London boy returns

[Funkywood]

I'm in Brisbane working with C#/WPF in an insurance company right now and if I don't sort a visa out they might be after my replacement. Not that I plan on that happening after hearing the situation in London.

I wish I'd known the few agencies that can sponsor contractors before I got this job. If anyone does what I did and gets a foot in the door on a 417 visa, try and get a gig through Paxus.com.au or PeopleBank.com.au and it'll save you the expensive costs of Lester. Lester is the only option open to me now.

[swamp]

+1

I've been contracting in London for the last 20 years. Things at the moment are worse than I've ever seen them. Few contracts around, poor rates of pay, insane house prices (both purchase and rental.)

Only reason I stay is I'm on a dirt cheap rent deal via a friend of mine who lets me stay in a property he bought 30 years ago for peanuts. Without that, I couldn't afford to stay here.

Mind you, after 6/12 months of staying in London you'll probably learn the error of your ways and return to Aus.

Nomadd

You can find some good rental places in London, you just have to look hard. Though 'good' does not necessarily mean cheap; more like pay a bit of money and get something excellent.

[sweetandsour]

Reason for coming to Europe was so he could travel but it was so expensive in London the travelling just never happened (he was an IT contractor on £400+ per day)

I can't believe that he struggled to survive as a £400 per day contractor, unless he developed a serious coke habit that is.

Probably worst thing is the abuse of special working visas by agencies, where they bring in alot of asian workers for supposed skill shortages.

Same thing is happening in the UK.

[temp444]

Thoughts ...

Hi , Would recommend 1) - I am planning a stint in Aus myself

Well doesnt seem quite as bad here, though Sydney is the easily the worst hit due to its financial bent and property boom/bust. Rates have suffered for most of the common work, though some specialist stuff has survived.

Probably worst thing is the abuse of special working visas by agencies, where they bring in alot of asian workers for supposed skill shortages.

Do you have to come back? After 10 years out there you must be well settled, why would ya wanna come back here for? Fook that, I`d stay out there!
Mate of mine moved over to the UK from Auz and couldn`t wait to get back out there after 4 years of scraping by in London. Back in Austrailia he now earns less but has a nice big detached house with pool for what we pay for a semi-decent flat in London and is better off financially. Reason for coming to Europe was so he could travel but it was so expensive in London the travelling just never happened (he was an IT contractor on £400+ per day)

Well I was looking to come back more for family reasons, as they are all in England.

But this is the kind of feedback I was looking for, thanks for replying. I'm surprised that he couldnt survive on 2000 a week ... how does anyone survive then on the lower rates been offered below that??

+1

I've been contracting in London for the last 20 years. Things at the moment are worse than I've ever seen them. Few contracts around, poor rates of pay, insane house prices (both purchase and rental.)

Only reason I stay is I'm on a dirt cheap rent deal via a friend of mine who lets me stay in a property he bought 30 years ago for peanuts. Without that, I couldn't afford to stay here.

Mind you, after 6/12 months of staying in London you'll probably learn the error of your ways and return to Aus.

Nomadd

Yes I guess that is one consolation is that I can stay with family, though not ideal long term.

Thanks for that, helps me think about if I really want to go through all that until the upturn finally (?) comes. Maybe I could shine shoes at Heathrow

[nomadd]

Do you have to come back? After 10 years out there you must be well settled, why would ya wanna come back here for? Fook that, I`d stay out there!
Mate of mine moved over to the UK from Auz and couldn`t wait to get back out there after 4 years of scraping by in London. Back in Austrailia he now earns less but has a nice big detached house with pool for what we pay for a semi-decent flat in London and is better off financially. Reason for coming to Europe was so he could travel but it was so expensive in London the travelling just never happened (he was an IT contractor on £400+ per day)

+1

I've been contracting in London for the last 20 years. Things at the moment are worse than I've ever seen them. Few contracts around, poor rates of pay, insane house prices (both purchase and rental.)

Only reason I stay is I'm on a dirt cheap rent deal via a friend of mine who lets me stay in a property he bought 30 years ago for peanuts. Without that, I couldn't afford to stay here.

Mind you, after 6/12 months of staying in London you'll probably learn the error of your ways and return to Aus.

Nomadd

[SuperZ]

Do you have to come back? After 10 years out there you must be well settled, why would ya wanna come back here for? Fook that, I`d stay out there!
Mate of mine moved over to the UK from Auz and couldn`t wait to get back out there after 4 years of scraping by in London. Back in Austrailia he now earns less but has a nice big detached house with pool for what we pay for a semi-decent flat in London and is better off financially. Reason for coming to Europe was so he could travel but it was so expensive in London the travelling just never happened (he was an IT contractor on £400+ per day)

[weemster]

I am returning home to London after working in Australia for 10 years.

My current skill set is C#/WPF in insurance/financial industries.

I wanted to find out the current sentiment in the WPF space over there ...
(1) Still dead, stay and enjoy the bbq
(2) Shipped off the India, become a PM
(3) Jobs around but all getting 10,000 resumes from people with 50 yrs exp
(4) WPF is a joke!

Seriously though, any accurate comments appreciated

Hi , Would recommend 1) - I am planning a stint in Aus myself

[temp444]

There are a handful of PM jobs in banking and that's all.

My girlfriend is a top PM at a bank here ... and has been earning almost twice my rate for the last 2 years.
Maybe I'll have to learn to wash dishes and prepare dinner for her each night

Welcome back and good luck

Thanks, sounds like I'll need it!

[Zippy]

Welcome back and good luck

[RichardCranium]

(2) Shipped off the India, become a PM

There are a handful of PM jobs in banking and that's all.

[temp444]

I am returning home to London after working in Australia for 10 years.

My current skill set is C#/WPF in insurance/financial industries.

I wanted to find out the current sentiment in the WPF space over there ...
(1) Still dead, stay and enjoy the bbq
(2) Shipped off the India, become a PM
(3) Jobs around but all getting 10,000 resumes from people with 50 yrs exp
(4) WPF is a joke!

Seriously though, any accurate comments appreciated