Reply to: The Bench, and panic

[inferno]

The market appears dead in Wales with a general downturn this month across the UK - anyone else seeing this?

Would have put it in the state of the market thread but I can't find it

Yes I certainly am. Interviews postponed and not that much about. Though I have now been offered a contract. Hopefully things will pick up but with the school holidays looming I'm not that confident.

[PropertyCrashUK]

The market appears dead in Wales with a general downturn this month across the UK - anyone else seeing this?

Would have put it in the state of the market thread but I can't find it

[contractoralan]

If you have worked through a consultancy (Siemens, HP), as suggested elsewhere, use those names.

You may also consider the approach described in this article (The Case Study Portfolio Framework)

Contractors: Top Tips to Boost Your Marketability | PCG

I was offered an extension on my role to the end of December 2012 (at the end of April this year) after 18 months on the same gig. The client then went a bit funny and nothing much happened during May (apart from a whole load of assurances that all was well).

At the end of May, they gave me notice. No explanation other than "we have decided to go a different way". Contract had gone very well, got on with everyone, regularly commended by the CEO and Chairman for the "fantastic job" that I was doing. Then.....bang.

Now they are messing around over notice and all has changed.

With the money they owe me for May, the notice for June and the money I have in the bank, I'd be ok for a good 7 or 8 months but without May and the notice pay, things are grim.

I would be happy to look at lower paid roles just to keep the cash rolling but when I talk to the agents, I just get the "you're over qualified" line and they won't submit my details.

Problem is, there aren't too many contracts for someone like me right now (Programme Director / Manager, Public Sector). I can't get into the finance sector (so, so upset as the rates are huge) and the private sector seems to think I am public sector to the core (even though my first 20 years were all in the private sector) so the bench beckons.

I'm not known for panic but I have a sense that I may become known for it by August.

Good luck all

[Scrag Meister]

So where is it all going? Tied up in housing equity?

Fast cars, faster bikes, good food and exotic holidays.

[zamzummim]

Hmm. I did that once, and when agency asked why I am doing that, i would just say, this is to protect my past clients from getting cold called by unprofessional agents. No one objected after that. I would say, if the client wants to know my past clients, I would rather include that in a covering letter in a list of past clients I have worked in no particular order.

This wont work with the finance sector, they just need to see a clear working history with dates starting and finishing, so they want to see you worked for similar banks, they want to see the dates as well: if you were there only for 3 months, then they may dismiss you etc.

Its worth a try though.

[rd409]

I did this once just to make my CV shorter, but all agencies objected and non wwanted to put me for a role unless I split each contract and put dates etc!!

Hmm. I did that once, and when agency asked why I am doing that, i would just say, this is to protect my past clients from getting cold called by unprofessional agents. No one objected after that. I would say, if the client wants to know my past clients, I would rather include that in a covering letter in a list of past clients I have worked in no particular order.

[zamzummim]

Do you operate through your ltd company? Then you can put your employer as your ltd company, and put down the public sector departments as your clients. If you are through a consultancy, then put the name of the consultancy. You need to be a bit more inventive and adventurous tbh.

You may look at roles with less offerings, but no need to take a hit unnecessarily. It is very hard to climb back.
HTH.

I did this once just to make my CV shorter, but all agencies objected and non wwanted to put me for a role unless I split each contract and put dates etc!!

[rd409]

That's a little tricky as the places I have worked have fairly familiar names (Cabinet Office, DTI, CPS and so on) - the work is the same as anywhere else but the department name gets you pegged as "public sector". Having worked in both public and private, I can't say there's much difference to be honest but we all know how clients see the world. Most of my roles involve managing PMs and others to carry out business change, new systems implementation and managing 3rd party suppliers. Nothing unusual there eh?

I'll just have to hope that things pick up in the public sector soon, or an enlightened bank decides that my old Merrill Lynch and Robert Fleming experience is enough!

Pastalista

Do you operate through your ltd company? Then you can put your employer as your ltd company, and put down the public sector departments as your clients. If you are through a consultancy, then put the name of the consultancy. You need to be a bit more inventive and adventurous tbh.

You may look at roles with less offerings, but no need to take a hit unnecessarily. It is very hard to climb back.
HTH.

[Mr Fahrenheit]

That's a little tricky as the places I have worked have fairly familiar names (Cabinet Office, DTI, CPS and so on) - the work is the same as anywhere else but the department name gets you pegged as "public sector".

Pastalista

That's an interesting thought- I must have a look at my own CV and see if I'm becoming typecast in that way.

Is your CV in most-recent-first format?

If so, you could try changing it to chronological format, to raise the private-sector experience to the top. That would avoid the problem of people reading the first half-page, seeing nothing but public sector, and going no further.

Also, what are your headings like? If you've got, eg:

JAN-MAR 2011 PROJECT MANAGER CABINET OFFICE
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah on contract for Fujitsu blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

you could try changing to
JAN-MAR 2011 PROJECT MANAGER FUJITSU
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah on a project for the Cabinet Office.

[teabag]

That's a little tricky as the places I have worked have fairly familiar names (Cabinet Office, DTI, CPS and so on) - the work is the same as anywhere else but the department name gets you pegged as "public sector". Having worked in both public and private, I can't say there's much difference to be honest but we all know how clients see the world. Most of my roles involve managing PMs and others to carry out business change, new systems implementation and managing 3rd party suppliers. Nothing unusual there eh?

I'll just have to hope that things pick up in the public sector soon, or an enlightened bank decides that my old Merrill Lynch and Robert Fleming experience is enough!

Pastalista

Public sector BA here..I've in the same place.. Re-brand CV and perhaps take a hit on rate to get private sector back at the top of your CV like me ?

[pastalista]

Reword your CV a little, to avoid the hard core public servant image.

That's a little tricky as the places I have worked have fairly familiar names (Cabinet Office, DTI, CPS and so on) - the work is the same as anywhere else but the department name gets you pegged as "public sector". Having worked in both public and private, I can't say there's much difference to be honest but we all know how clients see the world. Most of my roles involve managing PMs and others to carry out business change, new systems implementation and managing 3rd party suppliers. Nothing unusual there eh?

I'll just have to hope that things pick up in the public sector soon, or an enlightened bank decides that my old Merrill Lynch and Robert Fleming experience is enough!

Pastalista

[JamJarST]

Wow, why bored? there are hundreds of things to do, start a personal project, learn something new, gardening, golf, holidays, new language, volunteer work... plenty of stuff to do...
sigh if I only have the time to just have fun and not have to work for a living!! Darn them kids and mortgage!

Absolutely agree, in the short 4 weeks I was benched (transition from perm to contract) this year I managed to get up to 40 to 50k a day on the bicycle, went for lunch a lot, shopped, etc. Was definitely not bored. I was averaging 200k a week on the bike, and now I am lucky if I can do a 100

[Scrag Meister]

I was offered an extension on my role to the end of December 2012 (at the end of April this year) after 18 months on the same gig. The client then went a bit funny and nothing much happened during May (apart from a whole load of assurances that all was well).

At the end of May, they gave me notice. No explanation other than "we have decided to go a different way". Contract had gone very well, got on with everyone, regularly commended by the CEO and Chairman for the "fantastic job" that I was doing. Then.....bang.

Now they are messing around over notice and all has changed.

With the money they owe me for May, the notice for June and the money I have in the bank, I'd be ok for a good 7 or 8 months but without May and the notice pay, things are grim.

I would be happy to look at lower paid roles just to keep the cash rolling but when I talk to the agents, I just get the "you're over qualified" line and they won't submit my details.

Problem is, there aren't too many contracts for someone like me right now (Programme Director / Manager, Public Sector). I can't get into the finance sector (so, so upset as the rates are huge) and the private sector seems to think I am public sector to the core (even though my first 20 years were all in the private sector) so the bench beckons.

I'm not known for panic but I have a sense that I may become known for it by August.

Good luck all

Reword your CV a little, to avoid the hard core public servant image.

[pastalista]

Panic

I was offered an extension on my role to the end of December 2012 (at the end of April this year) after 18 months on the same gig. The client then went a bit funny and nothing much happened during May (apart from a whole load of assurances that all was well).

At the end of May, they gave me notice. No explanation other than "we have decided to go a different way". Contract had gone very well, got on with everyone, regularly commended by the CEO and Chairman for the "fantastic job" that I was doing. Then.....bang.

Now they are messing around over notice and all has changed.

With the money they owe me for May, the notice for June and the money I have in the bank, I'd be ok for a good 7 or 8 months but without May and the notice pay, things are grim.

I would be happy to look at lower paid roles just to keep the cash rolling but when I talk to the agents, I just get the "you're over qualified" line and they won't submit my details.

Problem is, there aren't too many contracts for someone like me right now (Programme Director / Manager, Public Sector). I can't get into the finance sector (so, so upset as the rates are huge) and the private sector seems to think I am public sector to the core (even though my first 20 years were all in the private sector) so the bench beckons.

I'm not known for panic but I have a sense that I may become known for it by August.

Good luck all

[russell]

A question for you guys. A lot of you are answering this as if having enough savings to last 12 months is something unusual... and yet we are all in very well paid jobs.

So where is it all going? Tied up in housing equity?

With a one account or similar mortgage you can draw down the mortgage as much as you want, so you can stuff all your excess into mortgage then take it back out if you ever need it.