Chortlepuss

Hi
I'm in Brisbane looking to return to Uk in a couple of years time. A casual search of IT jobs in the south east (Sussex) revealed a load of roles I could apply for - in contrast the market in Brisbane seems dire in terms of opportunity. I'm clinging on to employment here, but so casualised (month to month) and I'm really over it as unable to plan anything long term. So is anyone on the ground able to report what the true situation is in the SE? Is it just that competition is extremely fierce, or are the tales of 'broken Britain' not applicable to IT work for experienced staff? I'd be really grateful of personal experiences. If I'm unemployed here soon I may need to move back home sooner

Editha

My brother is a senior IT manager in the South-East. He frequently gets head-hunted, and has been able to choose jobs and negotiate very good pay for himself. He is very experienced in his field, in his mid fifties, and he has a good MBA, so his success may not be a good indicator of job opportunities for someone earlier in their career. Nevertheless, his experience suggests there is work available.

mayhemuk

I think it'd depend on your niche.
Buddy is a senior manager for one of the main banks.
He knows lots of people in IT and Finance who are able to contract but there is downward pressure on rates. Many people with good skill sets unable to secure roles.
Also permie roles are under pressure too. There is almost perpetual restructuring going on.
Another buddy is not managerial. He has terrific experience and somewhat niche skills (patents etc etc) and he is working well though has had a couple of fallow months in the last couple of years.

My opinion is you can't make too general a statement on the health of the employment market.
Good luck!

Chortlepuss

Cheers for replies - I've got a lot of experience change management/project maangement BA - in health/social care and also Finance. It would be good to have a job that had some degree of permanence. A lot of 3 month contracts here in Brisbane and very low daily rates. I'm so bored of the casualised job market here. Often means very poorly controlled projects and getting anything implemented without it being canned is a rare treat. Let's hope the market improves!

steviedeluxe

If you return to the UK, bear in mind that the IT recruitment industry is full of rogues. You may get a glimpse of what they are capable of, here:
http://www.kernelmag.com/features/re...-and-loathing/
Most jobs that they advertise either do not exist, or are way past the application date - they do this to engage in "fishing exercises" ie try and find out where you have been interviewed or working lately, in order to to snatch the job for their favoured candidate. Do not under any circumstances tell an agent where you are having an interview - they will do their best to rubbish you to the client and try and promote their own candidate. Also check that any recruiter that contacts you, is not a recent entrant to the "industry" (normally you can find this out via LinkedIn). If they've only become an agent in the last month or two, chances are they've been put on fishing duties by the agency concerned and have no power to put you forward as a candidate.
Even where a job exists, often an agent will try on cv-blocking (they have provided the 3 or 4 cvs that the client accepts from an individual agent - the agent then pretends to process new applications but is in effect blocking them from applying with a different agent). One way to get around this is discussed here - http://www.contractoruk.com/cv/how_t..._blocking.html
One thing that will help you is that your roles are currently overseas. If you have any gaps in your work history either "extend" your work history, or invent a client out there. Agents generally have no idea how to distinguish a good IT worker from a poor one - so they tend to rule out older workers, those who have gaps on their cv, and those not currently in a role. So massage your cv accordingly. You will be swimming with sharks.
One other thing may be an advantage for you - your experience in health-/social care. Try and find the specialist recruitors in your field.
Lastly - lurk on the contractors board, a treasure trove of info http://forums.contractoruk.com/

Chortlepuss

Thanks for the advice. I'm afraid ICT recruitment firms seem the same the world over. We have very few honest ones here in Brisbane, and for the most part I try to apply directly to employers or via people I know in the industry. I've been in IT for 20+ years, using agencies as a candidate and as an employer, and I struggle to find how they add real value, so if I really have to use them, I try wherever possible to work with individuals who have some experience of IT. In an overcrowded market, there is still room for honest agencies, with real knowledge, both of IT and their customers