How is job market for networking domain

[Manu_here]

Hi guys,
This is my first post in this forum.
I got Tier1 visa yesterday and it will be valid from 15th feb 2011.
I have applied in VFS Bangalore on 22nd Dec 2010.
First of all thanks to moderator and active members who has given lot of valuable suggestion in this forum .

I have around 6 years and 5 months of exp in datacom/networking testing domain.
---I wanted to know how is job market in networking domain In UK.
Any other related information will help a lot.

Thanks,
Manu

[godfatherdon]

Most of testing jobs are OUTSOURCED !!! do ur research well .......... how many telecom equipment vendors r here in uk???? Look at jobsites u will get the picture....

[kenfrapin]

I have around 6 years and 5 months of exp in datacom/networking testing domain.

Did you mean Telecom when you wrote datacom? As previous poster has mentioned, Telecoms is saturated with outsourced vendors and is completely saturated so dont even bother...
Networking too aint that great - unless you have experience in a niche area its going to be difficult. And especially the field of QA and testing is seriously overcrowded at the moment.

KP

[teknikalty]

just now i posted on networking domain jobs.. well, to be honest, i have been looking since september and this country has not much of networking opptys...

if you are into banking, investment, risk, insurance... may be better.

telecom, technology, networking, wireless, mobile... NO NO.

[Manu_here]

Thanks very much for replies .
One more question i heard that for some domain we need to clear
SC .If someone doesn't have SC then its difficult to get contract jobs
can someone let me know what's this ?

[godfatherdon]

Government related projects require Security Clearance for which you need to show 5 years residence status in UK . .. It is also a method to filter out immigrant applications heheheeeeeeee

[aspirant99]

Hi guys,
This is my first post in this forum.
I got Tier1 visa yesterday and it will be valid from 15th feb 2011.
I have applied in VFS Bangalore on 22nd Dec 2010.
First of all thanks to moderator and active members who has given lot of valuable suggestion in this forum .

I have around 6 years and 5 months of exp in datacom/networking testing domain.
---I wanted to know how is job market in networking domain In UK.
Any other related information will help a lot.

Thanks,
Manu

I am asking this just out of curiosity, if your skillset is around testing then why are you restricting yourself just to the networking/datacom domain unless your only area of interest is networking. IMO, you should categorize your search at a high level which can be manual or automation tester or functional or non-functional tester or even maybe QA even if you have only worked on networking testing projects . This will widen up the possibility of positions in your job search. All the best!!

[godfatherdon]

not 100% sure but telecoms/datacom testing is quite different from normal application based QA. Though the process of verification is same we r more technology based like protocols, equipments etc.,.......

Then again lets be honest there r hundreds of 10+ yrs experienced QA testers in the job arena , there is no way u can compete with them....moreover companies in uk are very specific with their job requirments even for testing. so my bet is to stay off UK market as of now.....

[aspirant99]

not 100% sure but telecoms/datacom testing is quite different from normal application based QA. Though the process of verification is same we r more technology based like protocols, equipments etc.,.......

Then again lets be honest there r hundreds of 10+ yrs experienced QA testers in the job arena , there is no way u can compete with them....moreover companies in uk are very specific with their job requirments even for testing. so my bet is to stay off UK market as of now.....

Agreed , the tools and technologies used to test a networking project will be different but a tester should have a greater understanding to know what to test in a protocol and how to test is just acquired knowledge which can be gained as to how quickly the candidate can grasp it and that is what UK companies look for in their candidates.Web applications also involve technical testing around protocols so in essence if it is a VOIP protocol or a SOAP protocol the tester should know what does a protocol does and what all areas are usually the pain areas .Ofcourse, i don't deny the fact that if the job is around VOIP then the candidate with an experience in VOIP will score. However, restricting just to a technical domain will impact the job hunt. However,just to add -domain knowledge is more helpful if you are in domains where business processes are more rigorously tested and a fantastic example would be Banking which is hot right now for sure..

Also, I will stay away from commenting on whether the OP should stay off from UK market or not because that has been discussed like zillion times over throughout this forum. However, if the OP with 6.5 yrs of experience applies for a job which asks or requires 10+ yrs of experience then it is a really steep climb not only in the UK , it would be the same anywhere in the world. And if we take the other scenario where a 10+ yrs of testing experience candidate applies for a job/position which needs not more than 7 yrs of experience then the OP will score on rates as he would be charging less. And if we now take the third scenario that a 10+ yr testing guys applies for a 7 yr experience job profile and charges the same as OP then what can i say,OP is plain unlucky and the guy with 10+ experience is really desperate or may be no good which again can be a positive for the OP...The crux is to weigh all the risks and if all the risks are acceptable or one can work around it then i guess one should take the ride !!

[godfatherdon]

Yes ur perfectly right aspirant!! knowing the protocols and other technical stuff is walk in the park but why,how and on what your testing plays a important part. If its NMS/EMS(management systems) based testing then the method of verification is more or less the same but if your testing on equipments,network environments then its a different ball game......

most of the testing jobs require either process knowledge or domain knowledge...it again boils down to OP skillset......but im sure with so many candidates competing, General testing is a tough field to penetrate for a n/w tester ..

[Manu_here]

Network/datacom testing is quite different from normal testing .
Basically we should be having technical knowledge like L2/L3 protocols etc Jobs in this field include network engineer ,protocol tester ,cisco ccna ccip etc certified engineers.
Let me know if anyone is working there in this domain.
Need some suggestion/advice.

Thanks,
Manu

[NeoZ]

Networks/Testing = Outsourced. (Indian service sector with onsite/offshore model in all big firms)

Some small companies may have openings but then pay is 'nothing' and competition high.

[aspirant99]

Network/datacom testing is quite different from normal testing .
Basically we should be having technical knowledge like L2/L3 protocols etc Jobs in this field include network engineer ,protocol tester ,cisco ccna ccip etc certified engineers.
Let me know if anyone is working there in this domain.
Need some suggestion/advice.

Thanks,
Manu

Don't agree to that entirely...but again if you want to do use your testing skills only on netwroking projects it's your call...

[aspirant99]

Networks/Testing = Outsourced. (Indian service sector with onsite/offshore model in all big firms)

Some small companies may have openings but then pay is 'nothing' and competition high.

Only smaller companies have openings in "testing" in the UK..are you sure?

[NeoZ]

Networks/Testing = Outsourced. (Indian service sector with onsite/offshore model in all big firms)

Some small companies may have openings but then pay is 'nothing' and competition high.

Only smaller companies have openings in "testing" in the UK..are you sure?

This is how it looks! ... no one can go to each and every company and ask for openings. If you look at any big company, high end work is still in demand (read niche domains, consultants, analysts, project management) + Sales (pre-sales+sales) + Core development. Such profiles are core to companies and done here. Other profiles are with IT service companies (save cost on non-core functions!)

[aspirant99]

Networks/Testing = Outsourced. (Indian service sector with onsite/offshore model in all big firms)

Some small companies may have openings but then pay is 'nothing' and competition high.

Only smaller companies have openings in "testing" in the UK..are you sure?

This is how it looks! ... no one can go to each and every company and ask for openings. If you look at any big company, high end work is still in demand (read niche domains, consultants, analysts, project management) + Sales (pre-sales+sales) + Core development. Such profiles are core to companies and done here. Other profiles are with IT service companies (save cost on non-core functions!)

If i look at any big company??I am looking at one right now..however to your core function definitions i might like to add this :
1)people working in niche domains which would include guys who are testing in those domains like banking etc so can't say all the work is being offshored.
2) consultants--there will be test consultants who will bid ,estimate, gather requirements etc etc for test projects which is again not entirely offshored
3) analysts--will also include test analysts maybe a non-functional tester who is primarily has to be onsite so there wil be requirement to hire such people in the UK
4) Project management--Again there will be test project managers who have to be onsite ...

Sales ,presales and core development is out of context for this topic and btw core dev is offshored more than testing.

What other profiles are we talking about that is with IT service companies??..PMO, admin etc etc...out of context again

And somehow if by any chance you think testing is a non-core function or low-end piece of wrk then i would rather think that i have wasted my time writing this as any sensible guy who has survived one entire project lifecycle would not think that so I am ruling that out.

I do not mean in the remotest sense that the market in the UK is a cakewalk, but the crux of my above rant is -do not make statements which might pull people down unnecessarily, present them the right picture with the facts and people can decide on their own.

[NeoZ]

Networks/Testing = Outsourced. (Indian service sector with onsite/offshore model in all big firms)

Some small companies may have openings but then pay is 'nothing' and competition high.

Only smaller companies have openings in "testing" in the UK..are you sure?

This is how it looks! ... no one can go to each and every company and ask for openings. If you look at any big company, high end work is still in demand (read niche domains, consultants, analysts, project management) + Sales (pre-sales+sales) + Core development. Such profiles are core to companies and done here. Other profiles are with IT service companies (save cost on non-core functions!)

If i look at any big company??I am looking at one right now..however to your core function definitions i might like to add this :
1)people working in niche domains which would include guys who are testing in those domains like banking etc so can't say all the work is being offshored.
2) consultants--there will be test consultants who will bid ,estimate, gather requirements etc etc for test projects which is again not entirely offshored
3) analysts--will also include test analysts maybe a non-functional tester who is primarily has to be onsite so there wil be requirement to hire such people in the UK
4) Project management--Again there will be test project managers who have to be onsite ...

Sales ,presales and core development is out of context for this topic and btw core dev is offshored more than testing.

What other profiles are we talking about that is with IT service companies??..PMO, admin etc etc...out of context again

And somehow if by any chance you think testing is a non-core function or low-end piece of wrk then i would rather think that i have wasted my time writing this as any sensible guy who has survived one entire project lifecycle would not think that so I am ruling that out.

I do not mean in the remotest sense that the market in the UK is a cakewalk, but the crux of my above rant is -do not make statements which might pull people down unnecessarily, present them the right picture with the facts and people can decide on their own.

Sure. Read the post again, mine is NOT A RANT but all fact. If someone wants to ignore this and spend hard earned money here, be my guest.

And you can come up with different opinion but no point trying to be a 'Self-Proclaimed' authority on Employment opportunities in UK!

[mulderpf]

There is also no point in trying to make the job market look all rosy when it's not. People need to also know what they are in for when they get to the UK.

[godfatherdon]

Keep in mind the applicant skills in question.... I think manu_here has a veryyyyyyy low chance of securing any kind of job bcoz of the market and < 1% in networking since his skills dont match the industry req.. im not harsh its the FACT

At least in my field ,Telecoms, Testing is a High end job compared to coding and BOTH these jobs are almost completely outsourced...

He mentions CCNP CCIE certifications for testing????? I presume you work for INDIAN bigwigs like wipro,infosys who use certification to impress clients...dude just check the jobs they r hardcore consultant JOBs ur testing profile wont match......you can survive if you have a good OSS/BSS background with UK experience... Keeping waiting for onsite opportunities ..... if u hv plans of entering UK to gain exp on networking THIS IS NOT THE COUNTRY !!!

Both aspirant neoz are right......!! good jobs r there for exceptional talent or rare skills otherwise BACK OFF !!

[aspirant99]

Only smaller companies have openings in "testing" in the UK..are you sure?

This is how it looks! ... no one can go to each and every company and ask for openings. If you look at any big company, high end work is still in demand (read niche domains, consultants, analysts, project management) + Sales (pre-sales+sales) + Core development. Such profiles are core to companies and done here. Other profiles are with IT service companies (save cost on non-core functions!)

If i look at any big company??I am looking at one right now..however to your core function definitions i might like to add this :
1)people working in niche domains which would include guys who are testing in those domains like banking etc so can't say all the work is being offshored.
2) consultants--there will be test consultants who will bid ,estimate, gather requirements etc etc for test projects which is again not entirely offshored
3) analysts--will also include test analysts maybe a non-functional tester who is primarily has to be onsite so there wil be requirement to hire such people in the UK
4) Project management--Again there will be test project managers who have to be onsite ...

Sales ,presales and core development is out of context for this topic and btw core dev is offshored more than testing.

What other profiles are we talking about that is with IT service companies??..PMO, admin etc etc...out of context again

And somehow if by any chance you think testing is a non-core function or low-end piece of wrk then i would rather think that i have wasted my time writing this as any sensible guy who has survived one entire project lifecycle would not think that so I am ruling that out.

I do not mean in the remotest sense that the market in the UK is a cakewalk, but the crux of my above rant is -do not make statements which might pull people down unnecessarily, present them the right picture with the facts and people can decide on their own.

Sure. Read the post again, mine is NOT A RANT but all fact. If someone wants to ignore this and spend hard earned money here, be my guest.

And you can come up with different opinion but no point trying to be a 'Self-Proclaimed' authority on Employment opportunities in UK!

Read your post more number of times than probably you have before writing it..spare me the caps and the bolds...nobody is saying to spend money for the lap dances here and go back home...im just saying dont make statements when u urself don't know the enitre picture..probably noone does know the entire picture....and i knw wht hard earned money means and im sure so do the rest, so he would be a fool who would suggest to come here with bags packed without any prior homework...

@mulderpf---Who said it's rosy??

P.S: And as for me calling my statements a rant..please understand sarcasm !! and "self proclaimed authority", where did you get that from???