Chris Shepherd

Demand for Intermediate-level Software Developers is decreasing, resulting in salary levels on offer declining. For the time being it appears that the days of intermediate developers securing 15% - 20% pay increases when moving jobs are over.   Current advertised salaries for software developers in the UK (3 months to June 2024) are down to 2019 levels.   Is this trend mirrored elsewhere in the world? What are the causes for this?    

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What is a TypeScript Engineer? I keep seeing this pop up in recruitment posts, which means clients are asking for it...right? Has this replaced the FullStack Engineer, which, lets be honest, meant a NodeJS developer. That was back in the good old days when it was only NodeJS. Now we have Bun, Deno, Hono and more. Or perhaps its asking for a Javascript developer...whatever that means in todays world of a thousand js frameworks and evolving ES standards. Or are they actually asking for a Java developer, because someones used Gen AI along the way and it got confused between Java and Javascript (*shudders*) Are they seriously in need of a type system engineer, thats kinda niche. It's hard enough trying to explain what you do as a job to "normal" folk as it is, without this level of obfuscation. How would you even explain this when asked "What do you do?". Do kids nowadays needs to consider themselves experts in everything inside package.json to land a job? When will the industry move beyond this fixation on specific languages? I get it, it's an important consideration, but asking for Typescript Engineers...it's not going to help you find the devs you actually need.

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I thought it might be fun to start a bit of a LinkedIn Challenge - to meet 100 Developers in 100 Days I've been a C#/.NET software developer for over 2 decades. I've actually been coding with the .NET Framework since one of its beta releases Post a comment of what your primary coding language is and how long you've been mastering your craft #softwaredevelopers #coders #100devsin100days #linkedinchallenge

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As a manager, how should your CV differ from that of a Software Engineer? I've (unfortunately) spoken to a lot of engineering leaders in the last six months or so that have been made redundant. Seems a lot of companies are aiming to cut costs by cutting out a management layer. Will it work? Probably not, but we can save that discussion for another day. Anyway - engineers spend their entire career with a CV that follows a loosely similar format. But how should that change once you go into more of a strategic role? Well let's think about why a company would hire an EM, Head of Eng, CTO etc. 🤑 Saving money. If their dev department is bleeding cash, chances are they need help revamping their processes. Use your CV to give concrete examples of times you have saved a business money. ⌚ Saving time. If deadlines are being missed, guess what? It's more money lost. Have you tackled a situation where deployment time needed drastically improving? Tell people about it! 👩‍💻 Improving quality. If you're an engineering leader, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that there will have been a time you helped an engineer/team to drastically improve the quality of their code. Tell companies about times you have helped turn someone's career around. A few small changes to your CV / LinkedIn profile can be hugely helpful. Remember - your salary will (likely) be a lot higher than that of a senior engineer. It's on you to show the company that in the long run, the value you add will make them forget what they pay you. What do you think?

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This is incredibly interesting and undoubtably what the market needs - what goes up must inevitably come down to level out in way in which the market can accommodate. Now Software Developers what do you think? Does this impact the way you're looking at your career and your next move? #developmentrecruitment #salariesaredecreasing #acallforsomeinsight

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📉 The contracting market in software development is evolving, and it's a shift that both contractors and employers need to navigate wisely. In today’s candidate-heavy market, we’re seeing: ✔️ Contracting roles becoming harder to secure. ✔️ Contractors adjusting daily rates compared to a couple of years ago. ✔️ A growing need for flexibility from both candidates and companies. To help you stay informed, Frazer Tremble has put together a quick Guide to Contracting Rates in Software Development (see the image below). It reflects the current rates across key roles—from Mid-level to Lead. 💬 How are you adapting to this changing market? - Are you adjusting rates or your hiring strategies? - What trends are you seeing in your industry? Let’s start a conversation, whether you’re hiring or seeking a new opportunity, I’d love to help you navigate this dynamic space. #SoftwareDevelopment #ContractingRates #MarketInsights #Recruitment

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What’s the optimal timeframe to hire a Software Engineer? There isn’t one. 👀 One of Bounce Digital clients for the same role… 🎯Software Engineer 1; CV > Offer = 6 Days 🎯Software Engineer 2; CV > Offer = 44 Days It all comes down to what suits both parties. 🤝 Some people need/want time. 🐌 Others need/want to hurry things up. 🏃 No two processes are the same. No two candidates are the same. Flexibility and an agile approach are what matter most. 🔀 The most successful companies don’t stay too rigid when hiring. ✅ What do others think? #softwareengineer #interviewprocess #engineeringmanager

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Elixir & Erlang Hiring Managers!! I’m looking to speak with clients with live roles that require on-site presence, how is your hiring coming along?? Drop me a message if you have some free time #elixir #erlang

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If this was written on my CV explaining what I do at Talenza... - Recruit mobile & software engineers - Speak with new & existing companies ...Do you think someone that doesn't know me, would jump at the chance of setting up an interview? Highly unlikely. Over the past week, I've seen more 1 page CV's with little to no context, than I have done in the past 2+ years of recruiting in the Software space. And this is a period of time as an engineer - you probably need to be doing a little bit more to stand out from the crowd. We are NOT in a market where every company is scrambling to hire and interviewing everyone that comes their way. I'm not saying put together a 20 page power point presentation as your CV, still be concise, but actually give some context on what you've been doing. If you've worked on a complex project, explain it in a few bullet points. For example; - What the the problem was - How it was solved - The impact it had on the business I'm not a CV guru and there is no magic formula (otherwise every CV would look exactly the same). But adding the above info along with the tech stack being used, will probably help you increase the CV sent to interview ratio. *Completely disregard this post if you have a 1 page CV and are getting all of the interviews you want to*

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✨ 2024: A Year in Reviews ✨ As we approach the end of the year, I’ve been reflecting on the journey I’ve shared with so many talented candidates and inspiring clients. Here are just a few testimonials from the incredible people I’ve had the privilege to work with this year 👇👇👇 #JavaScript #TypeScript #Python

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A bit of CV advice for today!! I watched a video of recruiters saying don't highlight your hobbies and interests a few weeks back. Well, in my opinion, that's rubbish. Hundreds of developers are applying for roles, and if you have similar experience to another developer applying, then your personality will be the difference in you getting offered the role. If you are looking for some advice, please reach out to me and I'll happily book in a call to help you. *Love the frame for this video 🤣 #django #python #cvadvice #resumeadvice

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Results from last weeks poll. Very close call - seems we're split on this one. With demand for work / life balance on the rise. Is this an approach we might see adopted more in 2025? #4dayweek #prorated #softwareengineering

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9/10 times, there is only one reason that developers fail their take-home tech tests - and it has the simplest solution. "Coding projects are a polarizing topic: some candidates love them while other candidates find them unfair. On one side, coding projects allow you to showcase your skills in a more natural environment, using the tools you love." Love them or hate them, they're a non-negotiable part of numerous development interview processes. I completely agree that these tech challenges should always be general tests so that applicants are not expected to provide free contributions to the client's platform, but there is one huge point missed in this article. TEST YOUR CODE! The most common feedback I’ve had for why a candidate has been unsuccessful with their tech challenge is “code does not compile”. If you’ve taken the time to complete a tech challenge, it is imperative that you check to see if it works. You may have spent 3 hours on it, maybe even longer; don’t skimp on Unit testing. https://lnkd.in/dP4Nd5u2

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Frontend Developer who wants to work with TypeScript and Angular 17? 👇 📍 Reigate - 2 days a week on-site 💰 Up to £90,000 + 15% Bonus + 10% Pension Spencer Scott - Technology Recruitment [email protected] 👋 #ai #technology #recruitment #recruitment #fintech #frontenddeveloper #ml #javascript #angular #typescript #html #css

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A few weeks ago I spoke with a CTO that had been looking for an Embedded Software Engineer for 4 months. 🧐 They had tried to advertise the position on multiple channels -> 100+ applications -> 3 interviews -> 0 hires. 😶 They had tried to work with three recruitment agencies -> 13 CVs received -> 3 interviews -> 0 hires. 😑 Yesterday afternoon the only candidate I submitted, was hired. 😶‍🌫️ What was the difference? A 30 minutes long scheduled and prepared discovery meeting vs "I don't have time for a call" given to the other agencies. ✅ After the meeting, I understood the company, their mission, their culture and what type of candidate would fit perfectly in their team. 😊 This allowed me to present the company as if it was my own, while the other agencies only knew what keywords to put into LinkedIn recruiter. 😎 If you "spray and pray" your vacancy to recruiters, they will "spray and pray" it to the market and will then "spray and pray" you with irrelevant or mediocre CVs. 😑 Minimising communication will not save you any time. ✅ Instead, choose a niche recruiter specialised in what you're hiring for -> set up a discovery call -> and be positively surprised. In every industry in the world, customers try to maximise value and minimise time wasted for the money they spend. 👇 In recruitment, customers try to minimise value and maximise time wasted for the money they spend. Why? 😶😶 #recruitment #embedded #embeddedsoftware #embeddedsystems #embeddedjobs #talentacquisition #hiring #techology

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Some of the BEST Software Engineers I've worked with have some of the WORST CVs I've ever seen. And some simply do not have one. The top 5% of talent are not scouting out new roles and applying to adverts... ..they're headhunted. So there's simply no need to create a CV. And that's where the job of a Recruiter comes in, to shine a spotlight on those who are unseen in the market, or to fill in the gaps on those awfully written CVs. So the next your recuiter show's you a horrible CV, they might just be showing you a superstar. G.Digital | G&T (girls and tech!)

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If you are looking for your next Django Developer and unhappy with the current level of service you are receiving from your recruitment partner. Or if your internal team needs some support, here is a recent case study to give you an idea of numbers from Foxley Talent. If you would like more information about our process, please drop me an email to arrange a no-obligation call and let me tell you about why we are the only globally dedicated Python Django recruitment partner. #django #python #casestudy #djangoandproud

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There's so many career paths within Software Development, and if you're just starting out, it can be conflicting on deciding on the path to take. Here's a brief outline of some of the niches within development you could do based on conversations I've been having… 💫 Web dev - specialise in building web apps and websites, you'll most likely use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript 💫 Mobile Devs - focus on creating apps for smart phones and tablets - iOS and Android 💫 Frontend Devs - work on the user interface 💫 Backend Devs - work on the server-side of applications and focus on functionality 💫 Full Stack Devs - work on both the front-end and back-end 💫 DevOps - you are bridging the gap between development and operations If you're looking for your next software dev role, pop me a message ✨ #SoftwareDevelopment #Programming #Frontend #Backend #FullStack

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Are reference checks redundant? Suppose you've got a robust recruitment process for hiring software engineers, hiring managers who are confident in their decision-making, and group consensus from the team. Is there a need for referee checks? It's rare to receive transparent feedback from a referee, mainly because, in my opinion, people fear that that feedback will be exposed. Manual/electronic reports are now the norm, so you have to pick your words wisely. Referee checks conducted over the phone are the most effective medium; they enable both parties to be more candid and phrase things appropriately, but they are arguably less time-effective. The solution? -Fine-tune your recruitment process so you can confidently assess eq/culture/tech skills within a 2-3 stage process, -Upskill hiring managers around recruitment, communication & decision-making, -Ensure your TA, HR, & external recruitment partners are doing their due diligence and deeply understand the profile of candidates that work best in your environment and are doing adequate upfront qualification. On the candidate side, I'm a big proponent of requesting a written recommendation from your direct manager or somebody responsible for your work during your exit from the business. Request to add that to your LinkedIn profile or a separate recommendation doc you can attach to your CV. This will give your next employer more context, help your profile stand out, streamline the process, and alleviate the need to take up previous employers' valuable time. #refereechecks #softwarengineers #recruitment

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