Anyone who has 'went perm', how has it been?

[Old Greg]

I've not heard anything good about contracting in IB. If you're not part of the old boy's club, it can be very much a bunch of snarky insiders who will obstruct you at every turn. Yeah the pay can be excellent but be prepared to have no life and be treated like tulip.

By contrast, retail banking can be ok if you're in the right team with decent management support but they have no money so everything is stuck together with sticky tape and bluetac.

Proper Blu Tack, or a cheap off brand alternative?

[LondonManc]

I've not heard anything good about contracting in IB. If you're not part of the old boy's club, it can be very much a bunch of snarky insiders who will obstruct you at every turn. Yeah the pay can be excellent but be prepared to have no life and be treated like tulip.

By contrast, retail banking can be ok if you're in the right team with decent management support but they have no money so everything is stuck together with sticky tape and bluetac.

I found it to be completely the opposite. Get in there, given them the professional working day that you've been contracted to deliver and foxtrot oscar to the Henry Addington, The Gun or somewhere on West India Quay while they're still grafting to try not to get turned down for their promotion bid to VP.

Retail seemed very much a case of "we've always done it this way, no matter how wrong it is" with no desire to improve. Using SQL Server 2005 in 2017, etc. with a mad scramble to get it upgraded (but only to 2008.....) and an illusion that Excel as a reporting tool won't get you audit points.

[ladymuck]

Proper Blu Tack, or a cheap off brand alternative?

Probably off-brand. Fallen into the "hoover" trap there.

[Old Greg]

Probably off-brand. Fallen into the "hoover" trap there.

Vetran has a few threads in General about that.

[PCTNN]

Retail seemed very much a case of "we've always done it this way, no matter how wrong it is" with no desire to improve.

And is this a bad thing for contractors? This way of working is what makes 6 months projects last for 18 months; it's what fattens up our warchests and pays off our mortgages.

[ladymuck]

And is this a bad thing for contractors? This way of working is what makes 6 months projects last for 18 months; it's what fattens up our warchests and pays off our mortgages.

Or...

Attracts permietractors who spend all they earn and go bankrupt when the gig suddenly ends

[PCTNN]

Or...

Attracts permietractors who spend all they earn and go bankrupt when the gig suddenly ends

Some people need to learn the hard way.

Know a guy, ex colleague, who was on £475 a day for 24 months; didn't save one penny, his contract didn't get renewed just after he got tied in a 12 month lease for a very expensive house. The poor guy had to take a 30k a year permie salary and take out several wonga loans to get him to his next paycheck.

Not the sharpest tool in the shed, aka your typical front-end dev

[LondonManc]

And is this a bad thing for contractors? This way of working is what makes 6 months projects last for 18 months; it's what fattens up our warchests and pays off our mortgages.

Only for those of us who take pride in our work.

[PCTNN]

Only for those of us who take pride in our work.

that's just for those who have nothing outside of work to take pride in

[Old Greg]

that's just for those who have nothing outside of work to take pride in

Some of us can multi-pride.