I speak to contractors daily and the question that i'm being asked now even more than ever is 'how is the market looking?' I'm sure some people think i'm just sitting in my office drinking champagne and playing in a pile of money and Drupal t-shirts, but in recruitment there are some times that you have to actually do some work - actually that is every day, so I do have pretty good idea of what's happening out there.
In answer to the question on everybody involved in the technology industries lips, i'd say that it probably is clear to see that there is a little uncertainty in the market at the moment. Clients seem to be thinking a little harder about spending their money, some projects are being placed on hold, some cancelled altogether. However, generally speaking I think that 2012 is looking like a promising year. The work is definitely out there, all you have to do is pop onto Jobserve and see all the adverts that Dean from Hayes is posting and lets face it, if he has jobs then things must be alright!
The media loves to harp on about an apparent economic armageddon which is going to be happening this year and scare stories like these actually help contribute to people's mindsets, thus causing the problems in the market. But even if there is a 'double dip' this year, technology is going to remain strong. In a recession, money doesn't evaporate, it changes hands - one of my colleagues loves that saying and I think it is very poignant.
Companies need technology to evolve and save money, which means there is no reason why 2012 can't be one of the most prosperous years in recent memory, at least for the people with the right mindsets and in the right industries. Now, if you'll excuse me, my champagne is getting warm.
