First day, nothing to do

[Pogle]

I'm on day 7 and I'm still awaiting data, connections input etc...

Have read the requirements, read the policy and guidance document. worked out how I'm going to do the work when I get the source data and sent many emails, surfed etc..
I'm getting a tad fed up - but I am getting paid for the first time in 4 months, so I can't complain.
I'm used to being in an environment where I do everything to do with the ETL process, but here I have to wait for the analyst to tell me how to map fields a DBA to create the scripts for the target data etc..

Ho Hum, I'm only here for a couple of months and there are two more guys due to arrive in the next week - so I hope someone gets their finger out.

[gingerjedi]

Hey i'm nearly 6 months in and still don't have much to do.

They offered me an extension but i'm walking away...found a better gig where they may actually have a challenging role for me....doing nothing is great to a point but if you don't use skills you loose em.

Same here, they've got me filling in a productivity report as they're trying to work out why they aren't making as much money as they'd like.

I’m a support monkey contracted to an outsourced support company placed on a client site, it wasn’t me who agreed a contract that stipulates a body on site during business hours, its gone quiet so either get rid of me or quit moaning FFS!

[swamp]

One of the most important skills being a contractor is to maximise your footprint.

What little work you do have make sure you make a big song and dance about it. Send emails, arrange meetings, suggest setting up a formal policy, mention 'best practice'. With skill you can turn even the most noddy task into a (perceived) major ball-ache and cast yourself as the knight in shining armour who always works hard to solve these critical issues. This is the true skill of the contractor.

[DimPrawn]

Are you familiar with their test policies?
Are you familiar with their coding standards?
Have you read and made notes on all existing design documents?
What is the process for integrating code into a build?
How do they do deployments to test and pre-production environments?
Do you fully understand the data model?
Have you been introduced to the relevant people in test, configuration management, production?
Do you have required logins to source control, CM repositories, document management systems, Intranet etc?


Fook me, there's loads you could be doing instead of nothing.

[Fred Bloggs]

In my experience, when a client needs you in there "urgently, absolutely ASAP" you can expect to wait at least 3 weeks before getting any work.

~6 weeks is typical for me. One job I did last year, I was there for 5 months and did nothing at all (two of us!). To prevent getting too bored we had to do a kind of "DIY job creation for contractors scheme" and make our own work up! I bailed out of the job after a client "friend" tipped the wink that the job was going very badly wrong on their side. The job actually ran on another 6 months I later found out!

[chef]

Are you familiar with their test policies?
Are you familiar with their coding standards?
Have you read and made notes on all existing design documents?
What is the process for integrating code into a build?
How do they do deployments to test and pre-production environments?
Do you fully understand the data model?
Have you been introduced to the relevant people in test, configuration management, production?
Do you have required logins to source control, CM repositories, document management systems, Intranet etc?


Fook me, there's loads you could be doing instead of nothing.

not forgettting to
go make a brew in between each one
check the latest updates on here
go for that magical and very satisfying £10 dump in trap 3
check your share prices
flirt with the GF/OH via webmessenger
compile your notes to something even more unreadable but technical

plenty to do man

[norrahe]

Are you familiar with their test policies?
Are you familiar with their coding standards?
Have you read and made notes on all existing design documents?
What is the process for integrating code into a build?
How do they do deployments to test and pre-production environments?
Do you fully understand the data model?
Have you been introduced to the relevant people in test, configuration management, production?
Do you have required logins to source control, CM repositories, document management systems, Intranet etc?

WHS

[Pogle]

Are you familiar with their test policies?
Are you familiar with their coding standards?
Have you read and made notes on all existing design documents?
What is the process for integrating code into a build?
How do they do deployments to test and pre-production environments?
Do you fully understand the data model?
Have you been introduced to the relevant people in test, configuration management, production?
Do you have required logins to source control, CM repositories, document management systems, Intranet etc?


Fook me, there's loads you could be doing instead of nothing.

Wow a proud moment for the Pogle - I actually did all of that in the first two days I was here. Scary

[swamp]

Are you familiar with their test policies?
No test policies. "We have some testers over there."

Are you familiar with their coding standards?
One look at the code was indication there, and never have been, any no coding standards...

Have you read and made notes on all existing design documents?
Given some docs, told they were 5 years out of date. Useless.

What is the process for integrating code into a build?
Copy loads of apparently unrelated files up to the servers that only Bob knows how to do.

How do they do deployments to test and pre-production environments?
See above.

Do you fully understand the data model?
No coherent model. Ad-hoc SQL, Hashtables etc.

Have you been introduced to the relevant people in test, configuration management, production?
Yes. His name is Bob.

Do you have required logins to source control, CM repositories, document management systems, Intranet etc?
No. Will take a few weeks, if you're lucky.



Sometimes it's better not to ask. Just spend your time on CUK until you're asked to do something.

[jkoder]

Day 1 of new contract:

3 Coffees, and guy with the copy of visual studio isnt in until tomorrow.

So Im reverting to standard net surfing, but feel quilty bunking off on the first day, should I?

excuse the rubbish typing, theyve given me a french laptop and i cant find all the buttons, grrrr.

You should be reading documentation and analysing the code base and database schema.

Bloody slacker!