Reply to: State of the Market

[avonleigh]

Done a lot of public sector roles over the years. One time I was on a 12 month role. Used to walk past this lady's desk when I needed to go to lunch / toilet etc. Every time I would see her playing solitaire on her pc pretty much. A lot of people in the public sector are doing nothing but don't leave. Mainly cos their employer is paying 28% into their pensions every month. Another project I was on three of the team were playing championship manager most of the time. Cos there is no urgency to projects and often big delays. They were contractors too and not permies.

[ladymuck]

I was offered a gig at a local authority before Christmas. I start next week. That's how the public sector operates...

Makes you understand why all these councils are broke.

[willendure]

An opportunity presented itself at a bank where a friend is currently contracting. Sent my CV to the hiring manager and the feedback was that I've been out of investment banking too long (several years after ten years solid), so I think that door is closed for me now.

On a different note, I'm now two months into my new contract. This is the first public sector contract I've ever had and what a complete pile it is. Loads of people doing absolutely nothing. Death by scrum. Same rate I was on back in 2004. As good as it gets?

I'm thinking maybe I should have stayed retired!

*Loads of people doing absolutely nothing*

The only perk of working in the public sector holiday camp.

[Dorkeaux]

Aside from the usual shower of nothingburger lowball roles from the agencies no one has ever heard of, I am getting an increasing number of calls for roles falling into an appropriate range.

One today was very promising, and approaches (but doesn't meet) my highest ever rate from some years ago.

Once you discount the obvious chancers, I feel the availability of roles and rates have started to improve.

Fingers crossed.

PS
.. and another one just now. They aren't blinking at my ask for day rate.

Worth noting that these are not the result of me actively looking, nor being intrinsically awesome nor having the fabled "niche skills" but rather me distributing my CV in a promiscuous and unseemly manner for many years.

[TheDude]

An opportunity presented itself at a bank where a friend is currently contracting. Sent my CV to the hiring manager and the feedback was that I've been out of investment banking too long (several years after ten years solid), so I think that door is closed for me now.

On a different note, I'm now two months into my new contract. This is the first public sector contract I've ever had and what a complete pile it is. Loads of people doing absolutely nothing. Death by scrum. Same rate I was on back in 2004. As good as it gets?

I'm thinking maybe I should have stayed retired!

1. Sounds like total BS from the hiring manager. I have working in IBs for 15 years. Their technologists are generally decent but are nowhere near the best of the best.

2. I am also on a public sector contract. Teams are *way* too big for what is delivered. They are particularly heavy on PMs and UX types that add very little.

[caminito]

Interview Friday at a US bank I contracted for 2013-2017.

The rate is exactly the same as I was on in 2013 but inside IR35 and they want 3 days a week in the office which is not great.

I would net slightly more than my current outside contract but my thoughts are the longer I spend outside financial services the harder I will find it to break back in if things do pick up.

In other news I have been approached for the same role at a different US bank via Infosys by no fewer than seven different Indian agencies at £400 per day inside - no thanks.

An opportunity presented itself at a bank where a friend is currently contracting. Sent my CV to the hiring manager and the feedback was that I've been out of investment banking too long (several years after ten years solid), so I think that door is closed for me now.

On a different note, I'm now two months into my new contract. This is the first public sector contract I've ever had and what a complete pile it is. Loads of people doing absolutely nothing. Death by scrum. Same rate I was on back in 2004. As good as it gets?

I'm thinking maybe I should have stayed retired!

[Smartie]

Interview Friday at a US bank I contracted for 2013-2017.

The rate is exactly the same as I was on in 2013 but inside IR35 and they want 3 days a week in the office which is not great.

Better some income than no income, unless you don't need it of course.
I'm not looking forward to the likely regular office attendance when my current position finally ends, but as above.

[TheDude]

Interview Friday at a US bank I contracted for 2013-2017.

The rate is exactly the same as I was on in 2013 but inside IR35 and they want 3 days a week in the office which is not great.

I would net slightly more than my current outside contract but my thoughts are the longer I spend outside financial services the harder I will find it to break back in if things do pick up.

In other news I have been approached for the same role at a different US bank via Infosys by no fewer than seven different Indian agencies at £400 per day inside - no thanks.

[Fraidycat]

Seen one of instance of backfilling, know a permie at ex client who has been looking for something better for a long time, he finally found something last month and his employer is now posting on the job boards for his replacement.

While people were 'job hugging' the number of jobs being advertised was at record lows. Once people find the guts to move, it kick offs a cascade of job openings.

[TheDude]

Had a couple of calls for banking roles on Friday. Rates not great but the banking sector has been dead for ages. Hopefully a few green shoots.

[avonleigh]

That sounds more like DV than SC.

I've had SC and been to China and worked with folk from Iran, who also had SC.

They changed the rules. There used to be no restrictions on where you could go with SC. But now there are 10 countries you aren't allowed to at all. They did tell me when I had my interview but they don't seem to be publish the list. AI says this "For security clearance holders, countries to generally avoid due to high risk of espionage, unrest, or government restrictions include Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela, along with volatile regions in Africa and Central Asia (e.g., Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Myanmar), with specific prohibitions often applying to certain nations like North Korea. Always check with your FSO (Facility Security Officer) or vetting agency (like UKSV for UK clearances) before traveling, as rules are dynamic and dependent on your clearance level and job role."

[coolhandluke]

Several people at the consultancy I work with have some form of SC and I was chatting to one of the guys who could have had his clearance moved over from his previous employer but was choosing to keep quiet about chasing it up. Having seen the notices about getting permission to visit certain countries, informing the sponsor of intentions to go abroad to a 'safe' country, etc. etc. I can see it's not necessarily as helpful as you'd think. I like to travel so jumping through those hoops would annoy the heck out of me.

That sounds more like DV than SC.

I've had SC and been to China and worked with folk from Iran, who also had SC.

[ladymuck]

Several people at the consultancy I work with have some form of SC and I was chatting to one of the guys who could have had his clearance moved over from his previous employer but was choosing to keep quiet about chasing it up. Having seen the notices about getting permission to visit certain countries, informing the sponsor of intentions to go abroad to a 'safe' country, etc. etc. I can see it's not necessarily as helpful as you'd think. I like to travel so jumping through those hoops would annoy the heck out of me.

[rocktronAMP]

We've explained that kind of thing many times before. Rather than enemy action it is far more likely to be different criteria for the before and after risk assessments - for example the old crew worried about GBH while the new crew care about financial probity. You will never know so no point in worrying about it.

I am not at all worried, afterall I have my new SC and I am contracting. My thoughts were for people who are considering SC roles not to be put off at the first fence. Have a great weekend.

[malvolio]

Consultancies / recruitment agents see existing SC as a benefit. If you are good, wanted, they will sponsor new SC for a sought after role / skill, especially if they have already won a massive SOW (Statement of Work) engagement.

TLDR: Take SCREENSHOTS of all the wizard steps in your SC application, save them to cloud, NAS whatever.

So yes I have SC clearance when my job finished in September 2025, so I got in again with what I thought was a valid SC.
BUT my SC did NOT transfer over, it was not applicable. Probably, and I don't know, my original sponsoring consultancy blocked the transfer, because they wanted to be nasty like that(!?). Therefore, I had to reapply for SC on the new digital SVSC whatsitsname website, which was a PITA, but I had ALL the captured screenshots of my information from my first SC 2022. So my personal information was the EXACTLY THE SAME, I was very pleasently surprised when my new SC clearance came in under 4 weeks, which was fast over Xmas and New Year.

We've explained that kind of thing many times before. Rather than enemy action it is far more likely to be different criteria for the before and after risk assessments - for example the old crew worried about GBH while the new crew care about financial probity. You will never know so no point in worrying about it.