Agency list?

[Fred Bloggs]

Agents tend not to specialise by location, if at all. Some specialise by industry.
Depends on your skill set and the business you specialise in (if any).

It can make a big difference if a local agency has close ties with local businesses though. I got a call yesterday about a job in the NW that none of the nationwide agencies will hear about simply because it is a medium sized firm who has a close relationship with a NW agency (who otherwise work nationwide ironically). So, the local agency gets first pick before the client co goes elsewhere for contractors.

[The Lone Gunman]

Agents tend not to specialise by location, if at all. Some specialise by industry.
Depends on your skill set and the business you specialise in (if any).

[Fred Bloggs]

Yes, it's truly dire round here ATM. Also beware of jobs in nuclear because when it says NW, often they mean Cumbria rather than Manchester.

[LouC]

Thanks!

Much appreciated everyone.

I am, or I was, hoping to get a contract in or arund Manchester. I really don´t want to move back to London...

I think I may start another forum post about this

[EddieNambulous]

I´m moving to a new area, the North West.

I moved to the North West a couple of years ago to try my hand at contracting there (centre of Manchester), when the market was considerably better.

Things were so bad that it was easier to move out again...so I did.

[nomadd]

Hi there

I´m moving to a new area, the North West. My agent list is quite specifically London as i´ve been living there for 7 years. Does anyone know an easy way to find out all the agencies in a particular area, yellow pages aside.

Cheers
Lou

I wish you luck! I'm from the NW and wouldn't mind moving back there (20 years in London, so far...), but a scan of Jobserve shows the contract market is absolutely dire there. And that's on a search with a 50 mile radius of Manchester. A few postings on this forum a couple of weeks ago seemed to reflect the same sentiment.

You might be back in London sooner than you think - or at least working there during the week. Mind you, I'm finding the market pretty bad in and around London, so...

EDIT: One thing I'd add is to be very careful of is roles listed as being "based in the NW". What this usually means is the role is with a NW based software house, who will just body-shop you out, normally back to London. It's just that they'll expect to pay you NW rates for your time. This is true whether permie or contract.

Nomadd

[NotAllThere]

It comes down to how you weigh each side of the 'triangle' of Role/Money/Location. For me, Location carries a higher weighting than the other two. YMMV though.

I find it more of a square: Role/Money/Location/Having work

[RichardCranium]

It comes down to how you weigh each side of the 'triangle' of Role/Money/Location. For me, Location carries a higher weighting than the other two. YMMV though.

Was that intentional?

[NickNick]

Speak for yourself, I've only ever worked a commutable distance from home.

It comes down to how you weigh each side of the 'triangle' of Role/Money/Location. For me, Location carries a higher weighting than the other two. YMMV though.

[cykophysh39]

I've never heard of a contractor that only works in their locality. Agents don't work in their own locality either. We're all money grabbing scum, money knows no boundries.

[pzz76077]

Hi there

I´m moving to a new area, the North West. My agent list is quite specifically London as i´ve been living there for 7 years. Does anyone know an easy way to find out all the agencies in a particular area, yellow pages aside.

Cheers
Lou

Jobserve has a list of all agents that advertise there inc addresses, though may take you a few hours to go through it.

Most agents are thankful for any contracts they can lay their hands on these days and the state of the market does not afford them the luxury of turning down roles that are not on their doorstep and all operate nationally if not internationally these days.

Also if I was you I would not want to limit myself to a few agents in your locality to find you work.

PZZ

[RichardCranium]

yellow pages aside

I think you have ruled out the only appropriate method.

Anyway, I find many agencies work nationally, regardless of how many offices they have.

[LouC]

Hi there

I´m moving to a new area, the North West. My agent list is quite specifically London as i´ve been living there for 7 years. Does anyone know an easy way to find out all the agencies in a particular area, yellow pages aside.

Cheers
Lou