I used to hate Contractors until I became one

[shoes]

I used to urge for projects to avoid using contractors since it meant that knowledge of the systems implemented would not be kept in-house but would be retained by external individuals.

As has been hinted at already, how about following a process that involves the use of documentation. And if you'd rather it wasn't the contractors doing the documenting how about getting contractors in at the level at which they use the documentation rather than produce it.

There are sooo many places that simply don't have these very very basic level of processes in place. Contractors are better than permies, as a general rule. I know permanent employment is better for some blah blah blah but as a general rule contractors are better at what they do. This has been my experience.

The longer you work as a contractor the less you'll be 'stunned by the attitude of permanent staff'. They're sht, for the most part that's why they aren't contractors. Smile sweetly, clock up the hours and invoice away.

[thunderlizard]

SOX for IT

Quite.

"But I've read that article, and it's all about accounting oversight, auditing and accountability" you may cry. And you'd be right, but for 4 little words way down there on page 66 (aka section 404): you need an "adequate internal control structure".

This can mean whatever the directors want it to, and that in turn means "whatever their consultants' salesmen have told them it means". And internal controls, when you get down to brass tacks, tend to be implemented by the IT department.

That's why you get people claiming "The Sarbanes Oxley Act says all passwords have to be 9 characters long", and "The Sarbanes Oxley Act says the office Fantasy Football League can't be in Excel any more, and has to be moved to an Oracle database costing £200,000".

[KackAttack]

I always try to recruit contractors into my projects.

Contractors tend to try and achieve the objective rather than worrying about how they are percieved within the organisation. Also, they take less holidays / training / sick leave - aka, they are reliable.

[MarillionFan]

I am stunned by the attitude of permanent staff.

I used to urge for projects to avoid using contractors since it meant that knowledge of the systems implemented would not be kept in-house but would be retained by external individuals.

But coming from the other side, I am stunned by departments that quote their response times in weeks instead of hours. I know how long it takes to do these activities and yet these people stare me in the face and tell me that it takes eight days to complete a 2 hour simple build.

It is stunning that people still have jobs.

I am so glad I started working for myself.

What a class post! The realisation hits you straight in the face: