Reply to: Bench time getting too long!!

[quackhandle]

My dad (not in IT, Nuclear Eng) waited 16 weeks for his SC to come through, not sure if I could have waited that long.

Flip side is that he's got guaranteed (or as best as) work until 2012.

qh

[Bright Spark]

My post was just a rant about lack of contracts in my field unless you are already SC cleared.

Not a contest to see how long you have been unable to gain employment for, nor was I seeking any sympathy

I do have savings. No worry there.

How much savings you have also determine what kind of attitude you have towards accepting
or applying for contracts, perhaps the fact you do have savngs means your picking and choosing
too much?

My approach has always been to accept any decent contract and then to work on it and always then
to swing from one contract to the next gradually increasing the rate and getting more of what I want
in terms of skill and location, bench time for me is like falling of the tree and having to climb up again
and start the process of swinging and working the contracts again.

[HeadOfTesting]

I think the SC thing is one of those things that can really frustrate you if you let it.

I used to be frustrated about it but then I just stopped caring.

I only look at senior test management roles and if it's any consolation anyone who hasn't either got security clearance or banking experience (e.g. me) is to all intents and purposes completely rationed out of the market (if you can call this a market).

[mall]

Thread getting a bit side tracked.

My post was just a rant about lack of contracts in my field unless you are already SC cleared.

Not a contest to see how long you have been unable to gain employment for, nor was I seeking any sympathy

I do have savings. No worry there.

Everyone has different reasons for working as a contractor. And mine was I took VR from last permie role, my job went overseas!!

After that a contract came up before a permie role and I just kept going from then.

SueEllen
You are correct this is the first recession I have been a contractor in.


Roll on the emergency budget.

[worzelGummidge]

You could be out for a year yet. I hope you have a war chest.

I was out for a year. Partly due to the financial situation and partly while waiting for a role to start.
It's not fun but this was my third recession so I went with the flow and did enjoy myself.
All in all it did cost me about 40 - 50 grand but that's life.

I do feel for people though who enter a downturn without any savings.
One of the reasons that you are paid more than the permies is that you are supposed to save some money for a rainy day.
If you do not earn enough to save then go back to being a permy and / or cut your outgoings. One day you will need thoes savings.

[HeadOfTesting]

To be off for 17 months without work you'd have to be seriously misjudging the market or just playing the waiting game because you could afford to.

Me, I took the view that the world could be in melt down and I'd be daft not to take something no mater how bad, I don't like it but I'd like destitution much less!

went in to the recession with £300k in net cash, no mortgage and no family so yes I've been in a position to take a "see what happens" attitude. My problem now is deciding which of my 3 business ideas to prioritise.

[HeadOfTesting]

Has that all been intentional, like taking a year off to travel or have you been actively looking all that
time, seems rather long and makes the OP's 8 weeks look like small beer.

mostly intentional but some less so:

- contract not renewed in Dec 08 (although I always intended for it to be my last contract because I wanted to focus on plan b full time)
- Worked with a former colleague to try and start a new business until apr 09 but the partnership didn't work out. during that time I wasn't looking at all.
- then concentrated on some oral and facial surgery that i needed to get done in preparation for having my teeth braced and couldn't have got a job whilst I was recovering from that anyway.
- felt recovered by July 09 and started looking at roles because I guess I felt less enthusiastic about starting a new business on my own.
- Have been looking half-heartedly since then. Have worked up the courage to start a new business on my own this time and will start in earnest next week. Will still respond to enquiries that come in but will no longer be actively looking because the test mgmt market has been all but wiped out and the effort/reward ratio is beyond dire and I'm just not willing to play the game anymore. Kind of annoyed with myself that I even started looking in Jul 09 because I had gone out on my own terms in dec 08 but there you go.

And yes - 8wks is small bear in this (and arguably) any market.

[gingerjedi]

To be off for 17 months without work you'd have to be seriously misjudging the market or just playing the waiting game because you could afford to.

Me, I took the view that the world could be in melt down and I'd be daft not to take something no mater how bad, I don't like it but I'd like destitution much less!

[Bright Spark]

Indeed - I hit the 17 month mark yesterday.

Has that all been intentional, like taking a year off to travel or have you been actively looking all that
time, seems rather long and makes the OP's 8 weeks look like small beer.

[HeadOfTesting]

I concur.

It's obviously the first recession the poster has been through.

Recessions mean the people don't get contracts. Depending how lucky you are your difficulties happen just as the recession is starting, during the worst of it or at the end.

You could be out for a year yet. I hope you have a war chest.

Indeed - I hit the 17 month mark yesterday.

[SueEllen]

Oh come on! Just because you've never been out of work for more than 3 weeks before doesnt mean its the end of the world?

Look, for whatever reason, some people have a good continuous employment record. But it comes to an end sometime.

I'd say get used to it. The market will be more like this for a good while yet.

I concur.

It's obviously the first recession the poster has been through.

Recessions mean the people don't get contracts. Depending how lucky you are your difficulties happen just as the recession is starting, during the worst of it or at the end.

You could be out for a year yet. I hope you have a war chest.

[BolshieBastard]

5 Years as an IT contractor. Never been on bench for more than 3 weeks.

Been 8 weeks now.

Is this it? Has the IT contract market stopped

Unless you have SC clearance or willing to undergo it

Oh come on! Just because you've never been out of work for more than 3 weeks before doesnt mean its the end of the world?

Look, for whatever reason, some people have a good continuous employment record. But it comes to an end sometime.

I'd say get used to it. The market will be more like this for a good while yet.

[Clippy]

One problem with this holy grail (supposedly) SC is that you tend to become ring-fenced into SC cleared work only.
I'm hearing from contractors wiht varied skillsets who are not happy at this. One had loads of work in the private sector (Financisal Services and Banking) and then took one 'lower paying' public sector contract last year for a change (and to get the clearance) and is finding he's getting no calls at all about private sector jobs and public sector has of course also dried up also, where as an ex-colleage of his in the private sector is still getting privvy sector calls (banking mainly).
So for some who try the public sector and dislike it, they end up being ringfenced for SC cleared work only. The person mentioned above is going to try having two CV's (one without his short recent sting in SC cleared/Public sector work) to see how the dodgy agents market responds.

There have been many tales on here of individuals who have a strong work history in the private sector not getting a look in at public sector work due to no experience working in that arena so nice to see the shoe on the other foot!

[mobi]

Try permie roles. They are lot more in abundance than contract nowadays.

You can always switch back when situation improves.

[SuperZ]

As every role out there for my skill set requires SC Clearance.

One problem with this holy grail (supposedly) SC is that you tend to become ring-fenced into SC cleared work only.
I'm hearing from contractors wiht varied skillsets who are not happy at this. One had loads of work in the private sector (Financisal Services and Banking) and then took one 'lower paying' public sector contract last year for a change (and to get the clearance) and is finding he's getting no calls at all about private sector jobs and public sector has of course also dried up also, where as an ex-colleage of his in the private sector is still getting privvy sector calls (banking mainly).
So for some who try the public sector and dislike it, they end up being ringfenced for SC cleared work only. The person mentioned above is going to try having two CV's (one without his short recent sting in SC cleared/Public sector work) to see how the dodgy agents market responds.