Reply to: What happened to London? impossible to find work

[umbongo]

My pennies worth

Hiya,

I thought I would reply with how I am finding my current search for work, I look mostly on jobserve, as well as a few other sites like odesk and things, but I have found that the way to get work has changed.

What I used to do was read through yesterdays jobs, send off my CV to the agents where jobs were applicable to me then just go off and wait for the phone to ring. It used to take about a week before the numbers were in my favour and I'd start getting a steady stream of possible positions and by month end I would have a new job, usually sooner.

Now, I have had to change tactics, now what I have to do is to find the jobs as soon as they appear, then send off my email, with my CV attached, and give it 15 minutes and ring them, and speak to them about the job, and then onto the next one, still 99% of the time nothing happens, you never hear back.

You have to remember agents are there for the people who want contractors first, and the people who want contracts second. We are 10 a penny to them, and if you just send your CV and not call them, and almost harass them, then they forget you, assume you have a job or are not interested then leave your CV in their trash folder.

I have even started to get automated replies from job applications stating that if I have not received a reply in 5 working days then I was not successful.

You also have to look out for multiple jobs with different wordings all being the same position, and phantom jobs - where there is no job they are just keeping either CV database up to day - most of these appear for me as "C++/C# Fixed Income trading" etc with a generic text coving about 90 years worth of experience, they like to keep their databases up to date so if on the off-chance a bank calls them they can get CV's back to them within hours....

umbongo

[Sysman]

I have already left off:

My accountancy degree (2:1)
Accountancy qualifications
MSc (In computing)
CEng

I will try your advice and take off more stuff.

Oops. Definitely "overqualified". How about aiming for accountancy work and taking off the techno-geeky sounding stuff?

[motoukenin]

Just Hanging in there

I'm still making a good wedge approx 500 per day, but the last 6 months have been the worst on record and in my recent contract experience is a continuing and worsening trend.

I am constantly being told that I am unproductive and that they are looking to replace me. This is just threatening management tactics that just doesn't even get a response from me.

There is a project manager who I have recently fallen out with because he confused DAP (delivery acceptance plan) with a RDP (revised delivery proposal) and took the wrong document to a meeting looking a right frickin noobie , this was somehow my fault , but fu*k knows how. He now taunts me in front of other members but they thankfully have known me years so don't pay much attention to him.

They have promoted a young guy from the development team into management , mainly because he could not develop much , who I would say is the most obnoxious individual I have ever met.

He did a small project recently and contractors complained to HR about his behavior and one contractor has vowed to personally sue him and the company for his abusive and threating manner.

I have been asked by management about a week ago to take a 7 percent reduction in rate , others have been asked to take bigger cuts , up to 20 percent , I am considering 5 just to keep in contract until next year when I am going to review my whole outlook on IT , both permanent and contracting.

I don't think this is particular trend to contractors it seems to be a management theory going round whereby treating people like absolute sh!t your somehow going to make them more productive and alert , for me at least it seems to have the effect of making the whole job un-enjoyable and time consuming as I am constantly battling pointless and pathetic arguments rather than doing productive work , maybe it works for some but Ive just had enough now and wont be getting back into IT very quickly next year anyway.

[orac]

response

I have got 5 interviews per 1,000. They have been with top investment banks, for big money i.e. 500-700 p/d. I would be happy with normal jobs on normal money. Before I was getting offers after 3-4 submits in about 3 days.

[OwlHoot]

On Mar's what?

Andrew Mar's show

(oh wait, that would be Marr's wouldn't it?)

[EddieNambulous]

Been trying to think how I've been so (relatively) lucky up until now in this recession, unless it really is just luck and no accounting for it.

The state of the market as a whole is just a convenient generalization of what's going on - doesn't mean it's true for everybody. There are always people that buck the trends otherwise trends would never change.

[EddieNambulous]

Where were you? on Mar's?

On Mar's what?

[OwlHoot]

over 1,000 applications

Been trying to think how I've been so (relatively) lucky up until now in this recession, unless it really is just luck and no accounting for it.

I think the answer is my web skills, such as they are. You don't need to be a graphic designer or Flash guru, and at interviews I'm at pains to point out that I'm not primarily a front end guy.

All the same, most of the contracts I'm eligible for have a major web aspect, and that means you need the usual basic webby stuff like HTML, CSS, etc on your CV and proof of experience with these.

More generally, the more buzz words like that (web related or otherwise) the better, because agents these days do searches on them. For example, what kind of packages and frameworks have you used with C# and C++ ? Are they on your CV? That's what counts as much as the vanilla skills.

[Iron Condor]

over 1,000 applications

How many inteviews are you getting per 100 applications?

[Zippy]

2:1 in Computing
MSc in Computing (requires less knowledge than degree)

Sockie.

[youwhut]

It all sounds boring to me.

[Gonzo]

yes 1,000

5 years C# (upto 3.5)
12 years c++ on Unix and Windows

12 years SQL Server

Prince 2 Qualified


2:1 degree in computing

I have already left off:

My accountancy degree (2:1)
Accountancy qualifications
MSc (In computing)
CEng

I will try your advice and take off more stuff.

I don't understand why it still seems to matter in the real world because most of us value age and experience but with that lot in your past I suspect that the best thing you could do would be to get a bit younger.

[PM-Junkie]

Sock.

Most definitely.

[orac]

yes but.....

I have already left off:

My accountancy degree (2:1)
Accountancy qualifications
MSc (In computing)
CEng

I will try your advice and take off more stuff.

[HairyArsedBloke]

yes 1,000

5 years C# (upto 3.5)
12 years c++ on Unix and Windows

12 years SQL Server

Prince 2 Qualified


2:1 degree in computing

Isn't obvious - you are over qualified. You should forget some things.