Reply to: Finding it tough to get a contract ??

[SueEllen]

I'd say that the market is pretty tough right now. I'm quite experienced and it wasn't that easy to get a new gig.

Ignore all the idiots who are making stupid comments. First thing to look at is your CV. Are agents calling you back based on it? Get some friends to look over it and give you some feedback on it.

Unless they are involved in IT recruitment on some level then it's a waste of time. The best people are either a recruitment consultant in the IT arena or people on here who recruit other contractors. This is as they will be aware how much detail they expect in a CV.

If you are getting interviews but not gigs then get the interviewer's email address and give them a polite email afterwards thanking them for their time and asking for feedback. Don't go through your agent for feedback.

If you have any friends who are permies you would be aware that no-one can now get useful feedback from interviewers. They are too scared of being sued.

So the reasons given by krytonsheep are more likely to be the problem, plus the fact you may not be scrubbed up enough for a face-to-face interview.

Communication skills are easy to fix if you make the effort to get out of the house and mix with people you don't normally mix with.

In regards to interviewers thinking the commute is a problem it's your job to always make it clear that it isn't i.e. that it was really easy to get there or you have no problem staying over.

Don't be too loyal to one agent. Spread the CV around a bit.
If your CV is not working then rearrange it. Remember that people probably read about 60% of the first page, 30% of the second and third pages and 0% of any subsequent pages. First paragraph on the first page is the point which you sell yourself. Make it a good punchy summary.
Finally, consider perm. If you have been on the bench for almost a year then you have got to do almost anything to get off it.

Oddly I know contractors who have been out longer than a year and they managed to get contracts.
They had to do a mixture of:
1. Work their networks i.e. get in touch with everyone they ever contracted with before
2. Take a reduced rate
3. Take a short term contract that then ended up lasting for years

[krytonsheep]

The problem is I don't think you would find out the real reason why you didn't get the contract. It'll be a generic, non offensive excuse.

[Wanderer]

I personally wouldn't ask for feedback direct from the interviewer. You are business offering your services, if they don't want your services it'll be because :

- not skilled enough in a certain area
- bad communication skills
- Won't fit in with the team

If you're on the borderline then things like how far your commute is come in to play.

Damned right, I'm a business offering services. And if I fail to win a contract do you think I should just walk away without knowing why? Hell no!

All of your points are fixable. More product training, improved communication skills or better identify team dynamics and work that into the pitch to the client. I understand that some opportunities are going to get away but if people don't ask then they won't know where they are going wrong and they are doomed to repeat the same mistakes.

[krytonsheep]

I personally wouldn't ask for feedback direct from the interviewer. You are business offering your services, if they don't want your services it'll be because :

- not skilled enough in a certain area
- bad communication skills
- Won't fit in with the team

If you're on the borderline then things like how far your commute is come in to play.

[anothercodemonkey]

I'd say that the market is pretty tough right now. I'm quite experienced and it wasn't that easy to get a new gig.

Ignore all the idiots who are making stupid comments. First thing to look at is your CV. Are agents calling you back based on it? Get some friends to look over it and give you some feedback on it.
If you are getting interviews but not gigs then get the interviewer's email address and give them a polite email afterwards thanking them for their time and asking for feedback. Don't go through your agent for feedback.
Don't be too loyal to one agent. Spread the CV around a bit.
If your CV is not working then rearrange it. Remember that people probably read about 60% of the first page, 30% of the second and third pages and 0% of any subsequent pages. First paragraph on the first page is the point which you sell yourself. Make it a good punchy summary.
Finally, consider perm. If you have been on the bench for almost a year then you have got to do almost anything to get off it.

[BolshieBastard]

Appears I am stiilllllllllll on the look out. Best part of a year now on the bench... !!!

There's a lot of crap posted on these forums. Like always maintain your rate, everyone who leaves somewhere starts somewhere else on a higher rate etc, etc.

When you leave a role, you are a 'hot' property for agents for only a few weeks as a number of clients seem to have this reluctance to take people on the longer they are on the bench. If you live in and around London, you can probably go longer without it affecting your job chances but further away, I consider it has a negative impact on you landing that next role.

If you have been on the bench for a year, you may have;
old, out of date skills,
rate expectations that are too high,
a persona that doesnt come across too well.

To find work now will be difficult. You may have to take a greatly reduced rate, look further afield, retrain or a combination of the above.

The market is tough but, it is not that tough.

[v8gaz]

I am sorry but if I couldn't get a role in a nearly a year I would start to look a lot closer to home to find what the issue is. You are saying in the booms and lull's of a year you can't find work?

Possibly time you sat down and asked yourself some tough questions?

Agreed. Something seriously wrong here. You need advice from an independent 3rd party, clearly you have some issue that close friends haven't mentioned. Any ideas what, smelly?

[northernladuk]

Appears I am stiilllllllllll on the look out. Best part of a year now on the bench... !!!

I am sorry but if I couldn't get a role in a nearly a year I would start to look a lot closer to home to find what the issue is. You are saying in the booms and lull's of a year you can't find work?

Possibly time you sat down and asked yourself some tough questions?

[MarillionFan]

I suppose everything is down to skill set or area, some will do better than most in a down turn but in general I think the market is pretty poor

Personality & confidence is more important. As most contractors cannot even say hello to a pretty girl on the way to the vending machine without gabbling how to you expect anyone to give them a job even if they do get an interview.

[Moff]

Appears I am stiilllllllllll on the look out. Best part of a year now on the bench... !!!

[Kelstar]

Linkedin has always been recommended to me (although my profile is shockingly basic)

I got my contract via contacts that the recruiter had - he reached out to a contact, who might like me etc.... it was an unavertised role. Find a good recruiter, I did this just by applying for anything and everything and not being precious about rate - in the end got a great contact on a great rate.

Good luck, and enjoy your down time :-)

[SueEllen]

I don't get it, why does everyone thinks there is a recession

It's because unemployment figures are high.

People forget that unemployment figures are higher after a recession as there is a time lag before firms start recruiting full-time permanent people again.

[swamp]

I'm a dev and right now I'd say it's probably a candidate's market. Rates are a bit fickle though.

I got rejected for a role the other day because I was too expensive. Not a problem as I've still got five months left on my contract. Another agent called today and asked if I was interested in moving somewhere else.

[zamzummim]

BAs both system and business analysts.

[SimonMac]

I don't get it, why does everyone thinks there is a recession and its hard to get a role, and the rates are low?? Every contractor who left the place I work on they left for better rates.

I suppose everything is down to skill set or area, some will do better than most in a down turn but in general I think the market is pretty poor