first day questions

[poser]

im starting a role as a project support/ coordinator

[Zippy]

1. Turn up.
2. Be on time.
3. Look as if you are pleased to meet people.
4. Ask someone to describe the problems you are there to solve (and take notes while they are doing so).
5. If not given anything to do straight away, don't sit there reading the paper. Follow step 4 then start knocking up a back-of-a-fag-packet project plan with possible deliverables and timescales.
6. Never ever talk about money with the permies.
7. Don't whinge to your pimp about what an @rsehole the client is (I believe the reverse is generally acceptable ).


Good luck.

[alreadypacked]

First few days on a project, you need to workout if it is a "Death March" i.e. will it ever get delivered. Contractors often get hired for these projects, as permies bale out, they don't want to damage their careers by been attached to a failed project.

Main survival strategy for these projects is a weekly status report, even if you are told it is not required, do it. Be prepared for a lot of waiting around while other people don't deliver. Plenty of time to post on here

[King Cnvt]

1. Turn up.
2. Be on time.
3. Look as if you are pleased to meet people.
4. Ask someone to describe the problems you are there to solve (and take notes while they are doing so).
5. If not given anything to do straight away, don't sit there reading the paper. Follow step 4 then start knocking up a back-of-a-fag-packet project plan with possible deliverables and timescales.
6. Never ever talk about money with the permies.
7. Don't whinge to your pimp about what an @rsehole the client is (I believe the reverse is generally acceptable ).


Good luck.

Then wait 3 weeks for a domain account/computer/desk/chair/security badge.

Take a good book with you, such as War and Peace whilst you wait.

[darmstadt]

I have always refused to use or own a Laptop -some companies wont be happy with you bringing one on site - especially if they are security concious.


Much better is a good old fashioned Diary - be careful to write down and note the names of your fellow IT workers.

Note the number of your telephone extension.

Find out if the office is closed or not during public holidays.

Thats about it.

I have 2 of my own laptops with me, the only way I can get any work done here (I also have the one they gave me and the sole use of a Windows server and 2 parallel sysplexes with 8 zOS images, and more to come, a GDPS nonetheless!) I'm not meant to connect mine to the corporate network, but hey...

Where I am the company have an excellent internal corporate website, even with pictures of the people (except mine, hah!) I use it all the time, even to see some of our old collegues, Alf!

I don't know it and anyway it seems to work randomly. I know when people ring me it says 'Werkstudent'

Yep, closed during public holidays but some German states have different public holidays and its a real pain here. for example the next holiday id October 3rd (Day of German Reunification) which just happens to fall on a Tuesday, so, do I take Monday off and go in on Wednesday or go to work on Monday and lounge around Stuttgart and the surrounding environs on Tuesday or drive home (220km)? Decisions, decisions...

[Zippy]

Then wait 3 weeks for a domain account/computer/desk/chair/security badge.

Take a good book with you, such as War and Peace whilst you wait.

If you can read it covertly, but as we've heard before on this board some clients take the radical view that having no account/machine etc. is not always an acceptable excuse for doing b*gger all.

Make that an extra point - cover your @rse

[poser]

doing bugger all and being seen doing bugger all is never an option for me. i may get shot for saying this - i actually enjoy doing work/ things as sitting there doing nothin drives me insane.

Any tell tale signs the project is going to flop??

[The Lone Gunman]

October 3rd (Day of German Reunification) which just happens to fall on a Tuesday, so, do I take Monday off and go in on Wednesday or go to work on Monday and lounge around Stuttgart and the surrounding environs on Tuesday or drive home (220km)? Decisions, decisions...

I shall be in Stuttgart that Monday (all weekend). Probably having steak at the block house for lunch before flying out in the evening.

[Zippy]

Any tell tale signs the project is going to flop??

A high 'jobsworth' count.
Managers who think that creating an MS Project file is enough.
Getting invited to lots of meetings

[AlfredJPruffock]

I have 2 of my own laptops with me, the only way I can get any work done here (I also have the one they gave me and the sole use of a Windows server and 2 parallel sysplexes with 8 zOS images, and more to come, a GDPS nonetheless!) I'm not meant to connect mine to the corporate network, but hey...

Where I am the company have an excellent internal corporate website, even with pictures of the people (except mine, hah!) I use it all the time, even to see some of our old collegues, Alf!

I don't know it and anyway it seems to work randomly. I know when people ring me it says 'Werkstudent'

Yep, closed during public holidays but some German states have different public holidays and its a real pain here. for example the next holiday id October 3rd (Day of German Reunification) which just happens to fall on a Tuesday, so, do I take Monday off and go in on Wednesday or go to work on Monday and lounge around Stuttgart and the surrounding environs on Tuesday or drive home (220km)? Decisions, decisions...

Well and good - however here is real life story to illustrate the dangers of connecting your Laptop/thingy to a corporate network.

On site for a large organisation when up turns a pre-sales chap from a consultancy who wants to sell a Security Solution - he arrives and as there are not any meeting rooms available he sits near me inthe office and connects to the WAN - after an hour a network bod comes out raging and after checking the pre-sales IP address uncermoniously rips his machine from the Network - his machine had been infected by a nasty worm-virus which had now spread its way into the organisations network.

He had managed to infect the network with a rather nasty worm from his laptop - and remember this guy is trying to sell a security solution !