Reply to: Non Existant Roles

[GillsMan]

I had an amazing offer @ £245 a day, when I mentioned VAT she told me the rate was inclusive.

Hahaha, I had some joker calling me the other day wanting a senior e-learning developer with LMS consultancy experience. He asked what the daily rate would be, and I told him that I normally charge £600-650 for the top-end BA/PM type roles, but if it's just an easy bit of e-learning development I normally charge out at around £350. I then said that for real piss easy roles where it's completely WFH and where I have a relationship with the client, I can drop down to a low of £300. I basically explained that the more skills of mine they want to use, the more they pay, but if they're hardly using any, the rate reflects that.

This role was quite specialised and the the agent asked if I would consider....£205pd. I was so shocked I spat out my coffee. And I wasn't even drinking coffee. Tbf to the agent, he admitted he was going to struggle to get even a junior developer at that rate.

[CodeCobbler]

"Non-Existent"


My favourite one doing the rounds at the moment concerns a 'role' that's been reposted ad infinitum by one Robert Gibson of Noir Consulting, seeking every .Net skill under the sun. Apparently, the "global internet icon" that's desperately seeking said skills has an onsite gym and games room, if any of you are interested. There's also a casual dress code, free ice cream and a bring your cat/dog to work scheme probably. If I was into watching saggy middle-aged men squeezing themselves into jeans three sizes too small every single day and not just on Casual Fridays, I'd be right in there I can tell you. The really weird thing is, said "rare" roles are more common than you might think! He's posted the exact same spec for just about every major city, town and rural backwater in Britain. So, there's hope for you death metal t-shirt wearing, games-playing .Net developers, whichever part of the country you happen to live in. I'm sure he can't just be CV farming, and these roles are as really real as my tan, aren't they?

I can only imagine that Mr Gibson doesn't know how to use Google, otherwise he would surely be embarrassed at being such a transparent spammer.

Maybe global internet icons have outlets in every town?

(took me 3 goes to click this icon)

[bless 'em all]

Yes like the Clown from Damco Solutions this morning offering me a London based Unix solution architect role for 250

I had an amazing offer @ £245 a day, when I mentioned VAT she told me the rate was inclusive.

[bobspud]

I'm getting a lot of calls that seem to be either:

A - Indian agencies pitching decent roles, but for a good 50% below market rate and you just know full well it's because they are trying to take a huge margin.

B - Calls from "suspect" agencies that are pitching good roles but with very little further detail, and do not give me their direct number/email address... But just ask where I'm working, where I have worked before, and my past/present line managers!

Yes like the Clown from Damco Solutions this morning offering me a London based Unix solution architect role for 250

[jmo21]

No they can do that far easier using LinkedIn there just isn't the time or money to use Jobserve like this. I can point you at agents that will tell you straight. One girl was telling me that they chased to place over 200 HP roles last year and go no more than a handful of interviews just because the roles die almost as fast as they come live...

I'm not saying it's the only way they try to get leads!

[NickNick]

For me I seem to get batches of emails that state
"Please note that this vacancy closes on Thursday the 28th June at 5:00pm 2012"

Only to receive the exact same mail a few days after that closing date with an extended one.

[GB2408]

I'm getting a lot of calls that seem to be either:

A - Indian agencies pitching decent roles, but for a good 50% below market rate and you just know full well it's because they are trying to take a huge margin.

B - Calls from "suspect" agencies that are pitching good roles but with very little further detail, and do not give me their direct number/email address... But just ask where I'm working, where I have worked before, and my past/present line managers!

[bobspud]

Thanks for the advice. Not quite green though; I have contracted once before. Also have over 10yrs exp in what I do.

Yes and I have 20 years at what I do, however having several thousand IT guys flood the market from being made redundant has left the market awash with guys begging to take £400 for roles that have been paying me 600 for the last few years. Its not what you are good at its the amount of noise and throat cutters that get in your CV's way. One agent put it rather depressingly. The top CV used to win the job about 90% of the time now its the cheapest guy regardless of experience.

[SueEllen]

Thanks for the advice. Not quite green though; I have contracted once before. Also have over 10yrs exp in what I do.

You are still green though.

I've been talking to quite a few contractors who don't know the basics - some have had a contract at one place for years while others have just refused to take on the responsiblity of learning things such as how VAT works as their accountant does it for them.*

The best thing to do is use the guides under navigation and if they are too dry, use the search facilty of this board to find the answers to your questions.

*Do a search on "Upton" and you will find why this is a bad idea.

[Gentile]

Non Existant Roles

"Non-Existent"


My favourite one doing the rounds at the moment concerns a 'role' that's been reposted ad infinitum by one Robert Gibson of Noir Consulting, seeking every .Net skill under the sun. Apparently, the "global internet icon" that's desperately seeking said skills has an onsite gym and games room, if any of you are interested. There's also a casual dress code, free ice cream and a bring your cat/dog to work scheme probably. If I was into watching saggy middle-aged men squeezing themselves into jeans three sizes too small every single day and not just on Casual Fridays, I'd be right in there I can tell you. The really weird thing is, said "rare" roles are more common than you might think! He's posted the exact same spec for just about every major city, town and rural backwater in Britain. So, there's hope for you death metal t-shirt wearing, games-playing .Net developers, whichever part of the country you happen to live in. I'm sure he can't just be CV farming, and these roles are as really real as my tan, aren't they?

I can only imagine that Mr Gibson doesn't know how to use Google, otherwise he would surely be embarrassed at being such a transparent spammer.

[Wils]

Honestly? I would not be coming into this market at the moment. The market is far too full of green guys that have jumped on the boat for easy pickings. Its really not like that at the moment. I'd look for a perm role for slightly better money and wait it out for another year. If the IR35 starts to go against us this year then you would have found that you gave up loads of perm benefits for no financial advantage.

Thanks for the advice. Not quite green though; I have contracted once before. Also have over 10yrs exp in what I do.

[bobspud]

They don't do it because they're bored, or to just get CV's.

Look at as a way of trying to buy leads to find business and it's not that stupid.

How useful this is, I have no idea, but I think that is effectively what they are trying to do.

How much does a job serve post cost? couple of hundred quid? they do job lots too.

So say £200, and a day of an agents time, phoning say, 100 applicants that apply.

Even if they get one solid lead into a client co, it might well be worth it.

No they can do that far easier using LinkedIn there just isn't the time or money to use Jobserve like this. I can point you at agents that will tell you straight. One girl was telling me that they chased to place over 200 HP roles last year and go no more than a handful of interviews just because the roles die almost as fast as they come live...

Today I got another interview confirmation for a call ASAP having waited weeks for them to come back, and had an agent call me almost immediately for a role that should also get me an interview. So I am entering the bench on Friday with some optimism.

[bobspud]

Does that mean it's getting easier to move from perm to contract (4 weeks notice problem) or am I wishful thinking? Just asking as I am trying to do that at the moment and want to gauge my chances.

Honestly? I would not be coming into this market at the moment. The market is far too full of green guys that have jumped on the boat for easy pickings. Its really not like that at the moment. I'd look for a perm role for slightly better money and wait it out for another year. If the IR35 starts to go against us this year then you would have found that you gave up loads of perm benefits for no financial advantage.

[jmo21]

Hi,
every role that goes onto jobserve cost money. If every agent that was sat on their backside and bored was spunking money up the wall on joke ads just to get a CV they would go bust. What I have seen in the market over the last month is this:

They don't do it because they're bored, or to just get CV's.

Look at as a way of trying to buy leads to find business and it's not that stupid.

How useful this is, I have no idea, but I think that is effectively what they are trying to do.

How much does a job serve post cost? couple of hundred quid? they do job lots too.

So say £200, and a day of an agents time, phoning say, 100 applicants that apply.

Even if they get one solid lead into a client co, it might well be worth it.

[tractor]

...

Or rates suspiciously lower than advertised elsewhere.

There seem to be a lot of micro agencies springing up or at least, lots of agencies I've never heard of before now in the market place.

I'm guessing these are the typical Black Apple or Silverlink Technology spearhead for crowbarring in another 5000 ICT's. They always offer dozens of just above minimum wage technical roles then complain to Vince Cable that the UK has no skills. He then obliges with a pad of blank visas!