Longest Bench Time???

[realityhack]

RH : this is a newbie. your attitude is very poor. why not lure them in gently with a game of twister or something?

Hang on - I've found some marker pens...

<draws some red, green, blue and yellow Twister circles on the cream carpet. Using a black marker, draws the spin-board on the carpet next to the circles. Finds empty bottle, places it on the spin-board>

Right - needs must, a bit of improvisation there.

[weemster]

I've been a contractor off and on since 1998. I left contracting at the end of 2001 and took a permie role which I didn't enjoy which I left in June 2002 and got a contract in October 2002. Things were pretty bad all the way through to autumn 2003 as I recall. I did a couple of short term contracts and a contract which lasted a while but was on a 1 week renewable basis. I had another 2 months on the bench in summer 2003 and then things were ok. Remembering how bad it was back then, I went back to permiedom in 2007, only to be laid off a month ago. Now looking for another "permie" role or a contract if I have to. Not keen on contracting because you generally get better quality work as a permie and money's not everything. May change my mind again if the next "permie" role doesn't work out, however.

I do find it strange when some contractors on here suggest that contracting is a lifestyle and you need a particular mindset for it. IMHO, it's horses for courses, contracting's worth it when you're in your 20s/early 30s need to make some money quick, and the contracting market is strong. Permiedom's worth it as you get a bit older, establish a family, have made enough money to not want the stress of looking for a new role (every year on average) and want better quality roles.

We're drinking from a shrinking lake. When I started contracting, the older contractors would relay me with stories about how they made £400 per day in the 1980s and how much money they'd made creating basic websites in the early 90s. They'd also complain about the flood of youngsters (like me) which entered in to contracting in the late 90s pushing the rates down. The message that I got then and still believe is that unless you continually upskill in this industry (which is incredibly difficult to do as you have no control over your job), there's always going to be somebody brighter or cheaper out there. I'm reading on these boards now about people considering taking contracts for £150-200 per day. Frightening. I feel sorry for the kids today and am envious of my parent's generation. When I went to uni, they'd increased the places so that about 10% of kids could go to uni. I believe the figure now is 30%. On top of this, there's been a mass influx of foreigners since the millenium. Both of these factors are unlikely to change. Kids in their 20s look as if they've got no hope in ever buying a house and will have to work like crazy to make the same kind of cash I did. In turn, I've had to work substantially harder than my parents to have a similar lifestyle. There's no easy answer. My generation used to look down on striking miners and factory workers slating them for their ignorance of trying to hold on to their jobs when people in other countries could mine coal or produce steel more cheaply. We're all miners now.

Interesting point. I see contracting as a lifestyle thing. I like the change and the liberation of a project finishing and then rethinking my plan - yes we don't have kids and a very small mortgage and Missus Weemster works so that helps.

I intend to try and use the cash I have earnt to have a career change when/if I get completely p*55ed with the whole thing until then just enjoy the fact that I have enough money to take a few years out if I wanted.

The key to this game is getting that balance between a nice lifestyle and not spending it all I think although I understand not everyone has that luxury. I never thought of contracting as permanent thing.

I met a guy once (trainer on a training course) who was teaching us .NET stuff, he used the analogy of IT freelancers being like professional footballers i.e we only really have a limited time to make money - probably tulip but its always stuck in my mind as we do have a limited time to make money whether it be limited by opportunities, attitude or whatever.

[RichardCranium]

I wish these people talking shop would bugger off. It's lunch time, FFS.

<draws some red, green, blue and yellow Twister circles on the cream carpet>

I haven't been sick on a cream carpet for, err days.

Where's the Creme de Menthe?

[alreadypacked]

I wish these people talking shop would bugger off. It's lunch time, FFS.

Pimms o'clock

[SajStars]

I am a Tea kind of kind BTW!!!

....just filling my cooperation tax for the first time, did the vat, however this one (cooperation tax) looks a little more complicated, so i'll let the proffessionals put the first one in and then learn how to do it myself....

thanks for all the responses btw......<gentle introduction - me thinks!!!>

[BrilloPad]

I wish these people talking shop would bugger off. It's lunch time, FFS.

I think they are all in the pub. Will be back when the party gets going.

[RichardCranium]

Pimms o'clock

I'll have a pint of that, then.



Say, have you still got that paddle?

[alreadypacked]

I'll have a pint of that, then.



Say, have you still got that paddle?

I have to ask CM if I can borrow it.

But I don't see what you have done to deserve it

[RichardCranium]

I have to ask CM if I can borrow it.

But I don't see what you have done to deserve it

We'd best get on with this Twister then and see how we get on.

[realityhack]

<spin>

RC - right hand, blue.

<spin>

AP - left foot, blue.

<doorbell>

The booze is here!