Reply to: State of the Market

[quackhandle]

Quarterly SOTM from a recruiter pimp.










qh

[ascender]

Looks like Natwest are continuing their move of Technology leadership and workers to India with a load of new IT redundancies, so expect them to have to backfill with contractors for the rest of the year.

[caminito]

One I found the other day "document production technician" - yes an audio typist!

'Waste Disposal Technician" (bin man)

[Dorkeaux]

Now Auntie is weighing in, but weirdly from a US point of view: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ewje4xk3yo
"The US economy is growing - so where are all the jobs?"


Tech focussed, it might as well have had "UK" substituted for "US" in the article.

[courtg9000]

I saw this one the other day, "empathy engineer". It's got nothing to do with any kind of engineering and makes me wonder whether we're close to peak Tulip.

As for "belonging manager" I'd probably not have kind words to say.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/20...-tech-jobs-pay

One I found the other day "document production technician" - yes an audio typist!

[Protagoras]

New buzz word for PM is Engagement Manager, especially SAAS implementations.

I saw this one the other day, "empathy engineer". It's got nothing to do with any kind of engineering and makes me wonder whether we're close to peak Tulip.

As for "belonging manager" I'd probably not have kind words to say.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/20...-tech-jobs-pay

[fatJock]

aye, - right. 1/5th of my time.

Contracting 9 years, working in IT 32 years.

Not everything is a competition fella

[sadkingbilly]

I've only been contracting nine years ... .

Ah, SKB and his hatred of PM's.

But no, Ladymuck nailed it - more experienced than half the techs I work with so I can see through their BS because I spent years at the same coalface.

aye, - right. 1/5th of my time.

[Manic]

New buzz word for PM is Engagement Manager, especially SAAS implementations.

[Protagoras]

As a developer the hiring process has changed dramatically. Almost every firm will hit you with a barrage of Leetcode hard questions before any discussion of your experience and track record.

In the late 90s I worked for a consultancy (as a PM ).

It was common practice to have a coding test for developer recruits and I was always amazed how many walked away rather than submit to the test.

I must say that I'd favour an actual skill based test any day of the week over that so-called competency based interview method where one was expected to contrive an answer to an unrealistic scenario.

[fatJock]

to understand when they tell you your project timescales are sh1te because the systems just don't work that way, you mean.

Ah, SKB and his hatred of PM's.

But no, Ladymuck nailed it - more experienced than half the techs I work with so I can see through their BS because I spent years at the same coalface.

[malvolio]

Yeah, I didn't mean to suggest that I don't value PMs and BAs.. I really do.
Nor that the roles are completely gone, only that I'm seeing a _lot_ fewer of them these days. Particularly PMs.

It's normally people in these roles that I seek out first in new contracts. Often to find some useless Scrum Lord or SME in place instead.

I think they are fading in the development arena, as people are moving to Agile (proper agile, not pretendy Scrummaging), they aren't really needed and the BA is the key interface.

But the linkage between users and IT services is still business critical and that is best done by a PM. I agree I'm biased having done just that for over 10 years, but when I upgraded to service architecture, my key IT contact into the various silos was always a PM of some sort, even if they weren't labelled as such..

[TheDude]

The market has definitely changed but I still feel that good people, with a solid track record don't generally struggle to find roles .... and often through recommendation and or return to prior clients. If I was a developer I'd be more worried than I am as a PM which I can't see any problems with me eking out the next five years till retirement.

As a developer the hiring process has changed dramatically. Almost every firm will hit you with a barrage of Leetcode hard questions before any discussion of your experience and track record.

[Dorkeaux]

As someone who similarly has no issues in finding work as a role suggested to be in demise [Project Management] I think it's too broad sweeping to suggest roles have disappeared but I agree they have most definitely changed.

Yeah, I didn't mean to suggest that I don't value PMs and BAs.. I really do.
Nor that the roles are completely gone, only that I'm seeing a _lot_ fewer of them these days. Particularly PMs.

It's normally people in these roles that I seek out first in new contracts. Often to find some useless Scrum Lord or SME in place instead.

[TheDude]

If my view of ‘the market’ is correct, there are plenty of well-paid permy jobs out there for people between 25 and 45. The halcyon days of the contract market are long gone for generalists. My suspicion is that most on here are over 45, and may struggle to find permy work - either because of ageism in recruiting or cultural fit issues.

Cultural fit *is* ageism - it also covers every other discrimination they cannot legally use to exclude you from a job.