New tech is a mugs game...

[Fungus]

A friend of mine is into the 3G/4G telecoms game (hardware, firmware, software) and the standard minimum contracts are 12 to 18 months, sometimes 2 years.

None of this 3 months rolling bulltulip for shiny stuff like .NET

That might be specific to his company. I am in 3G/4G and my last client gave me two 1 year contracts, followed by seven 6 months ones. Most other contractors were on 6 month contracts, though one or two also got 1 year ones. Now I'm with a new client and all contracts are 3 months. Even the really knowledgeable people I know who eat and sleep protocol (and I am not in that league) tend to get 6 months.

I agree about staying away from the trendy stuff. There's too many tulipe hot youngsters peddling those skills. Old farts like me do better on the slightly wiffy old stuff. My last client couldn't get staff cos the place looked like a tip and the technology was not the latest. They were technically tulip hot though. Hence ... contractors ... yippeee.

Fungus

[xoggoth]

Huh! At moment I am stuck with Access and 8051 assembler and aircraft specs plus a bit of VC++ in part time contract. Not fair! I want to do new sexy ,dot netty things and preferably nowt to do with sodding aircraft. I hate aircraft, poxy things.

[wendigo100]

I hate aircraft, poxy things.

I used to work on avionics. Aren't they fun any more?

[mikethebike]

A record?

A place i worked as a permi and subsequently as a contractor must hold the record?

Some contractors were working there when I started there as a permi back in 1986, mainframe stuff.

A few years back they offered them all permi roles, some took them, and two months later when they made some cuts the permies were made redundant, but the contractors were kept on as they were "not on the official headcount".

There are two of them still there...I make that 19 years on one contract...can't be bad....especially with all the training they have received!!!!

MTB

[Gibbon]

I used to work on avionics. Aren't they fun any more?

Depends what area you're in I suppose. Displays is always good as you get to go and fly places and bomb people. Ex- wife house co-ordinates being a bitter favourite. Engine validation sucks.

[wendigo100]

Depends what area you're in I suppose. Displays is always good as you get to go and fly places and bomb people. Ex- wife house co-ordinates being a bitter favourite. Engine validation sucks.

I was in military radar, signal processing, HUDs, all that stuff. Not as loud as engines.

An colleague got to spend two years in communist China, and nine months in the Falklands, neither of which impressed him. Why can't we sell this stuff to Barbados or somewhere nice?

[AlfredJPruffock]

Was talking to one of the mainframe guys where I work today, he's been offered another extension and also has an offer of a long contract with another company.

I asked how long the contracts were for and both were in the 1-2 year range, somewhat different to most I've come across in the more recent tech areas, but which he claimed is normal for his skills.

So come on all you oldies, is this the case?, do mainframe skills secure you nice long contracts, while most of the newer stuff is just 3/6/9 months?

Having just been awarded another years extension,we older computering types are treated with the respect and adoration that we deserve having suffered years of combat stress within the IT industry.

You younger ones will have to go through the hell of the uncertainty of six week contracts in Basingstoke or some other hellhole with ill tempered IT managers,frazzaled project managers and gossiping secretaries who resent your very presence on the site.

Woe to ye when you approach your IT manager cap in hand an mumble Please May I have an extention good Sir ?

PS JB found an excellent Belgian Beer in the Del Heize supermarket , its called Caves ... top notch Old Bean.

[Gibbon]

An colleague got to spend two years in communist China, and nine months in the Falklands, neither of which impressed him. Why can't we sell this stuff to Barbados or somewhere nice?

Poor bastrad. I spent 4 months in the Falklands and that was 2 years too long apart from 4 days off to see penguins, elephant seals and whales which was good as was the flight in a Tornado.

[Joe Black]

Having just been awarded another years extension,we older computering types are treated with the respect and adoration that we deserve having suffered years of combat stress within the IT industry.

You younger ones will have to go through the hell of the uncertainty of six week contracts in Basingstoke or some other hellhole with ill tempered IT managers,frazzaled project managers and gossiping secretaries who resent your very presence on the site.

Well thanks AJP, I already have one smug person sitting opposite me all day without apparently a care in the world while he watches me sweat to get an entire system out in just a couple of months, if at all...

Caves?, haven't heard of that one, if I see it I'll pop one in the trolley and give it a try.

Edit: a blond as well, that'll only leave another 1507 I have to try

Del Heize?, ik dacht dat je tweetalig was?

[AlfredJPruffock]

Excellent BelleBum Beer link JB, my New Years Res is to sample a different Belgian Beer every day, that list will really come in handy.

Not the easiest of Resolutions, I know...