Reply to: Market gone a bit dead?

[coreservers]

I've been out of contract all through April. nothing at all. seemingly loads to apply for, but a friendly agent at Quantam told me she's getting 150+ for each and every role.

I got an interview with an asset managment company, had to wait 4 weeks for a 2nd interview (me and one other). Then found out the "other" was an internal candidate, who unsurprisingly got the job!

Been a bit busier this week with calls, but nothing positive at all. I was in the insurance support managment areas, but they got hammered by the middle east, Australian floods and Japan. so let go.
I know of 3 copmanies who have now outsourced to TATA in India, so no more work there.

[Stan.goodvibes]

One more week at existing clientco then I'm on my next role. But now existing clientco has said that I can continue to work evenings and weekends as much as I like, so now I have two roles.

Is that like the anti-bench?

pssssst still plenty of work here in the lucky country, this place is going off!

[Boo]

What's your skillset?

Realtime and embedded, C, C++, assembler, video DSP...

Boo

[Stan.goodvibes]

All the Aussies here in London are chomping at the bit to get back home. I'm told rates are now the same or higher in real terms over there.

It's not just IT but the whole country is going ballistic thanks to those cuddly Chinese and their insatiable demand for things lying in ground here. In the news the other day, you can get $AUD$100,000 pa for driving a truck! Fortunes can be made just by digging up your back lawn (OK, that might be an exaggeration).

In the meantime a dirth of IT professionals is causing a bubble in rates and the $AUD is now over the $US and on it's way to parity with Sterling. If there was ever a time to work Down Under, this is it. See your local recruitment agent about visas to Oz, they are getting easier to come by.

[Stan.goodvibes]

digress

deliberate misspelling. It's a joke

[Clippy]

Dunno. I didn't notice a pick up in March tbh, my most recent "warm period" was last July/August. Since then it's been a bit dead. I keep reading that the market is turning - and last night's news on the jobless front is encouraging - but haven't seen any signs of it personally yet.

Boo

What's your skillset?

[Boo]

Anybody else feel this as well? March was very busy, getting loads of calls, lots of roles on jobserve, good rates.

Now everything dead, barely any roles, lower rates, fewer calls...

What's happening?

Dunno. I didn't notice a pick up in March tbh, my most recent "warm period" was last July/August. Since then it's been a bit dead. I keep reading that the market is turning - and last night's news on the jobless front is encouraging - but haven't seen any signs of it personally yet.

Boo

[PropertyCrashUK]

Is this public sector?

If so, don't think it will be the same for the private sector.

Yes, both public secotor.

But when I told the agents that it was typical of the public sector both commented that, no, that their private sector clients were basically shutting down for easter already.

[Clippy]

Opposite for me - nothing in March, lots of calls in the last 2 days.

Agents putting my cv forward but telling me that the clients have said they will hear nothing until first week of May as organisations are shutting down for Easter - so expect things to be quiet now until then I guess.

Is this public sector?

If so, don't think it will be the same for the private sector.

[PropertyCrashUK]

Opposite for me - nothing in March, lots of calls in the last 2 days.

Agents putting my cv forward but telling me that the clients have said they will hear nothing until first week of May as organisations are shutting down for Easter - so expect things to be quiet now until then I guess.

[Fred Bloggs]

Over a Aus$1000 a day in oil and gas process engineering now in Oz.

[russell]

All the Aussies here in London are chomping at the bit to get back home. I'm told rates are now the same or higher in real terms over there.

How much is it these days for pouring a pint?

[swamp]

...but in the meantime this is THE place to be for IT contractors at the moment IMHO. As I keep saying, if you can get here...

All the Aussies here in London are chomping at the bit to get back home. I'm told rates are now the same or higher in real terms over there.

[russell]

It's all about your skillsets and the demand for them. If you have the foresight to spot which technologies will give you years of decent rates through thick and thin then you will be ok.

Think. .Net, Sharepoint, WCF.
Not - Haskell, Ruby On Rails etc

[MaryPoppins]

Hahahahaha. NorthWestPermToContr = BUSTED!




Man I've been saying that for years. Basically a giant Berlin-esque wall running across England about level with the Watford Gap, and another one at the Lake District, and anyone in between can just fend for themselves. There really isn't much to write home about in the whole of Middle England, and I come from Nottingham so know what I'm talking about!

But I digest... Market here in Oz is booming. I just got a new one-year contract at Reserve Bank so now I have to tell current clientco that I'm leaving early. I'm kind of hoping that UK Market will pick up by 2012 and the words "Reserve" and "Bank" and "SSRS" and "SSIS" on my CV will help get me back into the City...but in the meantime this is THE place to be for IT contractors at the moment IMHO. As I keep saying, if you can get here...

digress