Reply to: Contracting In The Grim North...

[tino]

For those working away from home on a contract.
How do you go on with accomodation ?

Surely you need to move to a very good rate to factor in costs for accomodation.

If there was a reasonable solution to costs working away, I'd do more of it.

For me flights and accomodation + expenses take away maybe 25% of my weekly rate.

75% of a good rate is better than 100% of nothing.

[Scotchpie]

Even NHS opprtunities have dried up in the North. Things must be grim!

[PaulCD]

For those working away from home on a contract.
How do you go on with accomodation ?

Surely you need to move to a very good rate to factor in costs for accomodation.

If there was a reasonable solution to costs working away, I'd do more of it.

When I'm in Zurich everything is fully expensed by the client.

[DaveP]

For those working away from home on a contract.
How do you go on with accomodation ?

Surely you need to move to a very good rate to factor in costs for accomodation.

If there was a reasonable solution to costs working away, I'd do more of it.

[The ideal candidate]

Dusseldorf - hmmmm would that be Vodafone ?

[dang65]

I live in Manchester and work in Dusseldorf. Is this all some kind of conspiracy by the airlines or something?

[PaulCD]

Who do you work for in Rochdale - there are no big companies there. I live in Rochdale and have to work in sodding Geneva at the moment.

Same with me. I live in Birmingham and work in Zurich.

Edit...ooops quoted the wrong message!

[BoredBloke]

Live in Manchester

Work in Rochdale and have an interview in Preston next week

Its not that bad really!!

Who do you work for in Rochdale - there are no big companies there. I live in Rochdale and have to work in sodding Geneva at the moment.

[Tingles]

The North West is tumbleweed and I'm waiting to hear about a nice juicy 6 month-er near Gatwick at the mo'..
Obviously it's best to have a 'go wherever' attitude at the moment, but often agents and clients can't see past the postcode on your CV.

I never put my address on my CV.

I always tell the agent I'm currently living near the contract or in the next town...

Get the role and then advise the agent your true address - they wont care.

Sorted...

T

[merrsh1]

Can verify the same in the North West. I'm due on the bench very soon and have been sent a fair few permie .NET roles (no contract roles) but scarily they seem to be hovering around 23K for roles which specify a .NET/SQL skillset as long as your arm!

Im worried.

I've noticed .NET perm roles are paying 35k+ (which for the NE is good) and there seems to be no deprecation in wages in at all from last year.

I haven't seen anything contract wise from York To Northumberland in around a month. As people say its a national thing.

I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion its time to get into WPF in a big way ready for that gravy train to pull out the station...

I've felt the fear a few times and found myself almost applying for perm roles but its just too horrible to contemplate.

[Goldenboy]

Live in Manchester

Work in Rochdale and have an interview in Preston next week

Its not that bad really!!

[Durbs]

Any other .NET devs finding contracts rare in the North East?

There seem to be numerous full time jobs but contracts have evaporated...

Can verify the same in the North West. I'm due on the bench very soon and have been sent a fair few permie .NET roles (no contract roles) but scarily they seem to be hovering around 23K for roles which specify a .NET/SQL skillset as long as your arm!

Im worried.

[PaulCD]

It seems grim everywhere to me. After a long contracting absence I have now been back in the fold for about a month or so and I have to say the market seems sh*t!

My current gig has just been extended to the end of May but for 4 weeks out of a possible 6! Without any better offers I'm forced to carry on.

I hope it picks up soon...

[youwhut]

I am based in the Midlands and for my contracting life (18 months) I have always been working in Yorkshire.

[stingman123]

it certainly seems quiet. I live in the North East and find myself working in Wolverhampton
It's different to say the least, I'm resigned to having to work away for the next 18 months at least. Saying that, I've contracted for @10 years now and only @2 of them have been in the north east, so for my skillset (PM) it seems it has always been a bit gloomy.