Reply to: Are you really defined by your last contract?

[Scoobos]

I think that unfortuantely, there are a lot of agents who will just look at your last role.

I was out of contract for 9 months and I know for a fact that the only reason agents kept calling me is because of my last client and role - it could very easily have worked in reverse.

It's also worth understanding the cultural differences between countries - for example:

Here its probably good to not have gaps
In the US and Canada they would see gaps as self confidence, if you've gone from 1 GOOD role to a break then to another GOOD role - and actually discuss it positively
In Australia, if you take a role thats not as complex as your last, they assume you made a big mistake in your good role and were forced down.

Given that we're seeing cloud computing grow and companies being bought left right and centre by huge multinationals, I do think the international salability is relevant.

(all from my experience)

If it helps I've gone from the pinnacle of my field , to the lowest rate I've had since starting out back in 2004/5 - because the market is horrible.

I'm using none of my skills, but at least the title is good and in a hot field (outsourcing to cloud).

I think trust your instincts, if you've still got the bottle to hold out for your ideal role and rate then do it.

That said, someone gave me great advice on here - which was that you are a COMPANY DIRECTOR and as such imagine the conversation you need to have internally:

MD. "The companies turning over no revenue, I need to get employee to take this job to get the cash flow"
Employee "I'm a Programmer at 500 Per Day, not helpdesk at 200"
MD "Do it , or I'll fire you and find someone who will"

[jmo21]

Yes there is no compunction to write "junior" on your CV. I would always describe yourself in your own terms. No reason why you coudln't write "Senior Test Analyst" and give it a certain gravitas. I always write "senior" regardless of what I'm doing. Use big grown up words like "responsibility". I remember as permies sniggering at the job descriptions in the adverts for our department that made a meaningless existence sound like some high flying developer role, and when you describe a junior role it can sound quite impressive on paper with the right font.

Agreed, not sure why you would ever put "junior" anything for a contract role?

If a contract role is advertised as "junior" it's usually only indicative of a low rate.

If I was in a position I had to take it, it would still go on my CV as "Software Engineer (Contract)"

[BlasterBates]

Yes there is no compunction to write "junior" on your CV. I would always describe yourself in your own terms. No reason why you coudln't write "Senior Test Analyst" and give it a certain gravitas. I always write "senior" regardless of what I'm doing. Use big grown up words like "responsibility". I remember as permies sniggering at the job descriptions in the adverts for our department that made a meaningless existence sound like some high flying developer role, and when you describe a junior role it can sound quite impressive on paper with the right font.

[Barley]

There is a fine line between whats good for your CV and what we need to pay the bills, who’s to say the current market conditions don’t last another couple of years. If id been out for 4 months id be looking for anything that met my skills, e.g. good TA, BA roles.

Im a Test Manager and have had the same pressures/decisions as you but the market conditions weren’t as they are now and id accepted that I was happy taking time off to wait for the right TM role. But even after 6-8 weeks I was beginning to wonder if I should consider TA roles.

I guess by having a solid track record of strong TM roles is some help in the longer term but sometime role offers can be entirely random, e.g. ive either had to jump through hoops to secure some roles and others have been offered on the back of just a telephone interview.

On balance, I guess a time comes for all of us to look for alternatives, only considering ‘good’ roles isnt worth anything if getting them results in being out of the market for 3, 4, 6 months at a time.

[BolshieBastard]

Thanks for all the advice - very useful, although I'm starting to feel like an idiot having turned down all those calls! To be honest though, I want to get into higher management or strategic type roles and am worried having some TA contracts on my CV will harm my chances. But I hear what you're all saying - better to be in work than out - not only for the budget and for my sanity, but it looks better for future roles. Thanks again.

I only take on roles I want to do and dont jump at the first that comes along. But you have to be careful. One of my mates has been out for nearly a year because he didnt 'like' the roles offered.

My approach is simple, wait to find the role you want but dont make yourself a slave to 'seniority' etc. Let's face it, the market is poor and only your current client will know you did an analyst's role rather than a manager.

I'd just make sure my cv highlighted the responsibility and input you had on the project.

[Belle]

Thanks for all the advice - very useful, although I'm starting to feel like an idiot having turned down all those calls! To be honest though, I want to get into higher management or strategic type roles and am worried having some TA contracts on my CV will harm my chances. But I hear what you're all saying - better to be in work than out - not only for the budget and for my sanity, but it looks better for future roles. Thanks again.

[Thejacka1]

Are you writing this as a permie or a contractor, cos it sounds very permie biased to me?

No, I've been a middleware admin contractor in Finance for 8 years.

The kind of support roles I pick up last a couple of years, so they tend to be in the grey area between contracting and perm.

[jmo21]

I have found that those who work with me forever view me as per my contact with them. But I tweak my CV to accentuate the bits I want others to see.

e.g. I worked for GS in 2000 as 75% support 25% dev. My boss always saw me as a support person forever more - but my CV highlighted all the good dev work I did.

I suppose there is always the nagging suspiscion of "did he HAVE to take a 75% support role", "was he really a support guy who got lucky and bagged some dev work".

If hiring someone to do a specific type of work, whether dev, or test, or whatever, I want to see a history of work doing that type of role.

So a hybrid CV will likely drop further down the pile.

Of course, you may lose out on someone who would be perfectly good, maybe even better, but you can't interview everyone who sends in a CV.

Agents also use this method of CV filtering.

Of course, I'm not saying everyone will find this a problem, but I won't take roles outside of my work sphere to make sure I avoid this issue.

[JamJarST]

I have found when I've gone for more junior roles, my experience works against me, the employer thinks that I'll jump as soon as a more suitable role comes up (in fairness that is probably true).

If the money is good for doing a more junior role then it isn't a problem, you can always mark it down as an interim role on your CV.

I was told Hiring Managers prefer to take on people who already have jobs rather than somebody off the bench, unless they need an absolute immediate starter. It seems to be an indicator that somebody else has employed you, therefore you're a safer bet.

Bets of luck with your job hunt!

Are you writing this as a permie or a contractor, cos it sounds very permie biased to me?

[slogger]

I have found when I've gone for more junior roles, my experience works against me, the employer thinks that I'll jump as soon as a more suitable role comes up (in fairness that is probably true).

If the money is good for doing a more junior role then it isn't a problem, you can always mark it down as an interim role on your CV.

I was told Hiring Managers prefer to take on people who already have jobs rather than somebody off the bench, unless they need an absolute immediate starter. It seems to be an indicator that somebody else has employed you, therefore you're a safer bet.

Bets of luck with your job hunt!

I think in the current market its better to be working - to show you're willing to do this looks better on CV - also better for you financially! also as northenlad pointed out very well you can change things when you're in the role.

[Thejacka1]

I have found when I've gone for more junior roles, my experience works against me, the employer thinks that I'll jump as soon as a more suitable role comes up (in fairness that is probably true).

If the money is good for doing a more junior role then it isn't a problem, you can always mark it down as an interim role on your CV.

I was told Hiring Managers prefer to take on people who already have jobs rather than somebody off the bench, unless they need an absolute immediate starter. It seems to be an indicator that somebody else has employed you, therefore you're a safer bet.

Bets of luck with your job hunt!

[BlasterBates]

If you're on the bench, then go for whatever role you can get. The fact that you went for a more junior role doesn't preclude you from pointing out more senior experience. In any case before you went to a senior role you had a junior role before hand.

Go for it, you're not earning anything at the moment. You'll get back up the chain eventually just a matter of waiting for better times.

Lets put it this way you're better off with a CV with a senior role followed by a junor role than a CV with a huge hole in it.

[northernladuk]

I agree with Mal 100% on this. You are a business woman selling your businesses services t your clients, on contract that maybe as a "test Manager" the next couble be an anlayst, the next it coulbe as a test documenter, it shouldn't affect your CV ata all as surely you list yourself as a Test Consultant or something similar.

PC brigade alert!!

[northernladuk]

I found in my line of work it does tend that way am afraid but I don't know about testing. I also found it quite difficult to move between management and analyst type work. For example PM's often think they can do PMO work just because they are 'higher up the chain' but this isn't the case, it is a different role altogether, not just more junior.

I don't think it is impossible though and after 4 months on the bench I would give it a pop. Surely the rate difference between a manager and hands on isn't that bad to make it worth waiting 4 months?

There is always the bonus that once you are in as a tester you can manipulate your situation. Maybe you can prove your worth as a manager and allow the existing manager to move on to different stuff leaving you in charge, he may leave anyway and you can step up etc. You could also offer to take on responsibilities which would actually make the gig look similar to the others on your CV. You could also just focus on the key elements to keep your CV looking concurrent when adding this gig. I wouldn't condone making stuff up but can drop some of the tasks that would make your role look junior etc.....You can't do any of these things on the bench.

[JamJarST]

Isn't the whole idea to use your skills and knowledge to earn money. "Career" and "seniority" aren't a factor. Surely it's better to demonstrate a full working year than a series of sporadic senior roles?

I agree with Mal 100% on this. You are a business man selling your businesses services t your clients, on contract that maybe as a "test Manager" the next couble be an anlayst, the next it coulbe as a test documenter, it shouldn't affect your CV ata all as surely you list yourself as a Test Consultant or something similar.