Reply to: Market Picking Up??

[Green Mango]

Well....April is here and although I've been put forward for about half a dozen roles, still no interviews. Some of the roles my CV was an exact match for.....I've 15 days left before my rate is slashed to less than a permies salary and I need to get out but there's just nothing out there

I've got friends and relatives who are permies at BT. I don't think the contractors get paid more than permies at BT. The reason the pension at BT is so good. You as a contractor could not buy the benefits they are getting.

Of course that's changed just recently as they've made the terms less generous.

[Brussels Slumdog]

That is what happens in a downturn. It is surprising how many people can then be going after a contract. It goes like this:

Yes, the contracts are still out there, but.........

After 15 years SAP I have covered most modules plus I can understand French and Dutch. In the past have been expected to configure,train,audit, test,debug and sweep the floor with a broom tied to my bum.
Now suddenly they are looking for an Asset specialist within a specific Industry.

[TheRefactornator]

I've been benched since last October in the North West and being flexible on location does not appear to be working because I always tell agents that I'll work anywhere in the UK..I suppose I could expand to the world.

I've taken the time to keep my skills current by developing a web application and a Silverlight game and website for my daughter.

A telephone interview is lined up for next week though..

[Sausage Surprise]

Well....April is here and although I've been put forward for about half a dozen roles, still no interviews. Some of the roles my CV was an exact match for.....I've 15 days left before my rate is slashed to less than a permies salary and I need to get out but there's just nothing out there

[Green Mango]

So far this is not too bad - the worst has still to come.


I remember ringing agents in the early nineties and they would laugh. Had to work abroad in Germany and France to keep in work.

[Plunge McNugget]

Time to go permie?

Got a phone call from an agent today about a permie job, said I was happy to stick with contracting. He suggested it was time to go permie as the testing market is dead.

As soon as I knew it was a permie job I politely declined but guy was determined to paint a bleak picture for contract test market. Have to admit it got me down for a bit.

Pesky agents, I much prefer fake optimism and hints of green shoots etc

[PaulCD]

Seems that the current gig that I am on is going to be ending tomorrow. I'm developing SAP technical documentation at the moment and although there is a load of work left to be done here, the system won't be ready for me to do it for upto another 2 weeks so the client is talking about giving me a 'break' for a month and then getting me back over here to Zurich in May!

Bummer!

Looks like I'll be making some calls over the next few days in the hope of turning something new up...

Well I've 'kind of' been extended for more time in this gig. The client wants to offer me a perm role but is having trouble getting sign-off for any recruitment from their HQ in the USA so in the mean time I'm still with them for a few more weeks.

Mind you, if a decent longer term gig comes along I might just be off somewhere else.

[Ivor Bigun]

The skills profile age zone

SPAZ for short

[Ivor Bigun]

so they take it off and rewrite the spec including nice-to-haves up to ability to walk on water. Now you are still at least one of the best people for the job they really want done, but you don't have all of the the nice-to-haves so you can't get past the gatekeepers.

You forgot the main descriminator

The skills profile age zone

For a lot of roles, if you're older than 35 with no real CV progression - do not pass GO - go straight to B&Q.

[expat]

There are a few more gigs advertised but how many people are going for them? I saw one advertised on Reed that was also on Jobserve, it said 47 applicants had applied on the Reed site alone so god knows how many in total?

That is what happens in a downturn. It is surprising how many people can then be going after a contract. It goes like this:

Last year, a contract just made for you would come up. 3 of you would apply, you'd be the best, you'd get it.

This year, the client sees that 27 people ar applying for it, so they take it off and rewrite the spec including nice-to-haves up to ability to walk on water. Now you are still at least one of the best people for the job they really want done, but you don't have all of the the nice-to-haves so you can't get past the gatekeepers.

So you look wider: at other jobs that use only some of your lesser skills. Then you find 250 going for the same underpaid contract.

That was last time, in the dot-bomb recession. This time its 2,250 going for it, and 2000 of them are in India on £30 a day.

Yes, the contracts are still out there, but.........

[gingerjedi]

There are a few more gigs advertised but how many people are going for them? I saw one advertised on Reed that was also on Jobserve, it said 47 applicants had applied on the Reed site alone so god knows how many in total?

[minestrone]

I still see it as very dead although I am not seriously looking until the end of summer.

When I really want a role first thing I will be doing is send off CVs to agents I know well and who know that I can pass interviews and get roles for them. Probably only 5 or 6.

[Cyberman]

Any hassles = CV is binned.

Why?

The people who select
A) Don't know you
B) Have lots of others to select from
C) Don't want hassle from agents about who they should pay a commission to

I agree with this through experience. I was rejected for interview through the first agency, a second then put me forward and I got an interview. The first agency then found out and the client rejected me because of the possible legal issues when the first agency threatened them with legal action. Nowadays, I always tell an agency if I have already been put forward, to avoid this issue recurring.

[zara_backdog]

Seems to be more BA/PM Roles comming up which normally indicates the start of new projects.

However Nearly all seem to be in the NHS or Public sector - Oh well someone will want me soon I hope!

[FarmerPalmer]

My CV has been out there for 3 weeks with immediate start - and just got my first interview on Tuesday - 1.75hrs away though

I'm not benched yet - but have an option to leave early if something comes up.