4 ms·

This must be unique to the UK or finance jobs or some other variable other than simply "IT" or "consulting". As an independnet consultant, I've never seen deman

by Encosia 14y ago

This must be unique to the UK or finance jobs or some other variable other than simply "IT" or "consulting". As an independnet consultant, I've never seen demand higher in my niche, and that's with me constantly raising my rates over the past few years.

mgkimsal 14y ago
Ditto, but... I think the point is that it can all change, quickly. I was around in the first dot-com boom/bust, and do understand it could happen again, but I'm less pessimistic that things would crash again as hard and as fast. From an IT perspective, there's simply more technology powering more people's lives and businesses than there was 10-12 years ago. Mobile computing, cheap computers, widespread internet have all made "the web" far more entrenched and important to all collapse at the same time. The support/demand for all the IT jobs is too broad across too many sectors. Doesn't mean demand won't fluctuate or slow down or reverse, but not likely all at once within just a few months. Gentle plug: http://indieconf.com http://indieconf.com is an upcoming conference to help freelancers learn about and deal with these sorts of issues - self-employment, boom/bust cycles, pricing, legal, etc. :)
- Encosia 14y ago
  That's definitely true. I manage my finances with the expectation that the bottom will eventually fall out of the investment driven tech sector, whether because money can't be as cheap as it currently is forever or because too many high profile IPOs will fail to produce results, and that will pull the rug out from under the rest of us too. I'm also never rude to recruiters, as seems to be in fashion these days, for the same reason. You're right that adaptation is key too. 15 years ago, I was writing desktop VB apps on the client-side and Perl scripts on the server-side. Now I'm writing HTML5 apps on the client-side and JavaScript nearly everywhere. 15 years from now, I wonder if I'll still be using JavaScript at all?
  - edwinnathaniel 14y ago
    I'm guessing HTML5 + JS is the in-demand niche you mentioned in the parent post? I find it surprising that the technology is gaining more traction for consultants (as opposed for the hot up-n-coming silicon valley startups). Mind to share the type of clients that are looking for your services in this area?
    - Encosia 14y ago
      Everyone from small businesses to Fortune 500s in the past couple years. A surprising number of them are deploying internal tools and applications that target cutting edge browser features, even if their public-facing sites still require IE7 support.
- edwinnathaniel 14y ago
  It's true that there are more varieties in technology these days but on the other hand, the rise of some of the medium-size SaaS players (Salesforce.com, Dropbox.com, Box.net) and some of the "cookie-cutters" technology (wordpress, blogger.com, any CMS system out there) do change the game of consulting. I'm guessing that in the past, one can run a successful and profitable "web-design" business easily as there aren't too many software like Drupal, Wordpress, phpBB, and the customers aren't necessarily "educated" in the sense that they could google these software and learn or hire some high-school kids cheaply out there. Ditto with custom software like PoS, accounting software, CRM, etc. These days people would go with Salesforce, NetSuite, MS Dynamics, and the like. Consultants have to become more specialized and there is a lifespan for those niches as the companies behind those software would like to increase their profits as "agile" as possible. This is definitely tougher on the consultants.
lifeisstillgood 14y ago
I would like to ask - in all seriousness - how do you fill your pipeline - cold calling, agency work, regular clients ?
- Encosia 14y ago
  Long-term clients, word of mouth, and (a surprising number of) people contacting me through my technical blog. Feel free to send me an email (link in my profile) if you have any specific questions.

by Encosia 14y ago

mgkimsal 14y ago

Ditto, but... I think the point is that it can all change, quickly. I was around in the first dot-com boom/bust, and do understand it could happen again, but I'm less pessimistic that things would crash again as hard and as fast. From an IT perspective, there's simply more technology powering more people's lives and businesses than there was 10-12 years ago. Mobile computing, cheap computers, widespread internet have all made "the web" far more entrenched and important to all collapse at the same time. The support/demand for all the IT jobs is too broad across too many sectors. Doesn't mean demand won't fluctuate or slow down or reverse, but not likely all at once within just a few months. Gentle plug: http://indieconf.com http://indieconf.com is an upcoming conference to help freelancers learn about and deal with these sorts of issues - self-employment, boom/bust cycles, pricing, legal, etc. :)

Encosia 14y ago
That's definitely true. I manage my finances with the expectation that the bottom will eventually fall out of the investment driven tech sector, whether because money can't be as cheap as it currently is forever or because too many high profile IPOs will fail to produce results, and that will pull the rug out from under the rest of us too. I'm also never rude to recruiters, as seems to be in fashion these days, for the same reason. You're right that adaptation is key too. 15 years ago, I was writing desktop VB apps on the client-side and Perl scripts on the server-side. Now I'm writing HTML5 apps on the client-side and JavaScript nearly everywhere. 15 years from now, I wonder if I'll still be using JavaScript at all?
- edwinnathaniel 14y ago
  I'm guessing HTML5 + JS is the in-demand niche you mentioned in the parent post? I find it surprising that the technology is gaining more traction for consultants (as opposed for the hot up-n-coming silicon valley startups). Mind to share the type of clients that are looking for your services in this area?
  - Encosia 14y ago
    Everyone from small businesses to Fortune 500s in the past couple years. A surprising number of them are deploying internal tools and applications that target cutting edge browser features, even if their public-facing sites still require IE7 support.
edwinnathaniel 14y ago
It's true that there are more varieties in technology these days but on the other hand, the rise of some of the medium-size SaaS players (Salesforce.com, Dropbox.com, Box.net) and some of the "cookie-cutters" technology (wordpress, blogger.com, any CMS system out there) do change the game of consulting. I'm guessing that in the past, one can run a successful and profitable "web-design" business easily as there aren't too many software like Drupal, Wordpress, phpBB, and the customers aren't necessarily "educated" in the sense that they could google these software and learn or hire some high-school kids cheaply out there. Ditto with custom software like PoS, accounting software, CRM, etc. These days people would go with Salesforce, NetSuite, MS Dynamics, and the like. Consultants have to become more specialized and there is a lifespan for those niches as the companies behind those software would like to increase their profits as "agile" as possible. This is definitely tougher on the consultants.

lifeisstillgood 14y ago

I would like to ask - in all seriousness - how do you fill your pipeline - cold calling, agency work, regular clients ?

Encosia 14y ago
Long-term clients, word of mouth, and (a surprising number of) people contacting me through my technical blog. Feel free to send me an email (link in my profile) if you have any specific questions.