if they use QDOS. Can you elaborate further and explain how you are moving the risk?

How is there a risk especially if I'm using QDOS? Last gig was outside and I paid QDOS for the 35 assessment. Am I screwed?

[DrewG]

I have been on quite a journey last couple of years with covid etc... Worked with a few start ups on a mixture of inside / FTC roles. This is my first outside gig since the new rules came in. I was ready for this clause to be an issue going off what others have said...

The reality is in the old world I could take steps to cover / reduce the risk with investigation insurance and survive35 policies etc and now its impossible so its a straight accept the amendment or I am still looking clause

Beyond me how people carry the risk and sleep at night.

I think many people don't understand that they are carrying risk, especially if they use QDOS. Can you elaborate further and explain how you are moving the risk?

[dx4100]

surprised at that - for most agents that's a accept or next candidate clause...

I have been on quite a journey last couple of years with covid etc... Worked with a few start ups on a mixture of inside / FTC roles. This is my first outside gig since the new rules came in. I was ready for this clause to be an issue going off what others have said...

The reality is in the old world I could take steps to cover / reduce the risk with investigation insurance and survive35 policies etc and now its impossible so its a straight accept the amendment or I am still looking clause

Beyond me how people carry the risk and sleep at night.