Reply to: The latest Benched Poll (Microsoft Developers)

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Numbers looking better now

Every reason to be optimisitic.

[The_Equalizer]

Is it safe? Have they stopped blowing people up over there?

Far safer than most cities in GB by a long way, oh and the pubs open until 1am which is a nice bonus. Everytime I head back home to London there's always that fear that something might just happen. Belfast, never had that problem.

[kandr]

5 out of 18 = aprox 28%.

That is a lot. Means I have a one in four chance of being out of work for more than 3 months.

Maybe you want to do a introductory statistics course.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

5 out of 18 = aprox 28%.

That is a lot. Means I have a one in four chance of being out of work for more than 3 months.

[kandr]

We will let you off seen as you have done C# before.

Seems like quite a lot of people been benched for 3+ months. Thats a scary prospect :-S

Yeah 5 is a lot, not big on math are you.

[TimberWolf]

If you can be bothered to get over to Northern Ireland there seem to be a few C# roles that are sticking to the job boards due to lack of applicants. I would suggest the money isn't quite what you're looking for (£300/day) but there are jobs about:

NI Jobs Contract Roles

Is it safe? Have they stopped blowing people up over there?

[The_Equalizer]

If you can be bothered to get over to Northern Ireland there seem to be a few C# roles that are sticking to the job boards due to lack of applicants. I would suggest the money isn't quite what you're looking for (£300/day) but there are jobs about:

NI Jobs Contract Roles

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Just finished a part time C++ contract, though the client says there's a good chance they'll want me back in the new year. Does that count as a "Microsoft developer"? I have done C# contracts in the past.

We will let you off seen as you have done C# before.

Seems like quite a lot of people been benched for 3+ months. Thats a scary prospect :-S

[VectraMan]

Just finished a part time C++ contract, though the client says there's a good chance they'll want me back in the new year. Does that count as a "Microsoft developer"? I have done C# contracts in the past.

[jmo21]

ok, I added mine, I'm in contract.

Been lucky the last couple of years.

The 4 Month contract I got in May 08 snowballed into 16 months, and I had arranged a new 4 month contract 3 days before I finished the 16 monther (with a week break inbetween).

Current contract due to finish at Xmas, but they are trying to get funding for another 6 months, so fingers crossed that pans out.

[TimberWolf]

Come on guys, surely there are more than 16 MS developers on the forum!

They are all down the job centre.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Come on guys, surely there are more than 16 MS developers on the forum!

[kandr]

It's not looking good guys....

So for 1/3 of developers have been benched for 3+ months! :-s

14 people, hardly a large sample? I wouldn't be trying to glean anything from the poll other than you fail because you didn't put an AndyW option.

[northernladuk]

It's not looking good guys....

So for 1/3 of developers have been benched for 3+ months! :-s

To be fair we did try hard to point out these downsides when you had your rose tinted spectacles on right at the beginning.

[thunderlizard]

Maybe people in contract have better things to do on a Monday morning than join in a straw poll.