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I disagree with those that say the contractor market is declining. I think it
is changing and it has a lot of traditional job shops clamoring for a few
morsels. But the quantity of contract opportunities is still pretty good.
Economic uncertainty is traditionally a good time for outsource providers.
Companies are reducing head-count and using outsourcing as a way to control
costs. One of the areas that is increasingly outsourced is tech docs. Which is
good for me because that's what my company supplies. :-)
What has happened is that a lot of companies simply don't need recruiters any
more. When it is a buyer's market for labor, you don't need to enlist the help
of outside recruiters. This is exactly why my firm exited the recruiting
business about 6 months ago. We saw the downturn coming and knew it would not
be a good time for recruiting. Instead we shifted 95% of our resources into
outsourcing. It was a good move, one I am extremely happy we made. We're
signing up new customers everyday.
What is also happening is a "reality check." Companies are not buying into
tap-dancing BS'ers any more. They want tangible results, quickly, without
excessive cost. This is why big e-commerce consultancies are collapsing. They
have nothing to sell but their esoteric and mostly useless methodologies.
Perhaps things are different elsewhere, but this seems to be the mood here on
the west coast. There is work, there are opportunities, they are just smaller
and more realistic. Were I a job seeker right now, I would focus intensely on
what I can do versus what I have done.
That's just my opinion, I could be insane.
Andrew Plato
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