max daily rate for dba contracts , and career advancement suggestion

[vwdan]

I am not sure if you want career advancement then contracting is for you.

What makes you think that? I've moved further forward in under a years contracting than I did in my last couple of years of permie work. Bigger projects, new technology, more responsibility etc. I'm hoping it's only going to get more challenging as I go on.

[Paddy]

What makes you think that? I've moved further forward in under a years contracting than I did in my last couple of years of permie work. Bigger projects, new technology, more responsibility etc. I'm hoping it's only going to get more challenging as I go on.

I am interested in what you would define as "new technology". I can't think of anything new during the past 20 years.

[vwdan]

I am interested in what you would define as "new technology". I can't think of anything new during the past 20 years.

That's presumably because you're being deliberately dense in order to incite an argument for no particular reason? I'm sure if you concentrate really hard, you can think of something in use today that wasn't available in 1994.

[Paddy]

That's presumably because you're being deliberately dense in order to incite an argument for no particular reason? I'm sure if you concentrate really hard, you can think of something in use today that wasn't available in 1994.

I have just though very hard and can't think of anything; can you?
I think you are a newbie and you would concider Windows 8 as new technology.

[SpontaneousOrder]

I have just though very hard and can't think of anything; can you?
I think you are a newbie and you would concider Windows 8 as new technology.

New tech comes out almost daily.

[vwdan]

I have just though very hard and can't think of anything; can you?
I think you are a newbie and you would concider Windows 8 as new technology.

Well, within the context of my first post I meant primarily new releases of software and hardware that I'd not had the chance to work with previously. I'm not sure how you define newbie, but yes, to an engineer Windows 8 is new technology. I don't think you can simply exclude software from the "technology" banner given how intertwined it now is with anything hardware.

However, here are some new technologies that I've personally found quite useful:

IPS panel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_(telecommunication)
Gigabit Ethernet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
C Sharp (programming language) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

[vwdan]

New tech comes out almost daily.

I really have no idea where he's going with this, or why he chose my post to start some kind of tangential debate. Personally, I was just highlighting that I intend for my contracting career to be progressive - maybe he's still doing the same tulip he was doing in 1994 or something.

[BrilloPad]

What makes you think that? I've moved further forward in under a years contracting than I did in my last couple of years of permie work. Bigger projects, new technology, more responsibility etc. I'm hoping it's only going to get more challenging as I go on.

It all depends on personal circumstances. For some contract will be the way forward. I was talking about averages - very difficult on CUK.

I partly wanted to see what the OP thinks are the benefits.

I am pleased its working out well for you though - excellent.

For me permiedom since 2009 has been superb.

[vwdan]

It all depends on personal circumstances. For some contract will be the way forward. I was talking about averages - very difficult on CUK.

I partly wanted to see what the OP thinks are the benefits.

I am pleased its working out well for you though - excellent.

For me permiedom since 2009 has been superb.

To be honest, I think part of the problem here is this "us vs them" mentality here. Permie, contractor, temp or whatever - ultimately we all have certain goals to fulfil (Whether it be financial, comfort, challenges, opportunity etc) and different ways of working will bring different advantages and disadvantages. Permie may never pay aswell, but you do stand a much higher chance of being given a chance to try something you haven't done before.

Easy to get trapped in both worlds, too!

[BrilloPad]

To be honest, I think part of the problem here is this "us vs them" mentality here. Permie, contractor, temp or whatever - ultimately we all have certain goals to fulfil (Whether it be financial, comfort, challenges, opportunity etc) and different ways of working will bring different advantages and disadvantages. Permie may never pay aswell, but you do stand a much higher chance of being given a chance to try something you haven't done before.

Easy to get trapped in both worlds, too!

I agree with all that. At certain jobs it has felt like contractors and permies were on the same football team - but shooting for opposite goals.

And as for getting trapped - its very easy to do that with the way recruitment is done. Agents like to pigeon hole people. So they look at your last job/gig. So if you do 20 years sybase, followed by 1 year oracle, they assume you are MrOracle. Often same with recruiters. Maybe its just Investment Banks?

Coming back to the OP, I remember someone in about 2006 said to me "dba - thats a job thtas not going anywhere". And I don't think it has changed in about 20 years odd except in small ways.