Phillip Deakin

🚨 After the overwhelming response to my recent posts, it’s clear there’s strong appetite for real insights into what’s happening across the BA and QA market right now. So - I have pulled together our Q3 Market Insights Report, focused on what we’re seeing on the ground across Business Analyst and QA recruitment. 🔎 It’s not a “how to get hired” guide, but rather a pulse check on: 📈 What hiring activity looks like post-EOFY 💬 Emerging trends we’re hearing in client conversations 🧠 Skills and behaviours in demand 🔄 Shifts in contract vs. perm 🛠️ Where the market is loosening up - and where it’s still tight Whether you're scaling a team or exploring your next move, I hope this gives helpful context on the landscape we're all navigating. 📥 Feel free to reach out if you'd like the full report - or drop a comment below if anything resonates! #BAJobs #QAJobs #RecruitmentInsights #MarketUpdate #HiringTrends #ProjectServices #BusinessAnalysis #QualityAssurance #TechHiring

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One month back at OpusRS – here’s what I’m seeing in the JavaScript contract market. It’s been great to get stuck back in, and I’ve already noticed some clear trends across the UK JavaScript contract space. 🏢 Hybrid working is shifting. Fully remote roles are becoming less common, with more contracts now asking for 2–3 days a week in the office. Collaboration and team presence are making a comeback. 💬 Contractors who know how to add value and communicate clearly with clients are being consistently extended. It’s not just about technical ability—commercial awareness and soft skills are making a real difference. 📉 Rates have taken a hit compared to a few years ago, but demand is still strong for those who can hit the ground running. ⚙️ Next.js is gaining serious traction. While React remains dominant with 39.5% of developers using it, Next.js is quickly rising with 17.9% adoption—thanks to its performance benefits and built-in features like server-side rendering and static site generation If you're a contractor looking for your next move, or a business needing top JavaScript talent, I’d love to connect. #JavaScript #NextJS #ReactJS #Contracting #TechRecruitment #OpusRS

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Enjoying my morning coffee date with Chat GPT this morning and came across a UK contract market update… 📈 One of the most popular UK staffing platforms has reported on contract hiring, suggesting a stronger than expected uptick in contract activity in September. The report notes that contract roles increased 10.4% year on year in September and month on month, contract roles increased 18%. A consideration is that employers are leaning more on contract / flexible talent strategies to manage risk… but positive signs ahead of Q4!

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🔑 Top Tip if You’re Job Hunting When you’re looking for a new role, make sure you’re connecting with recruiters who specialise in your field. I can’t tell you how many engineers and IT professionals send me connection requests and InMails. While I’d genuinely love to help, I’m not an expert in those industries — meaning your valuable time and energy would be far better spent reaching out to recruiters who know your space inside out. Specialist recruiters not only understand the market and roles available, but they can also provide the right advice and guidance tailored to your profession. ✅ Do your research. ✅ Target the right recruiters. ✅ Use your time wisely. It will massively improve your chances of landing the right role, faster.

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Scotland has more to offer than unpredictable weather... It’s fast becoming a hub for startups and scaling engineering teams. Over the past few years, I’ve helped a number of early-stage and SME tech companies build high-performing teams here - from fintech to product-led software houses. And it’s not just homegrown talent on the rise. More and more US and international companies are choosing Scotland as a strategic location for expansion: 🧑‍🔬 Access to world-class engineering talent 💵 Competitive salaries and operating costs 🤝 A thriving tech ecosystem with real community ⚖️ Solid work-life balance I’ve supported clients through navigating the talent landscape, benchmarking salaries and choosing the right location to stay competitive. From VC-backed SaaS startups to global hedge funds, the appetite for building here is only growing. But let's be honest - we're still losing good people to London's pull and internationally remote options, dealing with patchy infrastructure outside Edinburgh/Glasgow, and fighting harder against places like Manchester and Birmingham who are both upping their game for UK expansion. Recent government funding boosts are welcome but they're pennies compared to London's VC machine. We're working to be seen as the obvious choice, not just the budget-friendly one. So, if you were advising a scale-up on where to build their next engineering hub, would Scotland make your shortlist vs Manchester, Belfast, Leeds, Birmingham and the rest? And what actually moves the needle for you - cost, talent depth, or something else entirely? Whether you're sold on Scotland or still weighing up your options - I'm always happy to chat about what building teams here actually looks like. (I’ll reply to any comments on my commute with an umbrella, sunglasses and windbreaker all in clutch.)

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How much time should you spend on a cover letter? Usually - none. The person screening your CV is going through hundreds of other profiles. Adding a cover letter doesn’t help, and will likely only be read if the CV looks good. If your CV doesn’t align with the role, fix it. 🔹 Include product knowledge from relevant roles 🔹 Highlight core functional experience the role is looking for 🔹 Have you worked with the same client base before? Make it clear 🔹 Quantify impact wherever possible 🔹 Leave nothing to guesswork 🔹 You don't need extensive bullet points on roles you did 20 years ago. And if it can’t be tailored to match the role, maybe it’s the wrong job.

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5 ways to ditch your best recruiter 🫡 Thinking of pushing out your top biller? Here’s a handy guide ⬇️⬇️   🫵 Micromanage them to death Hover over every call, second-guess their judgment, re-write emails, and remind them how you did it back in the good old days. Works like a charm.   🎯 Set KPIs for KPI’s sake Who cares if they’re bringing in the most revenue? Make sure they still make 50 calls a day!   🔨 Give them broken tools Outdated CRM? No access to LinkedIn? No automation? Perfect   🙅 Offer zero support Want a healthy pipeline? Don’t bother with marketing. No client intros. No admin. Let them juggle everything   👊 Create constant turf wars Pit them against others in the team, create an environment where your recruiters won’t share candidates/clients/info – nothing like a bit of healthy competition Are you a manager reading this and feeling personally attacked? I’m sorry to say you may be creating a toxic environment 😭 Are you a recruiter reading this thinking, is this post about me? Message me ASAP 🥲 Recruiters don’t leave recruitment They leave environments that make it impossible to succeed #recruitment #agencylife #recruitertips #rec2rec #recruters  

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Why is CRM often the last thing brands fix, and the first thing that makes them money? 🤔 Brands obsess over new customer acquisition - paid ads, influencers, flashy site launches. Meanwhile, CRM sits in the backlog. But in practice, CRM often gives the best returns. Take Harrods as an example: 💎 2.5 million registered loyalty members. 💎 Top 0.1% of customers generate ~20% of total sales. 💎 85% of spend comes through their “Rewards” programme. 💎 Loyalty programme members spend ~6% more than non-members. Fixing CRM isn’t sexy - It’s often complex. But when done properly (single view of the customer, meaningful loyalty tiers, personalised experiences), it becomes your first lever to unlock real revenue and stability. Is your CRM still on your to-fix list? Definitely worth getting ahead of your competitors! #CRM #Retention #Loyalty

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This was a first for me in recruitment. I was recently contacted by a father whose son had just completed his studies and was struggling to get that first break into the tech industry. He was polite, proactive, concerned and simply looking for guidance, even open to finding unpaid work experience to gain practical exposure. It really highlighted how tough the market is right now for graduates in software engineering. Many organisations are running lean, offshoring development work and often hiring mid-to-senior engineers to maximise responsibilities with less headcount. But there’s no shortage of motivated graduates eager to contribute, they just need that first opportunity. If anyone in my network has junior developer, or software internship opportunities, I’d be happy to point him in the right direction or make an introduction. For graduates trying to break in, a few tips that can really help: ➡️ Get visible: share your projects on LinkedIn or GitHub to demonstrate capability. ➡️ Network with intent: Don’t just connect, engage meaningfully. Join university mentor programs, industry associations, or student-alumni networks to expand your circle. Get creative in finding introductions to hiring managers or team leads, and when you do reach out, make it targeted. ➡️ Attend local tech meetups: groups like BrisJS, BrisTech, AI Society QLD, and River City Labs are great for making connections. ➡️ Keep learning and contributing: open-source work, hackathons, and certifications build credibility fast. It’s a difficult first step but persistence, visibility and curiosity always find a way through. Every senior developers started somewhere, sometimes all it takes is one opportunity to get started.

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The top question I'm getting from Tech candidates right now? 💬 "How can I make my CV stand out among so many applicants?" 💬 Firstly, if you believe you’re a good fit for an opportunity and it genuinely interests you, don't be put off by a large number of previous applications. You should still apply! The key is to make your CV work harder for you 📜 Here are a few ways to help your CV stand out ➡️ 1️⃣ Powerful Profile Statement: Use a strong summary at the top that clearly links your experience to the job, outlines what you're looking for and why you want to apply. 2️⃣ Tailor Your Application: Take time to read the job description and highlight the skills and achievements that directly match the requirements. 3️⃣ Context: Make sure to include some insight on the company or projects you've worked on in your career. (I see so many candidates focusing on listing the tools/ tech, but it's so much more powerful to give a view of the project, the objectives, your level of contribution etc.) 4️⃣ Show Your Impact: Include results and achievements along with duties. 5️⃣ Include Practical Details: Location, availability, contact details (!), visa, job preferences etc. These might sound simple but honestly, get these elements of your CV right, target opportunities that genuinely align with your skills, and you will stand out! #cvtips #techjobs #BWTech #Brightwater

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