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Boring/Not much work to do in current contract

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    Boring/Not much work to do in current contract

    Hi All,

    First post on here, but I do regularly browse through the forum, so I’m just after some advice, I took on a BA contract in March with a well-known bank out in Europe. Being from the UK it was a good chance for some international exposure with a large bank on the CV, and a good rate even taking into account the extra cost of living out here.

    My contract has been renewed until the new year, but the problem I have is that I’m just not being challenged enough, there are four other BA/PM types on our team that are all Permy and they seem to continue to do most of the chunk of BA/PM work. Although I get the odd bit of BA work chucked my way I am usually stuck doing odd jobs or doing the administration and management for releases (using tools like JIRA). I have approached my director about this before and have been told that the systems I’m using require a steep learning curve, and the current perm staff are SMEs in their own applications, so wouldn’t be fair to chuck me in the deep end for requirement gathering etcetera as I won’t have the knowledge.

    I’m now getting a bit fed-up and not sure what to do, I’m not really learning anything to further myself and sometimes feel like more of an admin assistant doing monkey work rather than a BA, on the other hand it’s a good rate and as mentioned earlier the international experience looks good. You could say it’s a dream situation getting paid well but for little stress, but its actually really boring I’d much rather be challenged.

    I am still fairly early on in my career around 3 years out of uni, although this is my second contract at a major bank, it’s a lot more difficult for me to get a decent contract compared to someone who has 10 years experience under their belt.

    What would you guys do in my situation, has anyone themselves been in a situation like this or know someone who has, where they have been taken on for a contract but actually not had much to do? Is it just a case of the team being given budget for X amount of people, and rather than under hire, they use all of the budget even if it means they don’t know what to do with all of their contractors?

    Before joining the world of contracting I imagined it to be a fast paced, hit the floor running type of environment where there would be lots of new knowledge to absorb in relatively short periods of time, but seems I was somewhat wrong!

    Thanks,

    #2
    Originally posted by zeus91 View Post
    Hi All,

    First post on here, but I do regularly browse through the forum, so I’m just after some advice, I took on a BA contract in March with a well-known bank out in Europe. Being from the UK it was a good chance for some international exposure with a large bank on the CV, and a good rate even taking into account the extra cost of living out here.

    My contract has been renewed until the new year, but the problem I have is that I’m just not being challenged enough, there are four other BA/PM types on our team that are all Permy and they seem to continue to do most of the chunk of BA/PM work. Although I get the odd bit of BA work chucked my way I am usually stuck doing odd jobs or doing the administration and management for releases (using tools like JIRA). I have approached my director about this before and have been told that the systems I’m using require a steep learning curve, and the current perm staff are SMEs in their own applications, so wouldn’t be fair to chuck me in the deep end for requirement gathering etcetera as I won’t have the knowledge.

    I’m now getting a bit fed-up and not sure what to do, I’m not really learning anything to further myself and sometimes feel like more of an admin assistant doing monkey work rather than a BA, on the other hand it’s a good rate and as mentioned earlier the international experience looks good. You could say it’s a dream situation getting paid well but for little stress, but its actually really boring I’d much rather be challenged.

    I am still fairly early on in my career around 3 years out of uni, although this is my second contract at a major bank, it’s a lot more difficult for me to get a decent contract compared to someone who has 10 years experience under their belt.

    What would you guys do in my situation, has anyone themselves been in a situation like this or know someone who has, where they have been taken on for a contract but actually not had much to do? Is it just a case of the team being given budget for X amount of people, and rather than under hire, they use all of the budget even if it means they don’t know what to do with all of their contractors?

    Before joining the world of contracting I imagined it to be a fast paced, hit the floor running type of environment where there would be lots of new knowledge to absorb in relatively short periods of time, but seems I was somewhat wrong!

    Thanks,
    You aren't much use as a BA BECAUSE you don't have 10 years experience. You are however useful in a PMO role.

    Contractors are paid because they bring skills and experience into clients and can be productive from day 1. You are doing what the client needs you to do - what you want to do (and learn on the client's time) is irrelevant.

    I would suggest finding a permanent role as a BA and gaining more experience through that route.
    "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
    - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

    Comment


      #3
      3 years out of Uni? We've got apprentices here running for the coffee with more experience than that. IMO you are learning your trade and aren't a fully fledged professional. Also IMO you never will be contracting. You'll not learn the depth and breadth of experience you need. You'll be able to tick some boxes but not bring any value to your client. The day rates might looking amazing to you but. I'll bet you will spend more time on the bench than in contract so your living a bit of a pipe dream. As. Cojak says, go permie. Get good at your trade and then come back contracting.
      'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

      Comment


        #4
        Actually, there is good money to be made as a competent and qualified senior PMO Manager, mainly as there are so few of them about.

        I think that you could make inroads into that area without going back to permiedom.
        "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
        - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by cojak View Post
          Actually, there is good money to be made as a competent and qualified senior PMO Manager, mainly as there are so few of them about.
          Very true, that's why consultancies are often engaged in the IB world for such roles.

          @OP 3 years experience is not much, to be quite frank.
          In years gone by, you would be unlikely to even get a contract with such little experience.

          What I will say, what are you doing to help yourself?
          Are you shadowing these experienced BAs, reading all the documentation you can, learning the intricacies of the various systems?
          If you do all this and show the aptitude and true understanding then they may begin to utilise you more.

          rather than under hire, they use all of the budget even if it means they don’t know what to do with all of their contractors?
          Many do this because they do not want to lose the budget next year.
          The Chunt of Chunts.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by cojak View Post
            Actually, there is good money to be made as a competent and qualified senior PMO Manager, mainly as there are so few of them about.

            I think that you could make inroads into that area without going back to permiedom.
            I was going to comment on this but you beat me to it. With that experience he might be able to work in PMO but he would be doing basic admin stuff in a very average fashion. Working in PMO and being a good PMO are worlds apart I think. A good PMO can hold a project together. An average one just does stuff. I didn't agree with the statement about the OP cutting it in PMO. He might be able to get a couple of gigs but I don't think he'll ever be a good PMO.
            'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
              He might be able to get a couple of gigs but I don't think he'll ever be a good PMO.
              a bit sweeping don't you think?
              See You Next Tuesday

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Lance View Post
                a bit sweeping don't you think?
                Yes, I tend to agree with Lance. We don't know that bit NLUK
                "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
                - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

                Comment


                  #9
                  NLUK - do you have some sort of chip on your shoulder? Who are tou to tell me I'm likely to be on the bench for longer than I will be in a contract. FYI i finished my first contract with an IB and had two offers from another two tier 1 IBs. As for saying I won't make a good PMO? It's laughable how would you know that?

                  Not that I would become a PMO - I'm planning to stick in the BA/PM area.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by zeus91 View Post
                    NLUK - do you have some sort of chip on your shoulder? Who are tou to tell me I'm likely to be on the bench for longer than I will be in a contract. FYI i finished my first contract with an IB and had two offers from another two tier 1 IBs. As for saying I won't make a good PMO? It's laughable how would you know that?

                    Not that I would become a PMO - I'm planning to stick in the BA/PM area.
                    Looks like you need another permanent job then.
                    "You’re just a bad memory who doesn’t know when to go away" JR

                    Comment

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