Friday 13th, unlucky for some...

[milanbenes]

darmstadt

u r da man

Milan.

[darmstadt]

Just remembered ......In Germany they also pay a thirteenth month for permy staff so that is effectively almost 60K.

Not quite. Only some companies do. I've done 3 permie jobs here and never received what they call Weihnachtsgeld or Urlaubsgeld which is basically the 13th month. In fact lots of companies have stopped doing it now

[darmstadt]

darmstadt

u r da man

Milan.

Cheers Milan.

One thing during the talk (I wouldn't really call it an interview) they asked if I wanted to use my own laptop or should they provide me with a PC so I can just take my own systems in and put them on their LAN, nice.

[KentPhilip]

they offered me $150 per hour to continue what I'm doing in the way of support...

That's around £100/hour. For support???

[ThomasSoerensen]

that is not a bad rate.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Got up this morning, SSS'ed, pu ton a suit for the first time in over 2 years and drove to Bonn in really tulip weather, snow, rain, snow, etc. Phone rang while I was on the way there and a mate at a services/software consultancy found me a gig in Köln and has asked me to price it up to put to the customer (by this evening.) Checked the specs and am not too interested as it has some specifics which I can't do (well I could muddle through) and some I don't like such as on-call during the night in the week and all over the weekend. Think I'll price it too high plus I've been to the company before and don't really like them as they turned down my proposal for a VTS system.

Anyway got to Bonn and met up with 2 guys from seperate companies and then visited the customer. They told me what they had and wanted, I told them what I knew although they had already read my CV. Asked me when I can start and that was after about 30 minutes chit-chat, not bad and sorted. 3 days a week which can be variable up until the end of the year with a possibility of another 3 years and in the public sector (a ministry and to do with money.) Oh and 10€ an hour more than the previous contractm nice.

Also the 'Mericans I work for have been bought by a lrger company and had a long teleconference with the legal counsel of the new owners and they offered me $150 per hour to continue what I'm doing in the way of support plus an extra contract on a project basis. Not too sure if that will come off as they are not interested in working in the EMEA region as such. But not too worry as the next day the manufacturers of the hardware and software contacted me and asked me to be their representative in EMEA and we're just drawing up the agreements now. Sorted again.

Also semi-agreed to a project in Frankfurt but doesn't start until March and as its on a consultancy basis then going to try for a 2 day a week (plus extra) there. See what happens.

So Friday 13th ain't all that bad except I promised the missus I would stay in this evening when I don't arf fancy a bevvie now...

Have a Beer - pity you couldnt escape from Germany though !

Youre having a laigh with that rate - 150 bucks an hour for support - yeah dream on ....

[MPwannadecentincome]

Wow well done!

When I saw the headline of the post I got worried - I was thinking of those poor people on the flight in the US this morning.

You seem overloaded, if you need help with anything let me know (I do UK and Germany)!

Cheers

[darmstadt]

That's around £100/hour. For support???

Yep. I currently support around 150 systems around EMEA of which around 70 I built which includes hardware and software. Its a very specialised system which runs on certain hardware platforms, primarily IBM xSeries servers and Thinkpads running Linux or SCO UnixWare and then the OS is customised heavily and the software is installed and then other OS'es on top which then have to be customised. There is also hardware such as PCA, SCA and ICA cards which I have to support as well. Very technical, very specific and well worth the money. When I was installing the systems (currently on hold due to patent problems) I not only got the support payment but also was on a retainer per month, all expenses paid and a lump sum per system. Shame that's all on hold.

But, it might seem a lot but that's only when I get called. At the moment that might only be 1-2 times a month (got called today actually.) On the other hand it might entail me going somewhere exotic like Slough or Tel Aviv (built and installed systems in both places) and working on-site

[darmstadt]

Have a Beer - pity you couldnt escape from Germany though !

Why would I want to? Strangely enough I enjoy it here and have a damned good lifestyle to go with it. It might be something to with going native (nearly) yet still being a bit of an outsider

[AlfredJPruffock]

Why would I want to? Strangely enough I enjoy it here and have a damned good lifestyle to go with it. It might be something to with going native (nearly) yet still being a bit of an outsider

Why ? Because last month you posted that the situation was so bad in Germany that you were looking at jobs in Switzerland - thats why.

At least I now understand your rate calculation - two calls a month at 150 = 300 bucks per month - thats fair enough then.

PS I have nothing against Germany - altough my Mother doesnt quite agree as the Nazis bombed her house in Clydebank