BITE's blog UK Contract Jobs and Career Transition

Using Social networking to find a contract job in the UK...

smart phones... the best social networking sites... networking not broadcasting

Social networking has established itself in modern society as a valuable and fun communication tool whereby many people remain in touch or network with each other.

Over 80% of professionals between the ages of 18 and 40 now use Social networking tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Plus 3-4 times per week. However very few people have been able to leverage Social Networking in order to enhance their career opportunities.

At BITE since December 7th 2009 Social Networking has been established as a fundamental tool of each candidates job search, with each candidate developing their Social Network Marketing plan.

The Standard for professionals in the UK is LinkedIn and the use of a well defined complete profile. 80% of your Social network work should go into working with your personal branding on this site. However it is also vital to harness the benefits of Facebook currently the biggest website in the world and maximise the benefits of Google cost effectively.

Many candidates see a real conflict of interest between Social Networking and Professional networking with the former only offering to damage their chances of attaining employment. In fact used correctly Social networking can massively enhance each individual’s chances of finding work.

Professional networking has long been established as a useful tool to enhance your career with and this can now be developed within the context of Social Media into an incredibly powerful tool to access the hidden job market with. Over 50% of all contract work is now attained through networking and with Social networking each contractor can quickly see the benefits of their work and access work within the hidden job market that is not advertised.

At BITE we offer free Social Networking evening seminars to help established contractors enhance their position and offer social networking training sessions for all candidates looking for a contract role.

SMART PHONES

• 35% of UK adults own a smartphone (Source: YouGov – July 2011)

• 14% of 55 years + have a smartphone (Source: YouGov – July 2011)
• 13% of smartphones are Android (Source: ICM Research – June 2011)
• 10% of smartphones are Blackberry (Source: ICM Research – June 2011)
• 9% of smartphones are iPhone (Source: ICM Research – June 2011)

Smart phones are used in UK society instead of or as a compliment to laptops and PCs. Integrating your smartphone into your social networking is a smart move. Smart phones help you monitor your social networking on the move. You to take your professional network with you wherever you go. You will have immediate access to your contacts and important updates, such as newly posted positions.

Most smart phones have apps to the best social networking websites

 

BEST SITES

• LinkedIn – The professional social network
• Facebook – The largest social network
• Twitter – The easiest and quickest social network to use
• Google Plus – The most optimised social network, helping you be found

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the professional choice for networking. Your profile on LinkedIn is like a C.V. and you should be prepared to “work” LinkedIn to gain the additional benefits from this social networking site. Our free seminars will tell you what you need to be doing to help enhance your personal brandning on this site, and show you how to engage and network with potential employers and contractors.

Facebook

Facebook is the largest social networking site and should therefore not be dismissed as just a place to chat with your friends. Most employers will look at facebook to see what you are really like. At BITE we will edicate you on how you can use this tool to enhance your personal branding, and gain leverage with prospective employers.

 

 

Twitter

Twitter is quick and easy to use, and is also fast becoming a search engine in its own right. Searching for jobs and prospective employees is easy, and because it uses quick fire information in under 140 characters it is also very easy to get wrong! Our free evening seminars help you understand how you can search for prospects and jobs, how you can enhance your personal branding, and how you can integrate this with your professional LinkedIn account for maximum exposure.

Google Plus

New to the social scene, and not yet routinely used by the average man on the street, Google Plus will become one of the best places to be found. Your personal competition may not be using Google Plus effectively yet, and so you can shine here. In addition, Google recently made changes to its algorithm which actively promotes the use of Googles’ plus 1 buttons, a part of the Google Plus social network. BITE can help you understand how to shine on this newest of social networks.

NETWORKING NOT BROADCASTING

Social Networking is just that… networking! The only difference is that you are networking online, with people you cannot see.

BITE encourage you not to broadcast about yourself, but to engage with others in the same way as you would in a room full of people. Each of the different social networks can be viewed in a different way. For example, LinkedIn is like a business networking meeting where you discuss business and listen to what others have to say, offering advice and asking questions where appropriate, whereas Twitter is more akin to a cocktail networking event, where you wander around and listen to snippets of conversation and engage if your find it interesting.

Our free evening seminars show you how you can engage with your audience rather than just shout about who you are and what you do.

What next?

If you’d like to know more about the job market in the UK, and wish to contract via BITE, send in your CV and come and meet us at our London offices. Have any questions; want to know more about contracting? Check the FAQ's.

 

http://www.biteconsulting.co.uk

BITE’s career transition services

The effective way to become a Freelance Contractor

BITE offers a comprehensive support package to help people with their personal career transition into the UK Contract market from either unemployment or a permanent job. The service requires attendance at our London resource centre and provides you with your own personal mentor.

The programme includes £4000 of mentoring and job search guidance for a complete purchase of £2500+vat up front with a no job, no fee guarantee or is PROVIDED FREE if you contract through BITE!

• Killer Contract CV optimised for contracting
• Establishment of your personal brand
• Access to the' hidden job market'
• Marketing & advertising to 3000+ clients

 

Personal Brand and Killer Contract CV

BITE provides a killer specialist CV for the contract market; vital to position you with your own Personal Brand. This usually takes 2 days face to face contact work to produce a specialist CV for the contract and interim market. Each CV is optimised for skill searches on recruitment and H.R. databases and for Google searches on the net.

Interview training is provided to secure that vital job. This ranges from an initial 2 hour module and producing an interview plan, to detailed questioning and dummy interviews with video feedback.

Telephone 'selling' training on how to secure interviews by presenting yourself correctly; vitally important to secure the interview.

Network training on how to network in order to access positions in the hidden job market; using LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google, plus a range of other useful sites.

 

Hidden Job Market

Lots of jobs are unadvertised, particularly during the credit crunch – learn how to tap into the hidden job market

 

Many companies don’t like to advertise nor do agents like dealing with lots of new candidates. The contracting market often relies on word of mouth and recommendations. Having the support of BITE and our existing contractors allows you to access the hidden job market in a whole new way. It’s not unusual for an existing BITE contractor to recommend you to an agent, and of course we do so to. Because of the unique way in which we operate you’ll soon discover just how large and lucrative unadvertised jobs can be.

 

Marketing and Advertising

Looking for the right IT & Telco, Accounting, Banking & Finance and Interim Professional contracts at the best rates? Want to find the next contract quickly?

The UK contracting market is unique and fast paced; to ensure you have the best chance of finding jobs and contracts quickly you will need comprehensive marketing services. BITE offers a range of marketing services and training opportunities to help you secure contracts quickly.

Most CV’s are never read, we maximise the opportunity of your CV being selected by clients.

“The 3 Day Personal Brand Plan”- Our Contractor Placement Programme provides marketing and advertising for Contractors through our mailing list and websites. It also provides each contractor with an updated fully optimised KILLER CV that really performs by helping to take you to the top of any database searches.

Each contractor is given use of our database with its’ marketing and advertising facilities, the BITE phone app for I-phone, Android and Blackberry, and shown how to use RSS feeds for job search straight to their phone. All can be used from anywhere in the world remotely.

What next?

If you’d like to know more about the job market in the UK, and wish to contract via BITE, send in your CV and come and meet us at our London offices. 

 

The hidden IT Contractor job market in the UKThe hidden job market in the UK

Lots of jobs are unadvertised or “hidden”, particularly during a credit crunch.

Many companies don’t like to advertise and agents do not like dealing with lots of new candidates. The contracting market often relies on word of mouth and recommendations. Having the support of BITE and our existing contractors allows you to access the hidden job market in a whole new way. It’s not unusual for an existing BITE contractor to recommend you to an agent, and of course we do so to. Because of the unique way in which we operate you’ll soon discover just how large and lucrative unadvertised jobs can be.

This blog shows you how you can tap into the hidden job market in the UK.

What is an unadvertised job?

Like the name suggests, these jobs are not advertised but are actual vacancies that clients have informed agents about. In some cases a client may well be looking to fill a position directly (without using any agencies) but these jobs are almost always advertised.

Between 40-60% of all contract jobs are unadvertised!! 

Recruitment agents regularly get requirements and job specifications but will find the right person for the job without even advertising it! These unadvertised jobs can be filled by agents who can use existing databases which store a number of CV’s for 100’s or even 1000’s of candidates. An agent can simply search through their in-house databases and find the right candidate to approach for the role.

However the obvious flaw with this approach is that the CV’s of candidates on the agencies database could be out of date. Many of the people listed might not be looking for a contract job! So a large number of poor quality CV’s from candidates not looking for a job, combined with no new CV’s (since the job in unadvertised) creates the hidden job market.

 

Why aren’t they advertised?

There are many reasons; the most common are costs & speed. Particularly in the current financial climate many agencies will be looking to reduce costs – one method it to limit the number of job adverts being placed. But fewer adverts will mean less CV’s and candidates for agents to consider. The credit crunch is actually causing this “hidden job market” to grow rapidly. Over the last few months many of BITE’s contractors are securing unadvertised jobs, substantially more than a year earlier.

 

 

Save time & money

Not placing adverts and then not having to go through 100’s of applications saves a lot of time. In the UK contracting market speed is essential. Contract positions come about quickly and clients want the right candidate fast. (This is also why contract jobs pay a lot more). A lot of agents will prefer checking their existing databases before spending the time and effort in actually placing the advert and then filtering through 100’s of applications.

What can BITE help me with?

One of the first steps will be to create a CV that can function efficiently and as universally as possible on agency CV databases. To have any chance to access these unadvertised jobs, a well-structured and readable CV is a must (readable to automated electronic scanners). Experts at BITE will help you create the winning formula based on your individual skills, experience and achievements.

It’s easy ... when you know how

Understanding the current market conditions and establishing your rates, along with interview training and guidance will provide you the necessary expertise when dealing with agents. More information on all these elements can be found in the Job Search section of our website.

Our CV Marketing service and mailing list, sent out to agents every week, will include your latest CV and be delivered each week to agents (who all request the list). This CV distribution service is like no other! It’s free for agents to use and over the years the reputation it has built up ensures your CV is sent to the right agents who are then able to get in touch with you directly about job, even the unadvertised ones!

 

What next?

If you’d like to know more about the unadvertised job market in the UK, and wish to contract via BITE, send in your CV and come and meet us at our London offices. Have any questions; want to know more about contracting? Check the FAQ's.

 

New Year, New IT Contract Job

New Year, New Job

• Do you find yourself looking at your manager and thinking you could do better?
• Does the thought of spending the rest of your working life at the beck and call of others make you sigh?

Then moving towards a career in IT Contract work could be just what the Doctor ordered.

It may sound a little scary at first, leaving the security of a fully paid job, but let’s be honest in times of economic strife is any job really secure? Perhaps now is the time to make that break away from the routine of corporate work and into the world of Contracting.

 

What are the advantages?

Remuneration: It is a fact that IT Contractors can make significantly more money doing the same work if they are contracted rather than employed.  30% higher rates than the equivalent permanent positions (Note – If you work full-time for one employer, then the IR35 tax regulations may in the UK.)

Flexibility: You choose the hours you work, you choose what IT Contract jobs you want to do, and you choose how much you are going to be paid. If you wish to take a break between contracts, you have that choice, if you want to take 3 weeks holiday in the spring, again the choice is yours.

Variety: The flexibility of IT Contract work means you can work wherever you want, for whomever you want. This can lead to meeting some very interesting companies, meeting lots of new people and contacts, and the work will be very different and varied too.

Skills: When you work as an employee, your job is your job and you often do not get the opportunity to enhance your IT skills and learn new things. As an IT Contractor you can set aside some time to go on courses and learn new things.

There are many more advantages of being your own boss.

 

How much would I get paid?

Of course payment varies according to your skills and experience, and who is paying you and what you negotiate, but we have pulled together some interesting facts from various trusted resources to help you decide if IT Contract work is right for you.

 

Role / Job Type	Average daily rates (*varies on skills and experience)
Networker's, Administrators & Support	£280
Database Administrators & Systems Administrators	£330
Analyst Programmers & Developers (General)	£350
Specialists: ERP, Oracle, SAP, PeopleSoft etc	£390
Programme Managers, Project Managers, IT Managers	£410
New Media (Web) & E-Commerce Developers	£370
Testers, IBM Mainframe & Others	£250
Business Analysts, Data Analysts, Business Intelligence	£430
Infrastructure, Windows, Security Specialists	£320
Graphic Designers	£240

Source: BITE Statistics

 

How easy would it be to find work?

Of course as an IT Contractor you would need to ensure you have the work to maintain your lifestyle. Here in the UK 50% of the job market is contracting! It’s normally around 30%, but due to the current economic environment there are more contract jobs available in place of permanent jobs.

Most IT contractors will look for contracting positions through an on or offline recruitment agency. There are 1000's of agencies in the UK. Some specialise in only IT contracts and others are more general, covering all sectors of employment.

Agencies are not only for contractors, and most agencies will have jobs for: permanent, contract, temporary and part-time employment. The agency will put you in touch with the client but to get paid you need to have a limited company - either an Umbrella Company or your own limited company of your own.

Before you sign up with any agency ask yourself and them a few questions:

• Is the agency you are going through credit worthy?
• If they cannot pay you how will you recover your earnings?

 

Which agency do I choose?

The IT contracting market in the UK makes up 50% of the total IT job market, substantially more than in most other countries.

No recruitment agency or software house in the UK has more than 3% market share. It's therefore important to work with several agencies. The size of the recruitment agency is not important, often a smaller one will work in a specialised sector within IT and will have clients that other agencies do not.

But with so many agencies it’s vital to ensure they are credit checked before contracting with them. If working through BITE, we'll guarantee you are paid even if the agency is late or unable to pay.

 

What about the legal requirements?

When working as an IT contractor, it is really important to ensure you are keeping within the law to ensure you are protected, and to ensure you get the best deal.

BITE Consulting have detailed a few laws that you should take note of:

2007: Managed Service Company

This law introduced in April 2007 which made it illegal for contractors to operate through a limited company that was “managed” by a third party. A contractor can only legally work via an Umbrella Company or their own limited company, known as a Personal Service Company.

2000: IR35

Legislation introduced in 2000 that's used by the Inland Revenue to determine whether or not a contractor meets the definition of being self-employed or a freelancer. Contractors who do not fall under this category are said to be caught by IR35 or said to be inside of IR35 legislation and are therefore liable to pay full tax and national insurance.

You want to make sure you're operating outside of IR35 (safe from the legislation). If you're on a visa there may be further implications for you. You can find out more by visiting our website below:

http://www.biteconsulting.co.uk/uk-contracting/ir35.html

 

2011: The AWR Legislation

On the 1st October 2011 the UK implemented the EU legislation for agency workers.

This means in practise two key stages;

Day one right for workers and equal treatment after 12 weeks. Some examples of day one rights include the staff canteen, car parking and child care facilities and it is the end client who has the responsibility for ensuring agency workers are provided access to these facilities. This includes access and information to job vacancies that permanent staff would also have access to. In the event of a dispute there is no liability on the recruitment company.

After 12 weeks the agency worker acquires additional equal treatment rights provided they remain in the same job role. This includes pay and bonuses, duration of working time and annual leave. The requirement is simply to treat the worker as if he or she had been recruited directly to do the same job. In the event of a dispute it is the recruitment agency that is initially held responsible but will have a defence if they requested the info and failed to receive it from the client/hirer. End clients can include indemnity clauses in their contracts to pass liability to the recruitment company .Equally recruitment companies supplying contractors through another organisation will need to request the required information just as they would do in dealing with the end client directly and checks will need making on the contract.

Where possible workers/contractors should always be advised on any pay/rate comparator data and asked to confirm if they operate through a limited company that they are in business of their own account. For more information, please click the link below:

http://www.biteconsulting.co.uk/uk-contracting/awr-legislation.html

Request an appointment to discuss your individual circumstances with BITE.

 

Sign up To Our Newsletter and Receive the "5 Myths about the UK Contracting Report" absolutely FREE!!

http://www.biteconsulting.co.uk/special-offer.html

 

Thank you - Keith Boatman

Smart Job Search Tactics- be clever access the hidden job market!

The Easter and Royal Wedding holiday is a time when many people are off on the 11 day break and this will include the majority of decision makers.

As a result interviews are hard to arrange and most people stop looking for a job effectively. However using your time effectively could put your name at the top of the list when recruitment resumes.So try these ten smart suggestions.

1. Update your LinkedIn profile- ensure it is 100% complete and use the new features  recently made available.You are 40 times more likely to gain a job with a complete profile.

2. Set up a twitter account and use it to update your status and job search on a daily basis. Google will find you and so will other recruiters soon after the holiday.This activity will increase awareness of your availability tenfold.

3.Network with people who interest you and can help develop your contacts on LinkedIn and search and join relevant groups to you, your industry/profession , H.R. and recruitment prou.This takes time but people may have a little more time currently.

4.Set up a facebookpage as your professional page keep it wide open as a chatty informative page on you and the services you provide.Lock down your personal page so only friends and family see everything.

5.Use RSS feeds effectively- set up google reader to search for and pull down the RSS feeds you want and configure it to search for relevant jobs using aggregators.Thus the best jobs will come to you in real time with no delay.

6. Buy yourself a smart phone and learn to use it. Configer  the app for My6sense to receive your RSS feeds and relevant information from LinkedIn straight to your phone. Down load an app that allows you to upload your  cover letters and send them from your phone to interested parties.

7. Use the phone and ring your contacts that appear to be the most promising. Speak to people ask for help and advise (not a job) and you'll we surprised how helpful people can be.Ask them to comment on your CV don't be defensive and demonstrate to them you have taken on board their advise.

8. Relax don't panic let people know how well your job search is going and how your new initiatives are bearing fruit! No one wants a stressed out desperate candidate.

9. Be prepared to find and apply or send your CV to 155 people in 3 weeks.Get on their databases and again the jobs willl start coming to you.Be smart!

10. Always renew yourself-we've mentioned updating your LinkedIn status but also renew your profile on the job boards every Sunday evening ready for the next week. This will position you near the top of any candidate search list in your skill set .This week do it on Monday night remember the long weekend.... and relax!

Successful Career Transition, six steps and the flexible labour market

Many people are now facing a dramatic career change in the next few months or year. Some will have it forced upon them others will be fed up of re-applying for their job and want to take charge of their own career.Some people will move across the world others sectors,industries or domains and many will face moving from the private to the public sector. Some will relish the challenge others will dread it but for everyone it is a challenge and an opportunity to grow and achieve.For everyone though there are a number of things they must get right.

1. Your State of mind -  This is easy to talk about but hard for many to sort out. Do you look at the glass of water and see it half full or half empty?

If you are very upset finding it difficult to focus then you have to remove the trauma of career change first and foremost.For many the first chance to talk about it is at the next interview and then when everything pours out they wonder why they didn't get the job. Find someone and talk talk and talk till any bitterness is out of your system.If that does not work seek some professional help- when you do you'd be surprised nowadays how many people are also seeking professional counseling.Don't be proud and stupid be honest with yourself and look after your confidence.

For many career transition is a choice they have made and a challenge to relish! Whether it's your choice or a decision that has been forced upon you the trick to be successful is to see the process as an opportunity and try to enjoy it. In short become a "the glass is half full" person.

2.The opportunity- decide upon your personal brand and it's positioning! What's this marketing /HR /Recruitment speak i can hear people saying?

Quite simply what are your skills and achievements, what can you do what have you proved you can do? How relevant are these skills to a career? People often refer to these as your key transferable skills and to be transferable you have to be able to deliver them in a new environment. These need to be split between your personal strengths and your business/career skills and experience. They need defining and you need to learn how to communicate them effectively naturally illustrating your skills with practical examples either in the work place or your personal life.

One of the  simplest and best examples of this i've seen was by brother in law who was running a milk franchise as a milkman working hard getting up early and making very little- no matter how hard he worked he could not ignore his industry was in decline.He looked at his milk float decorated by children from the promotional competitions he had been running, the thank you notes, from grateful residents,the awards he had received for community service and started to calculate his personal strengths and career skills. He stopped dwelling on the money he was loosing and started to look at opportunities to use his administrative, face to face communication and community skills.He then researched a whole series of careers completing a S.W.O.T. analysis on each looking at the strengths weaknesses opportunities and threats of each. His conclusion was that a career in nursing would be best suited but the weakness was that he would have to completely re-train over a period of several years. However this was also the opportunity he would be able to apply his strengths and move into a career where he could continually learn and grow.He discovered and created a POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE to CAREER TRANSITION without professional help but by understanding himself and talking to many friends and colleagues.

 Incidently he was successful and now years later is qualified and  manages a team of nurses having a fufilling career.

Now i know we are not all going to be male nurses but the principles are exactly the same and you will need people to give you feedback on your strengths and how they see you.Seek advice talk to as many people as you can but then make a decision! You will then need to build a CV that reflects you strengths skills and experiences to communicate to the world the opportunity you have to offer.

3. Now become a "doer"- not a thinker! Be action orientated! With your mind set straight and the thinking exploring stage over you have to be action orientated.

a) Develop your CV and complete it within a week.This is long enough to do an excellent job gain feedback fine tune and test.I've been in an outplacement environment where career coaches have spent weeks working with candidates on CV's this is to long and you loose momentum.I've met candidates (one last week) that thought they could produce their CV in 3 hours.You must strike a balance and get the right result for you. Oh and don't believe your CV has to be 1 or 2 pages long it needs to have good copy and may be 3-4 pages long as long as it has a good summary page defining your personal brand defined in a personal statement and displaying the key words and long-tail words (short phrases) around your brand.Your CV has to be right for you, appealing across the range to different groups of people, recruitment agents, H.R. and client managers and interviewers.Once you have produced your CV don't get caught in to an endless cycle of re-writes concentrate on researching and marketing your skills to the right people!

b) Research  who you intend to send your CV  to then send it and keep sending it against a clear set of personal achievable targets. Agencies manage 80% of the recruitment market in the UK so love them or hate them, you have to use them.You also have to deal in volume - the old add-age of the rifle and the shot gun is out of date you need a semi automatic rifle making many well targeted shots with your CV.The internet has changed everything and without volume you may be unlucky no matter how professional your approach.In dealing with hundreds of people in the last 24 months they need to make 155 well targeted applications on average to find success. For a doer that is 10 applications a day and 3 weeks work 9.00am till 5.30pm every day with no time for Jerry Springer on the TV or doing the washing. This should yield 3 interviews and at least one job, if you stray from these figures something is going wrong review your techniques. If your still working in a job while searching for a new one, then you have to be well organised contactable during the day and be prepared to work evenings a weekends to hit your targets. By the way make sure your phone, voicemail and email all work effectively.

4. Learn the tactics to apply for jobs efficiently and effectively - To find success you need a highly efficient production line with a good spreadsheet or database to help manage your job applications so that any point you know exactly where you are.Very quickly you will loose track unless you efficiently manage your job search.You need to do so much more that simply hit the apply button on the job boards, you have to speak to people and communicate your brand.The correct tactics are so important and the devil is in the detail as this is where so many people go wrong failing to gain interviews and never knowing why they have fallen short.

Have you worked out how to use aggregators and RSS feeds to manage these into google reader and a smart-phone using my6sense? You need to be a smart intelligent job searcher finding jobs  in real time before they expire usually as quickly as 4 hours later.

For many the best opportunity for career transition is to move into contract work or interim consultancy or management positions. Many future employers may not take you on full time but will be less reluctant to give you a 3 month contract.In practice such a contract may last nearly 2 years never more or you will loose the tax benefits of being a contractor.Managing a contract career can develop your career keeping you up to date and more than doubling your earnings provided you can find work quickly. A professional contractor needs to become a professional networker.

5) Become a Professional Networker - Very few of us are natural networkers we have to learn how to become one and adopt it as a lifestyle approach and not a one off to find one job. The good news is now in the new digital age it could not be easier. With your email system, LinkedIn, facebook, google buzz and Twitter you can make a real difference and physically see the results from your work.

If you've worked in the UK for the last 10 years you may not know it but you may have a very good network you can deliver- the secret let everyone know you are looking for work.If you have just arrived in the UK then you are going to have to start your network from cold and that means working very hard to network with recruiters because it is the fastest way to become known. There are over 11,000 relevant agencies in the UK for most professionals  and therefore you have to discreetly play the field.Each agency will probably ask you to concentrate on them, but few of them will have the volume of vacancies to ensure you find success solely with them.

Networking is a two way process and you have to learn the skills simply broadcasting your availability is not enough.In the era of Social and Digital professional networking you cannot ignore the biggest website in the world facebook. However i'd advocate ensuring your personal profile was clean or locked down and developing a professional page for the world to see.LinkedIn is the best professional site and 80% of your effort should go here, developing your network in the right areas.You must have a 100% complete profile with this you are 40 times more likely to get a job. Twitter can be your broadcasting tool not to tel me the contents of your breakfast but to communicate positive messages that are google search-able and update your status throughout LinkedIn and your network. With Twitter you can automate your updates and you  will increase the effectiveness of your networking 10 fold, the bonus is that you will also discover new opportunities to job search as you become familiar with it, but to start with use it as your broadcast tool.Lastly google buzz -you should have your profile on the biggest search engine in the world and link it to your network once automated there is very little to do to maintain it.It is also naive not to believe that the biggest search engine in the world won't prefer it's own ..you!

6. Preparation and practice - deliver your personal brand professionally. To be successful you have to be able to communicate effectively and for 90% of people this means firstly planning you fit for a role and then practice, practice, practise to deliver it effectively. You have to be able to develop your telephone skills for screening conversations and telephone interviews and you have to be able to deliver a good interview.This is more than simply answering the questions that are asked of you but having your agenda to deliver your fit for a role and as to why you are the best candidate (your Unique Selling Point). If you are not asked then you need to state it anyway by listening and linking to the the points made by the interviewer.

Now many people are shy or at best out of practice and this is why practice makes perfect.Do rehearse so that you become confident and plan your interview to make your strategy and tactics clear for the interview.It will be easier than you think!

Finally don't forget from my previous blog that you must give a positive impression through being: flexible, available, organised, intelligent and enthusiastic.

 

Successful Career Transition- 5 Simple points for contract candidates

Successful career transition is about doing the simple things well. Above all you need to be:

Flexible, not placing limits on locations within the UK- Stating you only want to work in central London will have an adverse on you while taking a wider geographical approach needs to be portrayed as flexibility rather than desperation.

Available, being easy to get hold of with a UK mobile voice mail with an excellent attractive message on it so agents and clients will feel you will attend to their message.Ensuring you are available for all interview dates and not placing restrictions on an agent- help him/her by making it easy. Also by updating your status throughout your network on a daily basis.

Organised, knowing exactly which jobs you have applied for when and what has been said to you.This is best achieved through an efficient database call logging process that ensures you know exactly where you are with your jobsearch.This protects you and ensures you are professional and look professional.

Intelligent, you need to be able to source the right opportunities in sufficient numbers to be successful.This means more that just applying for jobs through the right job boards. You need to access the hidden job market through Intelligent local job lead information and effective networking so that recruiters or clients approach you. You need to play a numbers game and ensure the rightdecision makers are aware of your skills, achievements and availability.Simply applying for a few jobs will leave you unlucky and frustrated. You should develop a network using linkedin of at least 150  suitable contacts and leverage this through your own P.R. and marketing network which will take you several evenings to set up see www.getaukjob.com for an example of such a plan in the news box on the home page.

Enthusiastic, and positive as it is amazing how many interviewers are faced by candidates who fail to indicate any emotion.This is often because the candidate fears enthusiasm will make them appear to desperate for a job, whereas the interviewer is looking for someone who indicates some interest even excitement over the job.Try to enjoy the whole experience and see it as a challenge that you can enjoy.

Career Transition how easy is it?

Career Transition Services are talked about but what do they do?

For many it is a re-branding of outplacement services where candidates or their soon to be ex-employer are charged for strategic help in re-targeting the candidate in a new career.The fee which is large is charged up front on a credit card or to the corporate body and may be as much as £10,000 per person.This support is often too academic and not direct enough

Candidates in Career Transition need direct tactical support-factualand actual help!

If you are wishing to move from the public sector to the private sector? Want to find contract work or a job quickly? How to you make use of a support package without an upfront fee? You approach an organisation that makes its money through contracting you on a margin or one that charges training fees but with a no job no fee guarantee!Or a least a  more reasonable fee below several thousand pounds.

Whether you wish to move from Permanent employment to Contract Engagement, from overseas to the UK ,from the Public Sector to the private sector  or simply change industries moving into the contract market is usually the  best way to achieve your goal! You will often receive many good reasons why you shouldn’t however, organisations such as BITE  (contract) and Career Practice (permanent) offer a range of Transition services  to help you succeed and secure  a contract quickly.

Without Industry experience most CV's are never considered, you need to maximise the opportunity of your CV being selected by clients! How?

Via Personal Branding and Clever Contract marketing gaining access to the hidden job market!

With your chosen company you need to:

• Obtain a consultation with your chosen  career coach to establish your personal brand –who and what you are in the market
• Identify the right key words or long tail words to optimise your brand
• Produce your CV and place your details on the Contractors availability list.
• Advertise you on CV on sites like www.getitstaff.com   or www.getacontractor.co.uk
• Network your availability through our contractor work force into the unadvertised job market
• Generally advertise your services in the UK contract market place.
• Build awareness of your availability on the Internet by expressing this each day in Groups and through a Social Network  Marketing and P.R plan as well as via Mailing Lists.
• Leverage your brand in the Social and Professional networking arena via a one stop shop marketing specialist
• You need access to a exclusive specialist job search database and specialist leads client databases
• You need membership of contractors and job seeker network group with its network jobs and opportunities

Try to avoid the COSTLY INITIAL mistakes everyone makes by engaging professional help immediately and not after you have failed or had a tough time of things. Help to ensure you are successful in the UK marketplace with professional support and ask how long they have been in business.Look for a specialist that knows the UK market and helps you  quickly, ensuring clients and agents quickly start calling you with potential contracts or jobs!

BITE Associate Executive member referral scheme Launched Jan 2011

Download Associate Executive Scheme

BITE have taken the major step of putting their money where their contractors help is provided. As of today anyone accepted and participating in the scheme will receive 15% of  gross profit for any succesful candidates who work through BITE.This is a very significant amount amounting tomore than half of BITE's PROFIT on each contractor.We aim to support those that support us!s

Essentially those contractors and consultants that refer suitable people can make good money with BITE.We are also extremely confident that those who are referred will also make good money through excellent contract opportunities!

Just get them to send their cv in and let us know.

http://www.biteconsulting.co.uk

Interim Consultant and management market place and rates

Interim Manager / Consultant Market place and Rates

My final update prior to Christmas on UK market rates.BITE's updates have now covered IT & Telecoms,Banking and Finance, Accountancy and Interim Professionals-The sectors we concentrate on and are availble to collect significant data and info for.

The London Market place has a varied demand for different interim managers and consultants to act as specialists for specific projects, to replace long term absentees or to work in a management consultancy capacity. Roles arise in Large enterprises, small to medium sized companies and demand exist in both the private and public sector. Requirements often arise where there is a need for organisational change or rapid development.

Current roles and rates in common professional fields are: 

ROLE                                          RATE / RENUMERATION 

Accounting, Finance and IT interim managers – see the specialist sector page.

Project Management / Change management

Interim project manager             £350- 450 per day

Interim program manager           £550- 600 per day

Service Delivery Management    

Service Delivery manager          £350-400 per day

 Procurement and Logistics

Interim procurement manager   £350-400 per day

H.R. / Reward and re-numeration

Policy review consultant             £180 per day

Reward consultant                     £250 per day

Interim H.R. Adviser                  £250 per day

Interim recruitment Consultant   £200 per day plus commission

Marketing and Communications 

Interim Sales and Marketing Director £550 per day

Interim head of corporate sales          £400 per day plus commission

General Management /Department Head

Operational management Consultant oil and Gas £300 per day

Engineering

Interim civil engineer rail projects   £250-300 per day

Building Surveyor                         £200-250 per day

Interim Manager / Consultant Opportunities and Qualifications

Management consultancy is "The service provided to business, public and other undertakings by an independent person...in identifying and investigating problems concerned with policy, organisation, procedures and methods, recommending appropriate action and helping to implement those recommended." This may be provided through a management consultancy company or often through independent freelance professionals working directly with their client.

Management consultants may advise on: organisational structure and development; production management; marketing, sales and distribution; personnel management and selection; systems analysis and design, and economic and environmental studies.

Interim Managers  are “ Experts in their specialist field who can provide  managerial services to organisations in the Large enterprise private sector, to SME’s, in the public sector (where the need to manage change has never been greater) and the not for profit sector.

It is not easy to get into this field as you need established specialist skills highlighted as part of your “personal brand” which you can offer to client organisations. You will need a strong academic background; good numeracy, analytical and communication skills, confidence, determination and a strong interest in business. Above all you need sound proven commercial experience demonstrating both specialist and general management or consulting skills. Normally a professional qualification in your field is needed with evidence of being both a team player and that of adopting a flexible approach to your work and working practices.

PROFILE: Management Consultant INVOLVES: The service provided to business, public & other undertakings by an independent person in identifying & investigating, problems concerned with policy, organisation, procedures & methods, recommending appropriate action & helping to implement those recommended. Working with all kinds of business to enhance their short - term or long - term performance. Projects may last anything from 1 month - 1 year. Management consultants may advise on: organisational structure & development, production management, marketing, sales & distribution, personnel management & selection, systems analysis & design, economic & environmental studies. EMPLOYERS: strategic consulting firms, software consultancies, divisions of accounting firms. RELATED JOBS: Freelance consulting & contracting work direct to client companies often provided via a recruitment company who will require you to use an umbrella company or have your own PSC. SATISFACTIONS: Varied work, important jobs, good pay, excellent career enhancement. NEGATIVES: Long hours, pressure, and little support: need to be independent & self - motivated. Primarily based in London. A few vacancies in chartered accountants' management consultancy divisions in other large cities. Much travelling is likely to be involved on assignments to clients, both in the U.K. & overseas. SKILLS: spoken & written communication, analysing, investigating, persuading. Personal qualities required: good academic record, flexibility.

 Employment opportunities 

include specialist consultancy firms, management consultancy divisions of chartered accountancy firms (see above) and IT consultancies such as Logica and Accenture. However many opportunities exist working directly with organisations, small or large, private or public, as an Independent Freelance Interim manager or Interim Consultant.

Generally the most common professional fields are:

Accounting, Finance and IT interim managers – BITE’s specialist area of professional engagement.

Project Management / Change management – where a specific project or task needs completing.

Service Delivery Management – where a defined Customer relationship management experience (CRM) needs defining and delivering.

Procurement and Logistics – Describes the purchasing, supply and distribution industry both internationally and within the UK. This involves all aspects of the supply chain from raw materials to the end product.

H.R. / Reward and re-numeration – Organisations need HR/Personnel professionals for one off projects for recruitment, reward, re-numeration and contractual employment  packages.

Marketing and Communications – Requirements range from brands management, department company marketing, market research, to advertising and P.R.  Also needed are specialist in the retail and sales industry.

General Management /Department Head – Interim roles are regularly needed where outsiders can step in and meet an immediate organisational management need.

Engineering – Design engineers with CAD skills, civil engineers, mechanical engineers and surveyors are all needed in the Building, Transport, Aerospace and Oil and Gas industries for their specialist skills.

Administrative and Organisational – A wide range of requirements exist from medical and legal administrators, Senior PA’s, Project co-ordinators and skilled technical administration specialists.

Public sector- Never has the need with public sector cuts been greater for Interim Managers / Consultants to work in this sector to help manage the change that is needed. This includes Central government, government advisory bodies, Local government and the N.H.S. and associated services. Pressure on head count will mean the right freelancers will desperately be needed.

 

 

 

Telecommunications Contract Rates December 2010

Continuing this weeks theme i'm adding to the Accounting and IT rates published with our small but significant poll on Telco rates.Opportunities always exist for IT people in the industry as the two sectors blurr.. together those that do best however have specific Telco industry experience and can command rates in the top quartile. (Banking and finance rates to follow).

Telecommunications Market Place and Rates

 

The UK Market place has a healthy demand for flexible candidates with the right skills and attitude towards contract work. Most Telco contract roles are very similar to roles in the general IT market and it is often difficult to differentiate them. There are however a range of roles similar to IT roles but Telco specific.

Again starting  in the contract market does offer opportunities for rate rises as the market improves whereas permanent work is less likely to provide flexibility and rate improvements.

Current rates are illustrated below:

ROLE                                                                                          CONTRACT RATE

 

Telecoms Consultant                                                                    £375-400 per day

Installation Engineer                                                                     £130-160 per day

Telecoms Engineer                                                                       £260-300 per day

Telecoms Business Analyst                                                          £388-400 per day     

Telecoms Developer                                                                     £375-400 per day

Telecoms Software Developer                                                      £375-410 per day

Telecoms Planner                                                                         £375-400 per day                         

Telecoms Project Manager                                                           £388-450 per day

ERP  Implementer Telco CRM                                                      £230-300 per day

eTom  SKILLS                                                                               £375-400 per day

UMTS (Universal mobile Telecommunications system                  £295-375 per day

Source BITE contract stats Dec.2010

IT Market rates December 2010

With the contract market looking  so positive i thought i would add to yesterdays blog on Accountancy rates by including our experience of IT market rates.Everyone averages them and they can be very average as a result so with our smaller but significant sample size based on BITE Stats people may find these figures helpful.

The UK IT Contracting Market Place

Contracting in the UK is unique and on the increase in the because of the recession. More contracts less perm opportunities.

Only the "best"contract in the UK. If you’ve got the skills you should be earning the better rates. Contract jobs on average pay 30% more then their equivalent permanent jobs. With the right CV and the right approach to the UK market you can be part of the “Crem del la crème” – as a professional UK contractor.

Market Info

Current Contracting Market Size

50% of the job market is contracting! Its normally around 30%, but due to the current economic environment there are more contract jobs available in place of permanent jobs.

Average Earnings of a Contractor

30% higher rates then the equivalent permanent positions

Most sought after IT contractors

Role / Job Type	Average daily rates (*varies on skills and experience)
Networker's, Administrators & Support	£280
Database Administrators & Systems Administrators	£330
Analyst Programmers & Developers (General)	£350
Specialists: ERP, Oracle, SAP, PeopleSoft etc	£390
Programme Managers, Project Managers, IT Managers	£410
New Media (Web) & E-Commerce Developers	£370
Testers, IBM Mainframe & Others	£250
Business Analysts, Data Analysts, Business Intelligence	£430
Infrastructure, Windows, Security Specialists	£320
Graphic Designers	£240
	Source: BITE Statistics

Finding Contracts and jobs

From Agencies

Most contractors will find their contracting positions through a recruitment agency. There are 1000's of agencies in the UK . Some specialise in only IT contracts and others are more general, covering all sectors of employment. Agencies are not only for contractors, most agencies will have jobs for: permanent, contract, temporary and part-time employment. The contracting market in the UK makes up 50% of the total IT job market, substantially more then in most other countries. The agency will put you in touch with the client but to get paid you need to have a limited company - either an Umbrella Company or your own limited company of your own. Is the agency you are going through credit worthy? If they cannot pay you how will you recover your earnings?

Market share

No recruitment agency or software house in the UK has more then 3% market share. It's therefore important to work with several agencies. The size of the recruitment agency is not important, often a smaller one will work in a specialised sector within IT and will have clients that other agencies do not. But with so many agencies its vital to ensure they are credit checked before contracting with them. If working through BITE, we'll gaurantee you are paid even if the agency is late or unable to pay.

From clients directly

Not all contract jobs are advertised through agencies, although the majority are. In some cases the company will advertise positions themselves and will employ you directly. You will still need to have a limited company (Umbrella Company or your own limited company) to operate through, the client cannot pay you directly, if they are then its not contracting

Contract Market rates

Well the IT market is doing well.The Accountancy and Finance market has also picked up and i enclose some information on current rates  for those that would find it interesting.I,ve also sourced a range of information on accountancy opportunities to help people understand how their skills might or might not fit into the UK market place.This is particularly relevant if you are thinking about coming to the UK or not.

Accountancy and Finance Market Place and Rates

 

The London Market place has a healthy demand for flexible candidates with the right skills and attitude towards contract work. The Large enterprise environment within the private sector is the most lucrative but candidates can do well in the less popular area of SME’s where there may be less competition for vacancies.

Getting started in the contract market does offer opportunities for rate rises as the market improves whereas permanent work is less likely to provide flexibility and rate improvements.

Current rates are illustrated below:

ROLE                                          PERMANENT SALARY                              CONTRACT RATE

Clerical (purchase ledger, sales ledger and credit controllers          £9.00-16 per hour

Part Qualified

Foundation  Stage                   £24-28K                                                      £13-15 per hour

Intermediate Stage                 £28-35K                                                      £15-18 per hour

Professional stage                   £35-40K                                                      £19-22per hour

Passed Finalist                         £40-45k                                                      £25+ per hour

Newly qualified 1-2 PQE

Financial Accountant             £40-45K                                                      £22+per hour

Credit Analyst                         £45-48K                                                      £23-25 per hour

Systems Accountant              £45-50K                                                     £23-28 per hour

Risk Analyst                            £45-48K                                                      £25-50 per hour

Internal Audit                         £45-55K                                                      £25-30 per hour

Management accountant   £45k+                                                           £28+ per hour

Product controller               £50-55K                                                        £28-35 per hour

Financial Controller            £55-65K                                                        £35-40 per hour

 

Accountancy and Finance Opportunities and Qualifications

Accountancy is a career which offers a graduate environment, variety, people contact, a professional qualification, high salaries and opportunities to work internationally. (Who said accountancy was boring?). Many accountants use their qualification to move into general management or to set up their own business

Accountants work in all areas of business, plus the public and voluntary sector. Many work in firms of chartered or certified accountants (this is referred to as working in “private practice” or, confusingly, as “public practice”). Others are employed by banks, manufacturing companies, local authorities, charities, publishers, film companies, hospital trusts, insurance companies, universities – you name it!

With clients as part of an audit team and reviewing their business operations and financial records to establish the validity of the company's accounts. Auditing gives you a chance to visit 10 or 20 companies a year, examine their finances and strategies and and ask questions about the way they work. You see what makes some profitable, some fail, some good places to work and others bad: after 3 years training you have a unique insight into what makes a business successful.

Other work includes tax consultancy, business advice and insolvency work. This gives a broad insight into many different businesses and areas of business, which is why many accountants choose to qualify in private practice before moving into industry and other areas. If you train in private practice you will qualify with one of the chartered accountancy institutes or with the Association of Chartered Certifed Accountants (ACCA)

Accountants in industry and commerce use their financial expertise to inform management decision-making, to advise other departments within their organisation and to maximise its profitability and effectiveness. In the public sector they perform a similar role but with the emphasis on ensuring value for money.

There are several different professional bodies which regulate the training and work of accountants in the UK (see below) but, as a general rule, qualifying as an accountant will involve three years of study, exams and relevant employment. Training for professional exams is provided by employers. Early responsibility and fast promotion is available if your work and exam results are satisfactory

The difference between Management Accountancy (CIMA) and Certified Accountancy (ACCA)
Management Accountancy (CIMA) Focused on business and uniquely covers:  Operations Change Management Relationship and Project Management Marketing CIMA puts emphasis on: Human Resource Management Applied management accounting techniques Stronger emphasis on application and analysis of knowledge. Qualified to deal with business decisions.	Certified Accountancy (ACCA)Focused on professional practice and uniquely covers: Taxation of corporate and non- corporate entities (using actual tax rules) External audit and assurance Law                ACCA puts emphasis on: Information systems Financial accounting and reporting

Professional Accountancy Bodies and Qualifications

Employers in accountancy place great value on professional qualifications either with candidates who have achieved them or who are demonstrating their willingness to study and achieve them.

Qualifications can be grouped into 2 categories:

Specialists:

Specialist areas of expertise include non chartered financial accountants, accounting technicians, bookkeepers, taxation, practioners and payroll professionals. The majority of students study 3 courses offered by the following professional bodies.

• Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)
• Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)
• Institute OF Credit Managers (ICM)
• Institute of Payroll Professionals(IPP)
• Institute of Financial Accountants(IFA)
• International Association of bookkeepers (IAB)
• Association of International Accountants (AIA)

 

 

Achieving specialist status allows people to look at job roles in four principle catergories:

Taxation experts - who advise clients on tax matters and assess tax liabilities

Financial and accounting technicians – who work alongside accountants and other financial professionals in managing the financial affairs of an organisation

Financial accountants who are not chartered

Accounts, wages and other financial professionals and bookkeepers

Chartered:

Chartered and International equivalent

Chartered Accountancy

• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) includes training vacancies www.icaew.com/careers
• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland www.icas.org.uk you can obtain a Scottish qualification with employers throughout the UK
• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland www.icai.ie covers the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland

Certified Accountancy

• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) www.acca.co.uk includes the ACCA Graduate Guide and jobs database

Management Accountancy

• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) www.cimaglobal.com includes "Directory of Opportunities"

Public Finance Accountancy

• The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy www.cipfa.org.uk/eandt includes training vacancies; an 'Ask the Tutor' service and an interactive map of the colleges that teach CIPFA

Tax Work

• Chartered Institute of Taxation www.tax.org.uk the ATII examination provides an alternative, or an additional, qualification to accountancy for tax specialists
• TaxWorking www.TaxWorking.org job opportunities in the tax profession

Achieving Chartered Status allows people to look at job roles in two separate categories:

Financial managers and Chartered Secretaries – who plan and organise, direct and co-ordinate financial information and advise on company financial policy. While Chartered Secretaries organise the work associated with meetings of directors and shareholders

Chartered, certified and management accountants – who provide accounting and auditing services, advise clients on financial matters and collect and analyse financial information to perform other accounting duties required by management to plan and control an organisations income and expenditure.

Accountancy Training in the Public Sector

• National Audit Office www.nao.org.uk train as a chartered accountant with the independent "financial watchdog" monitoring government spending.
• NHS Financial Management Training Scheme www.futureleaders.nhs.uk  Leads to a choice of professional qualifications - CIPFA, CIMA, ACCA or  ICAEW
• London Treasurers Local Government finance graduate scheme www.financethefuture.com/home.asp

 

Contract and Interim opportunities exist across the industry for candidates with good Numerical skills, communication skills and a flexible approach to the work place.

 

The IT Market in London UK see's 2010 moving to 2011 as on the up and up!

Everyone is asking the state of the contract market in London  well.... here it is:

Historically contractors are the first to be discarded and the

first to be employed. This is a good indicator on the state

of IT recruitment. Over the last quarter there has been an

increase of 13.3% in the number of advertisements for

freelance IT staff.

In addition 52% more contract vacancies are there but never advertised and access to these is a simple matter of learning to network in the UK Contract market place.

We are now constantly getting requests for staff in our London offices, the problem  is that there aren't enough experienced IT Freelance contractors with good communication skills and a flexible attitude to work.

The government in the UK is adding to uncertainty by publishing an aggressive approach to reducing non European Union Immigration.With quota being introduced those who can gain a Tier 1 or 2 visa should travel to enjoy the market before the restrictions in April shut the door to the UK.THOSE UNDER 30 who haven't enjoyed their great O.E. can apply and gain a Tier 5 visa which can give them a 2 year UK experience with full work rights.

Those who travel in January really will enjoy a favourable marketplace like no other in years as few competitors will exist for IT Contract jobs while the  majority of traditional Aussie and Kiwi arrivals dither.This is due to poor British press reports outdated reports from returners from the UK who have failed then travelled and then got home with tales of doom and gloom now completely outdated. Lastly a poor exchange rate and the perceptions it has created is amplifying the situation (which helps your money go further and does not affect your spending and earnings while in the UK). Additionally the South Africans traditionally one third of 2 Year working holiday makers (now the Tier 5 visa) have been excluded from obtaining the visa as a result of political differences between South Africa and the UK.

AS A RESULT: In February 2011 rates will rise continually throughout the year as the supply of the right frelancers reduces further with the typical 2 year cycle of visa holders returning home as their visas expire, with few being allowed to  replace them. Labour shortages and rate rises are unavoidable. 

Simply the laws of supply and demand dictate those that arrive in 2011 while they can will prosper!I've enclosed some  a figures from CW Jobs to help understanding of the UK market place.

IT Contract Software skills advertised – Quarter 2/2009 to Quarter 2/2010

Software skill: jobs per Quarter; Quarter; Quarter;  Quarter % /Annual %

                                           3/2010     2/2010     3/2009     change     change

SQL                                    2880       2811            2726               2.5                  5.6

C                                         2101       2039           1853                3.0                  13.4

C#                                       1931       1687           1324                  .5                  45.8

JAVA                                   1673       1741           1190                -3.9               40.6

.NET                                    1370       1239           1068               10.6               28.3

ORACLE                              1345      1440           1394                -6.6             -3.5

SQL SERVER                      1209       1182          1263                  2.3             -4.3

SAP                                      935         894             863                    4.6              8.3

UNIX                                     866         828             904                   4.6           -4.2

For further info contact http://biteconsulting.co.uk/offer.html 

 

Referral Opportunities with BITE- £250 per successful person recruited

At BITE we are offering the opportunity for anyone who has been through our jobsearch program to refer successful candidates to us and if they sign up as a BITE contractor and work for at least six weeks successfully we will reward them with £250!

Yes the Contract Market is good at we can still place people into work before Christmas.Infact it constitutes over 40% of advertised jobs in the IT market and a further 50%of jobs are never advertised.

For those that really are interested in helping BITE we intend to reward tjhem with Associate executive status with a chance to earn a significant slice of BITE's profits

Career transition is the new opportunity for public sector staff wishing to discover the private sector & permanent employees wishing to contract in the UK http://www.biteconsulting.co.uk/offer.html

The UK Contracting Market- Some information and help!

BITE Professionals – UK Contracts

The UK Contracting Market

In the UK, contracting is for professionals with the opportunity to earn more and achieve better career progression than with a permanent job. There are over 11,000 agencies here and none have more than 3% market share, so simply signing up with just a few is not the best way to find work. About 25-30% of the total job market is contracting, one of the highest levels in the world. Skilled and ambitious people do the best, learning the game and being flexible will give you a great start.

How to break into this lucrative area

You need as much exposure as you can get. It can be especially difficult for new arrivals to break into the UK market simply because it’s so different over here. However, finding a job with BITE is relatively straightforward, you can find the right job at the right rate – and increase your earning power substantially for your next contracts. There is also something called the “hidden job market”, which accounts for around 40-60% of the total jobs available. These jobs are not advertised and are difficult to find! With training from BITE you can tap into this hidden job market and really prove yourself in the UK. High earnings and fantastic career development can be yours.

What is Contracting?

Working as a professional contractor in the UK allows great flexibility and a different lifestyle. Contracts are usually 3-6months long, often there will be extensions or many contractors will choose to find a new contract each time, taking time off in-between for travel! This allows you to gain more experience and to work in different industries / sectors whilst enjoying life. Contracts are usually found through agents who work on behalf of clients to find them the right contractors. It’s a professional’s game and BITE can show you the best way to play.

UK CV & earnings

The first step is to get your killer CV customised for the UK market, remember that your CV needs to impress agents and clients and will be automatically scanned for database searches. The proven BITE CV is the key to your success in the UK. Full assistance and guidance from our expert CV consultants will ensure it works! Each candidate has the opportunity to discuss their qualifications, skills and previous experience in order to create a powerful CV. Determining the right level of earnings is important, one of our consultants will provide a rate assessment for you, based on the current market and your combined skills. BITE will help you get the right job and the right rate, being new in the UK it’s very easy to accept a low paying permanent job. Start your professional contracting career with BITE.

CV Marketing

Now that your CV is ready you’ll want agents to see it! Whenever you’re looking for work BITE will add your CV to our mailing list, which is sent to around 1000 agents each week. It will also be added to our website for agents to find. This service is unique, unlike other companies, BITE do not charge agents for getting in touch with you, and to speed up the process agents will call you directly with contract opportunities! The marketing services are especially useful for new arrivals who won’t have the contacts in the UK to secure the right contracts. Even the most established contractors benefit – gaining more exposure in this very competitive market.

Professional Telephone Skills and Interviews

Because the Contracting market is so different in the UK, the extensive guidance you receive throughout your time at BITE really makes all the difference. If you want to prove successful and make the most of your time in the UK, you cannot afford to spend time learning the game! With over 30 years recruitment experience, our consultants will assist you all the way. Dealing with agents on the phone for the first time can be very interesting. There are a lot of reasons for not wanting to find you a job, there will always be someone with UK experience who will get preferential treatment. To “sell” your skills successfully you need learn the tricks of the trade; getting past agents is a major hurdle and after that you need to impress the client who you will work for. BITE will provide individual and group workshop training sessions and help you create an interview plan for your actual interviews. This can make the difference between getting the job or not!

Starting work

Every contractor in the UK must operate via a limited company (umbrella or your own limited company) to be both legal and accepted by the agencies. As a contractor you will be considered self employed, you will have to send invoices to the client for payment, be responsible for paying tax and are required to have various insurance policies. Laws and regulations are particularly complex in the UK and contractors who are unaware of these are unfortunately at risk. If you want to avoid all these issues, then BITE is the right option for you. We work hard to keep up to date with all the changes affecting the contracting market, provide a range of limited companies, offer various levels of support depending on what you require, and offer packages to help you work efficiently in the UK without hassle. You can also claim the cost of your flight to the UK, your accommodation and travel expenses, as well as other legitimate business expenses. Being a contractor you are also at risk of not being paid - for example if your agency/client goes bankrupt or is just late paying your invoice! BITE take this risk for you, we will pay you regardless of whether the client has paid or not, avoiding delays in payments. Full insurance and credit checks allow us to operate this service, most other UK umbrella companies will only pay you once they have received payments – causing unnecessary late payment to you!

work & Stay longer in the Uk – updgrade your visa

Coming to the UK with a working holiday visa is a great way to get started. Contracting with BITE means working for longer – with BITE you will be able to work the full two years of your visa by gaining work and renewals quickly and validating your visa to employers (even if there is only a few months left on it which can make it difficult to find work).Taking a permanent job will only allow you to work for a fixed term at a budget (low) salary as it won't be seen as your career just a holiday job. Alternatively, on a tier 5 visa you can now work 2 years and enhance your career and doubling your salary when you go home on the back of yopur new international experience. Those wanting to apply for a Tier 1 visa (HSMP) or a Tier 2 work permit will benefit from BITE and our associate visa agency, Breytenbach, who will be able to provide you with the best advice and help you fast track your applications, make sure your earnings are at the right level and that your applications are handled by an expert. Should you wish to stay even longer, BITE and Breytenbach can help with visa renewals or extensions, new visa’s or even applying for UK citizenship and a UK passport. Full support is available at whatever level you need.

The little things that make all the difference

Relocating to the UK can be a difficult decision to make. Feeling a little lost and confused, wondering how you're going to crack this one?  We can assist you with all the little things so important in the UK, like your bank account, National Insurance number, figuring the underground out and which way the buses run, as well as accommodation, tenancy references and where to get your laundry done!

Working in our contractor resource centre located in Leicester Square, Central London, you will meet other BITE contractors from all over the world, a great chance for you to meet other people who have also moved to the UK. Have a chat, coffee, jelly beans and give yourself the perfect start to your career in the UK.

http://www.biteconsulting.co.uk/offer.html

 

 

Desperately seeking .net and java developers with a work visa who want to contract in the UK. http://www.biteconsulting.co.uk/offer.html

New arrivals to UK have pre-purchased 100 landing packs from BRITBOUND to provide free to any Interview candidates bank account phone pack etc. http://www.biteconsulting.co.uk

Series of contract project management interviews this week fingers crossed for the guys i'm sure they will be successful.Need developers java &.net. http:www.biteconsulting.co.uk

Well here we are first week in September and BITE have a big demand for contractors with the right skills. http://www.biteconsulting.co.uk.In particular London needs Java developers and .net developers with 2 years commercial experience and a flexible approach to work. Our career transition services can really help those from abroad with a valid work visa settle in the UK and those without contract experience settle into the UK Contract market.We know it's hard for people to appreciate the value of an organisation that is not a conventional agency but a one stop shop, for contractors working as a Career Consultancy.I'll update everyone on skills in demand but in the meantime do look at the market for contract job opportunities.

Well now is the time to come to the UK and contract the UK market really gets moving on Monday 6th September and hots up throughout September and October.It will slow in November a little and die in December.The trick to being successful is arrive this month or next find work within 4 weeks and take contracts that will see you through to the New year (avoiding being out of contract over Christmas).You can then hit the peak periods again of February March and with the end of the Tax year and the financial year ends plus the new budgets with the tax and financial years commencing.It's important therefore to gain a fast startin the market and ensure you don't get your timing wrong.Some more senior contractors may take a little longer to find work,why not ask us for advice on your planned timings. http://www.biteconsulting.co.uk/submit-cv.htm

Back from Ibiza great holiday fantastic music and weather good to hear the London contract market is very busy http://www.biteconsulting.co.uk

Great week it's about being the best presented and most flexible candidate 3 into the banks and 6 interviews! http://www.biteconsulting.co.uk