Reply to: What's a decent rate in the North West?

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Circumstances mean I have to stay in the northwest, cumulative 1 year on the bench out of the last 4.5 years (longest 5 months) not been easy !!

Not bad that works out to 22% of the time on bench. Considering we have been in recession for 2 of those that is a good sign for me!

What do you work in?

[lukemg]

Circumstances mean I have to stay in the northwest, cumulative 1 year on the bench out of the last 4.5 years (longest 5 months) not been easy !!

[nomadd]

Well I have managed 1 year in NW and I am a newbie and it's a recession. So surely during the good times it will be easy...

I've only managed 22 years contracting. ...Still not finding it easy.

[Fred Bloggs]

I agree with Nomadd, in March this year I came to the SE just to keep in work. Double the money down here, but I still prefer being local. As a bonus, the extra revenue has gone straight into my SIPP so it isn't all bad. I have rarely been able to go from one job to the next in the NW though without a spell working away in between.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

The problem is not the - drastic, for me - rate cut of working back in the NW, but the continuity of work. That's very difficult to achieve in the NW. So, that £300/day can quickly start to look like £150 (or less) per day if you spend half or more of each year looking around for work...

Well I have managed 1 year in NW and I am a newbie and it's a recession. So surely during the good times it will be easy to stay up north?

[nomadd]

300/day is hardly being poor. Beats any permie role paying less than 60k.

Poor is working hard for 30k which is a typical permie salary in the NW.

Never said £300/day was being poor. And yes, contracting always beats permie.

The problem is not the - drastic, for me - rate cut of working back in the NW, but the continuity of work. That's very difficult to achieve in the NW. So, that £300/day can quickly start to look like £150 (or less) per day if you spend half or more of each year looking around for work...

[StopTheEarthIwantToGetOff]

£300 pd is a good rate in the North West (Its what I am on), if you can get more great!
Most of the roles agents have called about have usually been £200-£280 pd

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Took me 350-400+ applications and 7 months worth of hard work (and re-skilling at home) to get into IB in London. Rates are about double what I'd get for the same work in the NW, hence I'm back in London. I'd love to be the NW all the time, but I just don't like being poor. And it's not exactly as if the nice bits of the NW are exactly cheap, these days... Oh well, stick it for a few more years and just "retire" back to the NW when money doesn't matter anymore.

300/day is hardly being poor. Beats any permie role paying less than 60k.

Poor is working hard for 30k which is a typical permie salary in the NW.

[Spacecadet]

2 words:

Oracle
Financial Sector

I don't look at Financial Sector rates or roles anymore as there is no point for somebody without any specific banking/hedge fund experience. I applied for about 200-300 of those roles and never got anywhere with them. Also you can't include that particular sector in the typical rate for somebody with BI.

Not always true, I had an interview last year for a financial services company. Unfortunately 10 minutes into the interview it was clear that they wanted someone with more DBA than developer skills!
Still, with no finance experience I was still selected for interview.

[nomadd]

2 words:

Oracle
Financial Sector

I don't look at Financial Sector rates or roles anymore as there is no point for somebody without any specific banking/hedge fund experience. I applied for about 200-300 of those roles and never got anywhere with them. Also you can't include that particular sector in the typical rate for somebody with BI.

Two words: keep trying.

Took me 350-400+ applications and 7 months worth of hard work (and re-skilling at home) to get into IB in London. Rates are about double what I'd get for the same work in the NW, hence I'm back in London. I'd love to be the NW all the time, but I just don't like being poor. And it's not exactly as if the nice bits of the NW are exactly cheap, these days... Oh well, stick it for a few more years and just "retire" back to the NW when money doesn't matter anymore.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Business Intelligence Technical Developer London Contract IT Job

2 words:

Oracle
Financial Sector

I don't look at Financial Sector rates or roles anymore as there is no point for somebody without any specific banking/hedge fund experience. I applied for about 200-300 of those roles and never got anywhere with them. Also you can't include that particular sector in the typical rate for somebody with BI.

[oracleslave]

Also, the rates in London don't seem to be that good at the moment. All the agencies were calling me offering rates of 325 -375 and I would much rather be up North on slightly less both for cost and comfort.

Business Intelligence Technical Developer London Contract IT Job

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I'd say anything over £300 a day in the NW is a very good rate in todays market. Present gig is expected to run till about March 2011 down here in the SE at which point I would really like to get back to the NW if possible for my next job. But I'm steeling myself for a probable 50 to 55% cut in rate to do this. But after a year working down here I really want to spend more time in my own bed!

I would be happy to live on £300/day in the North West, I am just worried I will find it difficult to get my next gig in the NW. I managed to leave my last contract a few weeks early in order to join my current place (which is much better). Although this place is only paying £280/day and is 56 miles from home (although only 50-60 min commute each way), I am really enjoying it as learning a lot of new BI tools and skills. I would be happy to stay here for a while in order to build up that war chest and get the skills to keep me going in the NW.

Also, the rates in London don't seem to be that good at the moment. All the agencies were calling me offering rates of 325 -375 and I would much rather be up North on slightly less both for cost and comfort.

[Fred Bloggs]

I'd say anything over £300 a day in the NW is a very good rate in todays market. Present gig is expected to run till about March 2011 down here in the SE at which point I would really like to get back to the NW if possible for my next job. But I'm steeling myself for a probable 50 to 55% cut in rate to do this. But after a year working down here I really want to spend more time in my own bed!

[MarillionFan]

Well seems to be a thread running here.

I'm also BI/MIS. There is plenty of work around, but the bigger money is on the technical side and in London.

It does seem to be a very buoyant market in BI though.