Where is the best place to look for new contracts

[MeAndMyself]

Hi Everyone

Yes, I'm a newbie.

I have just finished (3 weeks ago) a 4+ year contract, yes 4+ years, and am looking for a new contract now, I only used to use Jobserve as I found this was the best place to look for a contract, I have applied for approx. 30 posts now in the last 3 weeks and getting nowhere, any advise on other websites to look for a contract?

I've seen the following, but as I found previously most of the jobs are repeated on Jobserve which still seems to be the best site? is it? :

JobServe
JobSite (wonder how they came up with that name)
TechNoJobs
CWJobs
Monster
IT Job Board
Regional/Local i.e. Gumtree, Fish4

I have no "warchest", loved the on-line Poker too much, so want to find something asap or it's at the back of Tesco's again for me with Rodney (pun's will not be excused) the drunken but philosophical... erm... drunk.

[Gonzo]

Hi Everyone

Yes, I'm a newbie.

I have just finished (3 weeks ago) a 4+ year contract, yes 4+ years, and am looking for a new contract now, I only used to use Jobserve as I found this was the best place to look for a contract, I have applied for approx. 30 posts now in the last 3 weeks and getting nowhere, any advise on other websites to look for a contract?

I've seen the following, but as I found previously most of the jobs are repeated on Jobserve which still seems to be the best site? is it? :

JobServe
JobSite (wonder how they came up with that name)
TechNoJobs
CWJobs
Monster
IT Job Board
Regional/Local i.e. Gumtree, Fish4

I have no "warchest", loved the on-line Poker too much, so want to find something asap or it's at the back of Tesco's again for me with Rodney (pun's will not be excused) the drunken but philosophical... erm... drunk.

If you have applied for 30 posts and have not heard anything is it possible that there might be something wrong with how you have set out your CV?

For a fee there are some professional CV writers out there that might be able to help you.

[moorfield]

For a fee there are some professional CV writers out there that might be able to help you.

Use all of those sites and more - get your name and skillset circulated widely.

Or post up a fake ad on jobserve with your skillset to see what the competition CVs look like.

[KentPhilip]

I have no "warchest", loved the on-line Poker too much,

The market is very bad at the moment, so expect a period of perhaps months without work.
Don't have a warchest? Then I think you'll have to sign on, or start begging on the streets/prostitution.

How much did you lose on online poker?

[MeAndMyself]

Gonzo

When I mention that I have got nowhere with the 30 or so applications I have made, I have had one f2f interview direct with a Client in which I did not get the position but was told that I was one of the last two candidates they were considering (so that was an 800 mile round trip for nothing).

I have had my CV put forward to another three clients recently in which I am still awaiting feedback from, however this was early last week and the respective agents went quiet on me since Thursday last week, so presume I have not got those positions.

I have also been told that my CV was put forward to a couple of other clients in the first two weeks of looking for a contract but again no response from agents and no call backs after numerous calls to them, so again would presume I have not got those positions.

Out of the other 25 or so positions I applied for, no response whatsoever from the agents – is this normal?

I personally believe that my CV is very good, but of course I could be wrong, so thanks for the advise on the CV, I may look to revising it or seek a professional CV writer for review if I don’t get anywhere next week.


Moorfield

Fake job ad on JobServe, don’t think I’ll do this, enough fake job ads on there already I think.


KentPhilip

Do you believe that the state of the market is the reason, suggesting that it needs to pick up greatly for more success (obvious statement I know, but…), presuming the market does not pick up for a while, then would you agree that whether you go without work for a week or a few months is all relative.

I will be looking to signing on in the interim, not sure about the begging and don’t have the looks for prostitution, but thanks for the advice – lol.

Poker – if I said approx. 25k in the last year would that shock you?


Thanks for all the advice guys.

[suityou01]

Hi Everyone

Yes, I'm a newbie.

I have just finished (3 weeks ago) a 4+ year contract, yes 4+ years, and am looking for a new contract now, I only used to use Jobserve as I found this was the best place to look for a contract, I have applied for approx. 30 posts now in the last 3 weeks and getting nowhere, any advise on other websites to look for a contract?

I've seen the following, but as I found previously most of the jobs are repeated on Jobserve which still seems to be the best site? is it? :

JobServe
JobSite (wonder how they came up with that name)
TechNoJobs
CWJobs
Monster
IT Job Board
Regional/Local i.e. Gumtree, Fish4

I have no "warchest", loved the on-line Poker too much, so want to find something asap or it's at the back of Tesco's again for me with Rodney (pun's will not be excused) the drunken but philosophical... erm... drunk.

Who's sock puppet is this. FOUR YEARS AND NO WARCHEST. FFS.

Should you really be allowed out? Get signed on, or stack shelves or do whatever you do. If you seriously sat their p*ssing your warchest up the wall while all of this financial cr*p has been going on do you really expect sympathy?

[BrilloPad]

Who's sock puppet is this. FOUR YEARS AND NO WARCHEST. FFS.

Should you really be allowed out? Get signed on, or stack shelves or do whatever you do. If you seriously sat their p*ssing your warchest up the wall while all of this financial cr*p has been going on do you really expect sympathy?

The newvbie gets the traditional CUK welcome!

[motoukenin]

4 Years plus in the same contract , that means your a permie and I am hoping that you paid under the rules of IR35.

Actions to take now.

1) Consider all countries where you can get work , getting 6K dollars in Dubai and spending 2k on rent/living still leaves you 4k and even with taxes now rising to 5 percent you are still going to have enough left to pay debts/mortgage

2) Look at the possability of taking a loan to support yourself and retrain , there is help under govt. scheme for this but its not survivable on without some additional funding , normally because the course you will want to do wont be anywhere near you and govt. rules dont think of that.


3) phone companies direct (This requires some skill as you need to get to the right person) ask if they have any short term requirements with your skills , this to me is contracting, not sitting on the same job hoping for a renewal.

4) If all else fails , sign on and do some charity work . Sitting on your butt waiting for something to come through is not economical as you will spend more money sitting at home doing nothing.

best of luck

[MeAndMyself]

Who's sock puppet is this. FOUR YEARS AND NO WARCHEST. FFS.

Should you really be allowed out? Get signed on, or stack shelves or do whatever you do. If you seriously sat their p*ssing your warchest up the wall while all of this financial cr*p has been going on do you really expect sympathy?

Suityou01, I'm nobody's sock puppet, nor did I ask for any sympathy, but thanks anyway for your ever so insightful input.

[MeAndMyself]

4 Years plus in the same contract , that means your a permie and I am hoping that you paid under the rules of IR35.

Actions to take now.

1) Consider all countries where you can get work , getting 6K dollars in Dubai and spending 2k on rent/living still leaves you 4k and even with taxes now rising to 5 percent you are still going to have enough left to pay debts/mortgage

2) Look at the possability of taking a loan to support yourself and retrain , there is help under govt. scheme for this but its not survivable on without some additional funding , normally because the course you will want to do wont be anywhere near you and govt. rules dont think of that.


3) phone companies direct (This requires some skill as you need to get to the right person) ask if they have any short term requirements with your skills , this to me is contracting, not sitting on the same job hoping for a renewal.

4) If all else fails , sign on and do some charity work . Sitting on your butt waiting for something to come through is not economical as you will spend more money sitting at home doing nothing.

best of luck

Hi motoukenin

Some good advice there, thanks.

I never fell under IR35 because of two reasons, one being that I never knew I would be with that client for a period of more than two years at any one time, the other being that the company I originally started for sold out to another company, then another, then another meaning that my contract changed and was assigned to the new company each time, even though I sat at the same desk for 4+ years.

I couldn’t contract outside the UK for personal reasons, I wouldn’t pass any credit check (even sub prime) for any loans or such.

I like the idea of phoning companies direct, I will look into this, but I’m no salesman.

I do disagree with your perception of contracting though, I was under contract on a good rate (better than anything on offer now), I was able to learn new skills whilst being in contract, I enjoyed the working at that contract, if this lasted 4+ years then all the better for me, you must agree – no?, surely the main reason for contracting for most contractors is to earn extra money than a permie, why would I move from where I was?