contracting = more stress?

[globalprogrammer]

You should yourself also set limits.

Some people if given an inch will take a mile. They may be paying you and calling the tune - but it does not mean you need to tolerate being treated like a slave. In fact, the more money you are being paid, the less bull you should tolerate. Not vice-versa. Some people do this completely the other way round - and get walked over.

I've learned that there are limits. People respect those who set them - and take advantage of those who don't.

[nomadd]

In fact, the more money you are being paid, the less bull you should tolerate. Not vice-versa. Some people do this completely the other way round - and get walked over.

I've learned that there are limits. People respect those who set them - and take advantage of those who don't.

+100

[xchaotic]

In fact, the more money you are being paid, the less bull you should tolerate

+200. It's a part of what you're being paid for. I have had, for instance the privilege of being in truly agile teams and now when I see people meeting everyday and all they do is discuss pie in the sky, I consider telling them that setting attainable goals that they can achieve in a couple of weeks is what makes it agile, not having meetings everyday.
They may not listen, but that's another aspect I consider being paid for.

[tranceporter]

Interesting... One of my friends started contracting with same organization in banking I believe, in central London. 3 days later, he calls me (today) if the position for the contractor in my organization is still open and that he is considering leaving.. He is into asp. Net mvc .. Speaks volumes about the overall situation in that organization.

[bigcod]

I think you're on a losing battle against a tulip manager.

Personally I would be contract hunting...

tulip manager ? not heard this one , whats it mean ?

[SueEllen]

tulip manager ? not heard this one , whats it mean ?

There are certain swear words we can't use on this forum.

Tulip is a replacement for one of them. The rest are generally replaced by ****

[TykeMerc]

tulip manager ? not heard this one , whats it mean ?

As SueEllen said tulip is a board specific automatic replacement for a 4 letter swear word starting with sh and ending in it.

[eek]

As SueEllen said tulip is a board specific automatic replacement for a 4 letter swear word starting with sh and ending in it.

I actually just use it as my automatic replacement for most 4 letter swear words. People seem to get the message without me actually swearing.

[Stan.goodvibes]

My first ever contract was with Glaxo back in the 90s. I had an evil manager who made my life hell. Everything I did was wrong and never seemed to be good enough. I used to be off crying in the ladies too, and I'm a bloke. For the first 3 months or so I used to dread going to work.

Then one day in a meeting she (the manager) praised my work to a load of people and I was like WTF? Thereafter she seemed OK and i went on to have a great time with loads of extensions and we actually got on quite well in the end. I found out later that all the admin girls were feeling sorry for me and wondering how I managed to cope, but it was just the personality and management style of that particular manager. That scenario has played out a couple more times in my contracting career - what seems like Hell at first can turn out to be great. I've had every other permuation as welll - started great, went to hell in a basket, started crap, stayed crap etc.

Give it some time, see how it pans out. If its still destroying your life in a few months time, call it quits and try again. But it may just come right.

Addendum: I became good friends with one of the admin girls at Glaxo, still am. One of the managers at the time who was married developed a bit of a crush on said admin girl, and when he got control over my department he terminated my contract out of jealousy. I went on to a fab contract in the City, but it goes to show - quite a lot of non-dull moments in contracting (I'd say never a dull moment but God you have some of those as well!)

[PropertyCrashUK]

There has been an NHS Wales 'job' advertised regularly on Jobserve since January. It kept coming up, disappearing, then coming up again on the job boards.

The job spec read like 6 very demanding jobs but for which they wanted one person IMPO.

I got short-listed for an interivew several times but never got an interview. Then I heard I would be interviewed in May but the date came and went. A week later I get a call, am told that they had interviewed over 2 days the previous week but had found no one suitable and were now considering me for interview.

How can they not find someone in this market?

But now they had a 'matrix' that they wanted contractors to fill in - basically a job application form.

Whilst I was looking at this another agent rang me about the role... someone I know... and in conversation he let slip that they had one guy who was doing the job but he, allegedly, got ill and had to leave. Then they had another guy but he, allegedly, gave in his notice after the first month.

By chance, a friend of mine whose son works in NHS Wales at the same site, telephoned me about 10 minutes later. I was telling her about the role and she said that her son hated it, was very stressed and wanted to get out.

So I pulled out - cheeky sods turned me down for interview 3 times. I can't believe they could not find people in this market. Either they were too picky IMPO or lots of contracotrs just saw the role as being stressful.