Interesting Meeting With Client

[Churchill]

How's life on the bench Sandy?

[TheFaQQer]

But these guys are a consultancy..so the work is like a contractor anyways...even if u are a permie..the whole politics etc doesn't come into it..

Don't you believe it!

I'd never go back to a consultancy, unless the pay was mind-bogglingly huge. Not worth the crap that you get, and not having a say on where you work, when, or for whom.

Having to put up with smart ideas like "Let's have a company day out at Alton Towers. You need to be there by 9am, Saturday morning, no accommodation provided, spend half a day in meetings, then you can go to the park. And don't forget to dress smart - you're still working."

[buffdaddy]

Ahh,,
the sterotypes around consulting are coming out. Which of the Big 5 did u guys work for.

Luckily I work for a smaller consultancy, within a niche market. The bottom line is the contract rate is way way better than the 50k (which was ther first offer). I didnt want to beat around the bush trying to negotiate this as I thought they wouldn't be able to match my contract equivalent salary and they agreeded.

At the end of the day i am in a very client facing role with 2-3 differnt clients at a time, about 40% coding, 20% lunch meetings, and the rest is a mix of analysis, presales, training seminars (i do it all),,..but yeah i can imagine how big consultancies can sandbox their consultants.

If it ever gets to the point where i have to work weekends (by the way my contract stipulates that I charge twice if I have to work weekends), I will give in my notice.

The verticle they have placed me in means i will be in the city of london, a mere 20 mins walk from home.

[ChimpMaster]

I was in the same position as FaQQer - even though it was the consultancy arm of a small software house I was with rather than the Big 5.

I used to enjoy the consulting lifestyle but it just got too much when the travelling became more widespread and the personal choice was reduced. I hated being in one country one week and on the Friday being told to go to another country on Monday to do an entirely different task.

You're pretty much a contractor but without the choice, having to work consultancy hours and always trying to stretch yourself to get that "bonus" and the grade review at your appraisal.

It was challenging, and certainly more interesting than what I do now - but I get paid twice as much now and I can be home every night. That to me is a real luxury.

I will never go back to consultancy unless they can offer me reduced/localised travel and with a serious pay packet.

[SandyDown]

How's life on the bench Sandy?

I only stayed on the bench for 2 weeks, I got an offer and had to wait another 2 weeks for a start, at my new gig I have no internet access and don't even have external mail but am getting used to it, its close to home and I can get home.