I've started searching for a new contract this week, as my current one runs out on 10 August. According to ContractorUK, I have some of the skills most in demand (Unix/C++/Oracle etc), worked for prestigious clients, and an excellent education background (Cambridge University). But the contract market appears to be TOTALLY dead.

Is anybody else finding this? Can anyone recommend any decent agencies? I was considering going back permie soon anyway, but it looks like at the moment, there isn't a lot of choice.

Gary.

 

Gary, have you tried putting your CV on to Gis-a-Job (

 

The IT market is dead at the moment, for both permanent and contract position, dunno why, there is just nothing out there, doesn't seem to matter what your skill set is either, I do NT/Hardware work, my contract ends end of September, and i am not looking forward to it at all, unemployment looms!!!! I think it's down to the fact that every tom dick or harry seems to know IT now, it's not like it used to be, school leavers now have real decent IT skills, support and programming wise, the world just seems to have caught up. I feel very soon IT will no longer be seen as a specialised area, and just become a bog standard back office function, paying a bog standard wage. Nice!

Well that's my thoughts anyway!

 

When the likes of Motorola / Cisco / Intel / Nortel / Nokia / Marconi et al are laying people off left,right + centre, it has a big knock-on effect down the line.

 

Interesting... I read something recently about how 11,000 (IIRC) overseas IT people had been brought into the country to stem the "IT skills shortage".

Hmmmm!

 

Well send them back so there is work for us UK contractors.

 

Gary,

Unfortunately the way the market seems your more likely to win £100 with 4 numbers in the lottery than finding a new 'decent' contract...as the saying goes..... The lights are on but nobody is home

I've just heard that the banks in the city are cutting contractors wages by upto 10%

I know the above doesn’t help. All I can say is I do sympathise with you and wish you all the best for finding a new contract.

Good luck mate

rr

 

Hummmmm, a lot of interesting replies - it's not just me finding the water cold then.

Talking to agents, it seems that there is work to be had, but it's almost always permie or nothing. I'm already bracing myself to work twice as hard for half as much

Gary.

 

Hi Gary

Market is very depressed.

I started looking at start of April just as Merryl Lynch dumped 80+ contractors on the market.

Got a 1 monther covering sickness until mid may then started again.

Loads of Contractors applying for same job so whole cycle was slowed down.

Some agencies were just crap ( no change there then ) and bascially dealing only in EMails / Not responding / Responding very slowly.

Got current one from Jobserve but it's in Amsterdam ( )

There IS a serious skills shortage here and they are always looking for people.

Money ain't bad either.

 

No doubt about it, the IT industry is in a mini recession right now. For contract and permie. I can't see it improving in the near future either. I went for an interview recently and the salary being offered was, quite frankly, an insult. Someone will take the job though because the employees are holding all the aces at the moment.

 

U got mail

 

Yep i have to agree its pants at the mo.
Been 5 weeks or more for me since i returned from hols.

As an australian contractor friend would say 'ah thats ****'

 

And I agree also.

Always worked as a permie but have recently considered anything perm or contract.

However nothing happening, and I have been out of work for 6 weeks now

DW

 

I would agree about the contract market I am contracting for one of the afformentioned companies who have gone through big cutbacks lately, fortunately (???) I am still there, but have been eagerly seeking a new contract since March with no joy. There were two people doing the same Job on the same money as me who had there contracts terminated, it took them 5 and 6 weeks respectively to find work and both have had to take 15% + pay cut!!!

This is the worst I have ever seen the contract market in the (3/4 years) I have been contracting...

I really want to do something entirely different (ie not IT contracting) and by the looks of things will have to come December (end of contract).

Jon

 

Stock market depressed - banks & other large institutions stop spending money on projects and lay-off all contractors.

Because the large IT companies stock value is down anyway, it hits especially hard when projects are cancelled, etc.

Working for one of the larger banks ( ), I've see it happen over the last 12 months.

Just take a permie job if offered and sit it out - I have!

Anyone fancy working in Switzerland for awhile? Market's depressed here too, so money is down, but there's still a shortage of IT skills.

Biggest problem here is getting a work permit - you need a degree and a good agency (many say no problem - you come, the work permit application fails, you go home!). My company can assist and act as your agency...for a percentage, of course

Richard

 

It doesn't help with it being July - the number of jobs advertised at this time of year is always well down because people are busier thinking or going on their hols. Things should pick up in September...

 

I work for a large agency over here in the Netherlands (not MSB, Futures or People!).
I'm being rather open here - so no 'serious' flames please!

Neil made a good point about the work here - we saw the downturn before the rest of Europe (saw the early signs Sept/Oct), probably due to the exceptional level of US investment/companies - I think we're starting to see a few glimmers of hope.

The rates are not as high as the City/Zurich/Frankfurt, but the combination of good tax breaks for EU ex-pats (total deductions including NI are around 28%/32%running as a PAYE employee) and cheaper living costs means that it can still be a viable option (not to mention the 'extra' benfits that Amsterdam has to offer!)

Having said that, there are no guarantees in any market at the moment - but it may well be worh considering.

 

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions, guys.

It'd be quite ironic if I ended up working in Amsterdam, since my girlfriend (wife to be) is Dutch. That said, we're getting married in October, and having to start working away from home isn't top of my list right now.

I'm pursuing a number of opportunities now (including going permie at my current place), so I guess something will turn up. If not then 4 years of continuous contracting has ensured that there's enough in the bank, that it'll be a while before the Evo has to go to market!

Cheers,

Gary.

PS: David - thanks for the link to gisajob.