Despite IT contractors being in huge demand this year, new reports are suggesting that Christmas will be a quiet time.
The report, which was published in November, shows that demand for IT type services typically drops significantly during the December period, only to then get back to normal at the beginning of January. This happened during both the end of 2014 and 2015, and is now predicted to follow this trend at the end of 2016.
I think this is something that happens in most industries, and I wouldn’t be too worried if you are an IT professional who is finding it difficult to find contracting jobs this Christmas.
In fact, you might want to sit back and relax for a few weeks, and then be raring to go in the new year, because many of the other reports I’ve been listening to are predicting that 2017 is going to be one of the best ever for IT contractors.
This is especially true in specialised areas of the IT industry, where certain skills are in high demand and they need contractors to fill positions. For example, cyber security, digital services, gaming, software, and technical sales are just some of the areas where your IT knowledge and expertise is going to be needed in 2017.
Also, when you consider that the UK might very well go forward with Brexit and leave the European Union, then some experts are claiming that it could mean even more shortages of skills in key areas. Who knows exactly what is going to happen, but what I do know is that for IT contractors there should be more work than ever before, both in London and other areas of the country.
There is a downside to the potential Brexit situation though. A few pundits have commented that many companies might be tempted to relocate abroad in a bid to get IT professionals if they can’t do it at a suitable cost here in the UK.
I’m not too sure if this is going to happen. We’ve already seen how many of the biggest companies in the world have committed their future to the UK, and how companies such as McDonald’s are basing their international headquarters in London. I wouldn’t be surprised if similar companies do exactly the same thing, which in turn would mean more opportunities than ever before for IT contractors.
For now, it’s probably time to enjoy the end of a successful 2016 and celebrate Christmas with family and friends, and then get ready for 2017, because as an IT contractor your skills are very much needed by the UK economy.
