Job Opportunities in Dorset

[mossy]

Hi, I live in Poole and after permie jobs ar Barclays and JPMorgan went contracting (thanks JPM for the push).

I've had one contract at Ordnance Survey in Southampton for 2 years, then back to JPM to do the job they pushed me from for a year and I'm now back in Southampton. It's a commute of between 45 mins to an hour but it really depends where in Dorset you are.

Big companies to consider in Poole/Bmth - Barclays (although only the Business side is really left in Poole), JPM (normally have contracts going), LV (normally permie but you never know), PruHealth have had a few recently. Then you have to start looking further afield.

Best to get in with local agencies - Hays IT, Matchtech, etc that deal with South Coast contracts.

Hope that helps.

[Mupps]

I live in Dorchester. My previous contract was in Reading and I am now contracting up near Newcastle - 350 miles away.

There are bugger all contracts in Dorset. Sure, one might come up now and again but if you don't want to starve then you'll have to be flexible... in the current market very flexible...

It's not as bad as it sounds up here to be honest, and once you convince yourself that the contractor life is nomadic then you don't fight it anymore.

[SueEllen]

Palkos the first timers guide on here is very helpful so have a good read of that.

It basically states everything everyone on here has kindly posted to help you i.e. you need to look further a field and not to expect your first contract to be on your doorstep.

[kaiser78]

Main employers in Dorset are JP Morgan in Bournemouth and Barclays in Poole. Amex used to have a presence in Poole but not sure if still there. And also New Look and one of the gym chains. Do you have any banking experience otherwise def be prepared to have to lok further afield - Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke and of course London.

[Acme Thunderer]

I know of 2 places in Dorset that were looking for contractors, but this was on Defence related work so you need SC clearance. The rates are not great either but Defence work never will, however the projects can last for years.

[FarmerPalmer]

I am originally from Poole. When work was drying up in the mid 90's I got a job up North (in Wiltshire) on the M4 that paid for my relocation and said they had work for 2 years. After 2 years the work dried up, and I went contracting. I had problems finding alternative permanent employment in Dorset that was going to pay as much as I was already earning, and I suspect that contract work would be sparce. I do see contracts in Dorset but not many. But saying that you may only need say 3-4 good clients that you can bounce between.

[Gentile]

Which agencies could you recommend for first timers?

It's not so much about which agencies you choose, but about who happens to have work that suits your situation at any given time. There are only a handful of agencies I've worked with more than once in seven years contracting within a 22-year career. It used to be the case that job boards (e.g. JobServe) were a good way to get an idea about who was recruiting for roles you might be interested in, but these days it's all evolving, and resources like Twitter and LinkedIn are becoming ever more useful. It's common to apply for Role X, not get it for some reason, but because your CV is on the right desk at the right time a few weeks or months later when something else comes up that is a better fit, you get that gig instead. It pays to network, even for roles that aren't quite right, because it kicks your relationship with agents off and prepares the ground for the future.

When moving from permie to contract, it's particularly difficult because gigs in the contract world tend to come up and be awarded very rapidly indeed. It's not uncommon to get a call in the morning about some urgent requirement for someone with your skills and experience, and have interviewed and been offered the role to start the next day before the day is out. When you've got a notice period to work through, it's not always easy to be able to be that adaptable.

Do you know what is average hourly rate that agencies normally offer to contractors in Dorset?

Lots of info for you here.

Any hints if there are any troubles in finding contracts in Dorset? Or shall I rather look in other areas?

I don't know much about Dorset, as I live in Scotland. You'll probably know better than most of us what the market is like where you are if you've been working in technology there for a long time. If there are lots of software houses and permie roles, then there'll undoubtedly be a proportional number of contract roles. If not, it can pay to travel.

[cojak]

I have a mate who lives in Dorchester. His current contract is in Stockley Park and the one before that was in The City.

So you're going to have to go further to get jobs, Exeter, Bristol or London.

[Palkos]

HI

At the moment I work as a permanent employee in one of the software houses in Dorset. Recently I started to think about becoming a contractor. So I have few questions that I am sure you could help me find the answers for.

- Do you know what is average hourly rate that agencies normally offer to contractors in Dorset?

- Which agencies could you recommend for first timers?

- Any hints if there are any troubles in finding contracts in Dorset? Or shall I rather look in other areas?

Many thanks for your help in advance...