Is the situation really this bad?

[neverminder]

Yea it's pretty dead. I think software development is all but dead. Nevermind contracting work. Time to take up another trade

Software development is not dead. The world runs on software, there's no going back. I've been in this industry for over 15 years. I've worked with legacy, greenfield and by now some of my early greenfield is legacy and has to be rewritten. The truth about each generation of software is that it's just a matter of time it has to be rewritten only to eventually become legacy and the cycle goes on. This is where we, the software engineers come in. We're the new electricians and plumbers. The market is dead now, but it was dead worse during the dotcom crash and the 2008 financial meltdown. It will recover, it has to. Also all this raving about AI replacing us is absurd. I use ChatGPT Teams for some mundane stuff at work and I can assure you, it will never replace us for countless reasons.

 

[neverminder]

Yup, there’s been an increased focus on cost this last year, any specific costs allowed tend to be cybersecurity.

27 years in the industry. I will give it another couple of weeks and then it’s refocusing to retrain and take up something new perhaps.

It's always good to have a second calling to fallback to. For instance, I worked in constructions (family business) and even ran my own crew at one point when I was young, so I know that worst case scenario I can always revive those skills.
It's also good to have a side hustle, no matter if it's tech related or not. I play an occasional live gig, as an aspiring musician. Also all that time spent looking for a job gave me an idea for a side project.

Having said all that I would not burn the bridges unless there really is no other way. But there almost always is. It took me the entire last year to find a job to lay low and weather out the storm. It's a toxic ѕhithole and it takes thick skin to endure it, but I've been looking for something better and the moment I find it I'm gone.

 

[neverminder]

companies are just correcting the post-covid hiring spree. Engineering numbers are still above 2019 numbers, but the land grab gor developers has gone . This also has made a correction on saleries which at one point were silly. The days of 150k for a fresh grad who claims to be an ML expert because they did a Udemy course ate thankfully behind us.

That's a big part of the problem. An enormous number of bootcampers was produced in recent years. Everybody and their dog wanted to become a programmer, I had every family member asking me how to "get in on it". And now that they've all been dumped, they are scrambling like mad for every job ad and generating so much noise that even experienced engineers with double digits of years of experience drown in it unnoticed. Like someone said on a different forum - a couple of years will have to pass for all the oversupply to eventually give up and move away from the industry.

 

[neverminder]

In other news .. my tube amp has made major leaps forward as too has my understanding of music theory

Small world - a fellow musician. I use a modeler, moved away from amps long time ago. There were some low points last year when I thought I will have to sell my Black Beauty... That danger hasn't fully passed yet either, still living hand to mouth.

 

[neverminder]

I've been a recruiter within software engineering (predominantly contractors) for the last 10 years and this is the worst consistent market I have seen in that time.

I first noticed a dip around October 22 (coinciding with the peak of inflation). From there was a steady decline and then it flatlined for probably about a year - definitely think that the market is improving but rates surely are not. I imagine that when the interest rates go down more we will see a further improvement in the market.

If a client has the stones to put out an outside ir35 role, they know they can pay peanuts to find candidates that would normally go for way more - the day rates of £800 I could get for a Java engineer a few years ago are long gone!

It's definitely improving out there but not so much on the contract side of things.

If anyone wants a chat about the market or to see what I have on feel free to reach out - long time member of the forum and not your normal wide boy recruiter. (mods I hope this is ok?)

I'm curious, as a recruiter, do you have any insight of contract market outside of UK? I've been desperately trying to break out of UK market, be done with all that IR35 ******* and ultimately move my personal tax residence out as well.

 

[neverminder]

When this thread started 18 months ago, I was still getting bombarded.

18 months ago I was already 6 months into looking for a job marathon. It took me the entire year to find something. I managed to last a year employed and now I'm out of a job again and the market is as ѕhit as it was last year if not more so.

I've noticed some disturbing trends. Toxic ѕhitholes that call themselves companies were mostly ignored by candidates during the good times. This is what the "company" that I worked for last let slip several times. "We were invisible before, but now candidates keep rolling in non stop!". Outfits like that are now coming out of the woodwork and spreading their poison. This prolonged desperation from the candidates is very unhealthy and I'm pretty sure we're heading towards another great resignation that will make the last one look like nothing in comparison. This mad roller coaster is bad for everyone.

 

[neverminder]

London

Everything has been quiet for most of 2024 for me

London probably has like 90% of country's tech market, if there's any market left to speak of that is, outside of London is mostly meaningless. High compensation, but high and recently sky high cost of living. I spent 10 best years of my life in London's grind with not much to show for it. London just chews you up and ***** you out.

I'm done with London and with this country for now and maybe for good. Moving out to where cost of living is way lower to lay low and weather out the storm. Market will have to improve eventually, or there will be war that everyone is talking about. In the mean while maybe I'll get lucky and land some modest remote gig. Learning some survival skills too doesn't seem such a stupid idea nowadays.

 

[neverminder]

Are you moving to somewhere in Asia?

No. Eastern Europe.