IT contractors need to be more targeted in their approach to job seeking in this difficult financial climate.

This is the view of advice website Contractor Calculator, which claims there are many different steps that can be taken to improve a IT contractors' chances of finding work.

To start with, the CV must be tailored to that specific job role, as applications will be such that the contractor position is usually filled within days, often after just one telephone interview.

In the interview itself, the contractor must treat it as a sales pitch and sell their services like any valued commodity, the site advises.

"A targeted search will yield results, but a scattergun approach will leave you applying for multiple positions without winning any contract work for potentially long periods," it notes.

Recent research from Morgan McKinley has suggested that there are job opportunities for IT contractors in the City of London, as the number of vacancies in the financial hub has increased by 71 per cent in the last year.