Whats the contractor market like at the moment?

[98elise]

I'm a Business Analyst and my current contract is ending mid January.

I last changed contract about a year ago, and I had four interviews, and two job offers, both for decent rates. A job has been forwarded to me which matches my skills (knowledge of a particular system, and have data migration experience), but the rate is low, and its on the south coast (I'm london based)

So, its the market bad enough I should grab anything that comes along, or just wait until January and the offers will come flooding in?

[hornetrider]

How is Jobserve looking?

[98elise]

hornetrider said:

How is Jobserve looking?

Only looked on Friday for the first time in a year. It looked ok, but there was a wide variety of rates. Its difficult to tell this time of year as the run up to christmas is normally slow. Just wondered how other contractors are finding it at the moment.

Another contractir recently left us, and he initially said the market was crap. Then he got offered four jobs in the space of a week! Very much mixed messages from that.

Edited by 98elise on Tuesday 20th November 08:48

[yajeed]

We're recruiting contractors at the moment for several positions (different field to you though).

From my perspective, the quality of available applicants has been low and the asked rates very high. If your industry is the same, then you shouldn't have a problem at all.

There's also the seasonal thing - as we approach xmas, the number of people employing will generally fall then pick up next year.

[scrwright]

January is always a quiet time to get a contract, personally I would take a lower rate contract to see me through to March time.

[0a]

I just signed another contract taking me upto the middle of next year. They tried the 'it's outside of London', 'the market is low' trick but I held out and got what I wanted.

I was lucky that I knew they needed someone to do what I can do, and I knew I had been strongly recommended. Strangely I had 3+ strong other enquiries over the last month, when before I had been finding things more difficult.