April Boom?

[pedroPM]

Haven't noticed dips except at christmas, but then is anyone actually looking during Christmas week. This confirms it:
job stats

Obviously in the summer various PM's will disappear but we're looking at week delays in organising interviews etc.

No I wouldn't jump into the April boom. either there is a pick up there isn't.

To me the graph does actually show an increase in demand leading into April for the past 3 years. Last year the demand fell off rapidly afterwards but we know all about that.

I think the graph suggests a gradual increase in demand from Christmas which peaks in April/May. Hopefully The same will happen this year which would be helped by some of projects that were frozen in the past 10 months being given the go ahead. There must be plenty of work that was shelved in the knee-jerk reaction since last April.

[BlasterBates]

I think your experience is unique.

Whilst it is true that companies don't have company years that end with the tax year, as company year ends are going to be equally spread throughout the year the effect of them should be neutral.

However, HMG does have a year end of April. Like it or not, HMG represents almost 50% of the economy and has an awful lot of work to hand out to these other companies. So it is companies with year ends of mumble mumble that all have to bid for this work, and guess what, it all happens in April.

tim

Haven't noticed dips except at christmas, but then is anyone actually looking during Christmas week. This confirms it:
job stats

Obviously in the summer various PM's will disappear but we're looking at week delays in organising interviews etc.

No I wouldn't jump into the April boom. either there is a pick up there isn't.

[tim123]

IME March \ April is not a better time than any other for projects. Many companies have year ends and hence new budgets for projects at different times through out the year. Its only the tax year that starts in April not the majority of company IT budgets.

I've never in 12+ years of contracting found April to be better than any other time.

I personally think its foolish of some folk to talk up the fact that this April will show an improvement.

I think your experience is unique.

Whilst it is true that companies don't have company years that end with the tax year, as company year ends are going to be equally spread throughout the year the effect of them should be neutral.

However, HMG does have a year end of April. Like it or not, HMG represents almost 50% of the economy and has an awful lot of work to hand out to these other companies. So it is companies with year ends of mumble mumble that all have to bid for this work, and guess what, it all happens in April.

tim

[BolshieBastard]

IME March \ April is not a better time than any other for projects. Many companies have year ends and hence new budgets for projects at different times through out the year. Its only the tax year that starts in April not the majority of company IT budgets.

I've never in 12+ years of contracting found April to be better than any other time.

I personally think its foolish of some folk to talk up the fact that this April will show an improvement.

[wurzel]

Hmmm, sounds a bit risky that, given current global economic uncertainty. I'd say hold on to what you've got...better the devil you know and all that!

I know, it is risky. It's just that I've read comments on this forum mentioning that the summer is typically a quiet time for picking up work, that's why I was going to pre-empt the situation by terminating early. Perhaps the quiet time is July / August when peolple are on holiday & maybe June isn't so bad. Never been out of contract in the summer so don't really know.

[tim123]

The periods of March / April and September / October have traditionally been a good time for new contracts due to new budgets and new projects but this year it's anyone's guess. Who knows?

I am starting to think that the whole year could be a right-off or at least until the end of this year / start of 2010.

I'm not expecting an upturn before April 2010. BICBW

tim

[Another Dodgy Agent]

We can only hope! Personally have started to see some recruitment from some of my clients that I was convinced would be quite this year so their appear to be budgets being approved etc. TBH I and some of my colleagues had already decided to write this year off, but we could be pleasantly surprised!

[pedroPM]

I'm on a contract until June '09 and am considering quitting in order to pick something up in April. I feel it would be a better time than the middle of the summer though there's a good chance I won't pick up anything at all in April and effectively throw away 3 months' earnings. A bit of a quandary really.

Hmmm, sounds a bit risky that, given current global economic uncertainty. I'd say hold on to what you've got...better the devil you know and all that!

[wurzel]

I'm on a contract until June '09 and am considering quitting in order to pick something up in April. I feel it would be a better time than the middle of the summer though there's a good chance I won't pick up anything at all in April and effectively throw away 3 months' earnings. A bit of a quandary really.

[Liability]

Ive taken my CV off all the sites - and already at Wednesday I am getting a number of calls which do appear to be real opps...so something is happening

[s2budd]

The periods of March / April and September / October have traditionally been a good time for new contracts due to new budgets and new projects but this year it's anyone's guess. Who knows?

I am starting to think that the whole year could be a right-off or at least until the end of this year / start of 2010.

[pedroPM]

Newbie in peace here. Just wanted to get people's opinions on when the next lot of approved projects should come. I have read on this site that April is a good time but I'm not so sure. Obviously the dreaded crisis will play a part this year with many banks at least replanning their strategies, but also, i have spent the past few years working for a bank (as a permie) and although the budgets might have been anounced in April it usually took a couple of months to get things moving.

What are your thoughts people, has April traditionally been a good time to get yourself a contract? and what do you predict for this year?