Its a sellers world for skilled-up IT contractors Viewpoint careers advice blog

Its a sellers world for skilled-up IT contractors Which countries have the greatest need for their capabilities? Is it still a contractor’s world out there? It is a question every gun-for-hire in the competitive global IT skills market might be asking themselves in the age of austerity. But wherever you look, the answer seems to be a resounding yes. Even in the UK, where rates have remained relatively static, contractors can pick and choose their jobs. In 2012, more than half of those questioned said they would take up to eight weeks between appointments to choose their next position. Only 6% said they would consider a permanent post as their next career move. Contractor clout continues The continued clout of the contractor might have something to do with the maturing of projects that were delayed or postponed during the financial crisis but are now trickling through to realisation. In Australia and Japan, there is strong evidence of commercial and government projects finally reaching implementation stage and contractors stepping in to fill vital skills gaps. Once they have contractors on board, employers are looking to protect their IT IP by retaining them in long-term roles or giving them responsibility for specific programmes â€" an attractive prospect with the incentive of a good salary. But if you’re a contractor, is that enough to make you bite? We are seeing signs globally that contracting rates are returning to pre-recession levels. In Japan and Australia, they are particularly competitive. In Canada, despite a slight drop in employers’ plans to use temporary IT staff, the market remains buoyant. When recession hit, an army of permanent staff switched to contracting roles to preserve their livelihood â€" and discovered that they could command significant rates to compensate for the lack of employee benefits. Having tasted freedom, contractors there will want to see those rates matched by permanent salaries if they are to be tempted back to the fold. Read our Viewpoint blog here.