Reply to: State of the Market

[Lance]

What about Fraidycat's comment on what work actually means?

who????

I've been ignoring that willy-wagger for months. He won't care as he's on £6000 a day with 5 customers all at once (or summat)

[Paralytic]

Beginning to find this whole multiple contracts discussion a bit boring now.

Ironically, it seems to be going on across multiple threads at the same time...

[TheDude]

Beginning to find this whole multiple contracts discussion a bit boring now.

I suspect it will bite people in the backside one day.

[SussexSeagull]

Beginning to find this whole multiple contracts discussion a bit boring now.

[TheDude]

BAML in Bromley and Sky in Osterley are the only firms looking for contractors with my skillset.

Then again they are always looking because both are a tulip commute to Siberia.

[TheGreenBastard]

It's only fraud if you falsify your timesheets. Or otherwise try and get paid for work not actually done.

The number of clients/contracts is immaterial.

What about Fraidycat's comment on what work actually means?

[Lance]

I agree, but I guess my point would be that multiple 900pd gigs also wouldn't be fraud right?

It's only fraud if you falsify your timesheets. Or otherwise try and get paid for work not actually done.

The number of clients/contracts is immaterial.

[TheGreenBastard]

It is not fraud, it is 'thinking time' and is fully billable in my book. You can spend 6 hours a day thinking about a solution and two hours on the keyboard. I would prefer that, over a code monkey who churns out spaghetti code for 8 hours without thinking about it.

Thinking time can be subconscious as well, actually maybe better done subconsciously. So do something else, whatever you like for six hours and let that part of your brain work out the best solution for the client in that time.

Actually there is something to be said about working for a client as a skilled knowledge worker: You are actually working 168 hour a week for them. Because you are always thinking about the problem you are solving for them in the background, subconsciously , even as you sleep. You often get the result of this overnight thinking when taking a shower in the morning.

I agree, but I guess my point would be that multiple 900pd gigs also wouldn't be fraud right?

[Fraidycat]

But wouldn't that be fraud and the local plod would be put on the case and come after you for being a naughty boy?

Do you think it's OK to commit fraud just because of the low day rate?

It is not fraud, it is 'thinking time' and is fully billable in my book. You can spend 6 hours a day thinking about a solution and two hours on the keyboard. I would prefer that, over a code monkey who churns out spaghetti code for 8 hours without thinking about it.

Thinking time can be subconscious as well, actually maybe better done subconsciously. So do something else, whatever you like for six hours and let that part of your brain work out the best solution for the client in that time.

Actually there is something to be said about working for a client as a skilled knowledge worker: You are actually working 168 hour a week for them. Because you are always thinking about the problem you are solving for them in the background, subconsciously , even as you sleep. You often get the result of this overnight thinking when taking a shower in the morning.

[edison]

To the lady that emailed me today about whether I was available to fill a Landscape Architect role in Dublin working for a property management company, thankyou, I think you have just marked the bottom of the market.

You might be on the streets, starving but the only way is up from here boys.

I know a couple of Enterprise Architects who get one contact a year asking if they are interested in a town planning role

[Bluenose]

To the lady that emailed me today about whether I was available to fill a Landscape Architect role in Dublin working for a property management company, thankyou, I think you have just marked the bottom of the market.

You might be on the streets, starving but the only way is up from here boys.

[JustKeepSwimming]

Contract Details:

• Location: Midlands - South of England (field based travel)
• Duration: 6 months (views to extend)
• Day Rate: £200-£250 (depending on experience)
• Determination: OUTSIDE IR35
• Start Date: ASAP

They do provide a fuel card though! Wear and tear on your Discovery?

[dsc]

Not sure that stacks up. I have a dev team out in Romania working on a project for me (its a software house my business partner part owns). They wouldn't do it for £250 a day. £350 probably.

Yeah I wasn't sure whether £250 would be enough, then again a software house probably charges more to cover extra costs vs a single contractor?

[eek]

Not sure that stacks up. I have a dev team out in Romania working on a project for me (its a software house my business partner part owns). They wouldn't do it for £250 a day. £350 probably.

Would expect even an Indian outsourcer to be charging more than that.

Got to ask whether the agent is on a fixed percentage or just playing a game of seeing how desperate some people are...

[dx4100]

£250pd is low for people in the UK used to being on £750+ but someone from Eastern Europe with good skills will still think this is a good rate (maybe not Poland as you can earn that locally, but maybe Romania / Ukraine etc.). Or is this UK based only? then it's a bit of a joke, but still in the current climate someone might bite as it's significantly more than £0pd benched.

Not sure that stacks up. I have a dev team out in Romania working on a project for me (its a software house my business partner part owns). They wouldn't do it for £250 a day. £350 probably.