Contract week 3 suity update - A Poll

[Cliphead]

Now that sounds like you're making this out to be my fault. Why?

Nigh on thirty years contracting, seen it all.

Never suffered from stress because of a gig. Walked out on one cos it was tulip as two companies had merged and both sets of management hated each other blocked each others projects, told them all they were arseholes and why but still walked despite being offered more dosh.

You keep getting the short straw and thus there's a pattern. Times are tough so maybe you need to take the tulip gigs or be more discerning.

[suityou01]

Nigh on thirty years contracting, seen it all.

Never suffered from stress because of a gig. Walked out on one cos it was tulip as two companies had merged and both sets of management hated each other blocked each others projects, told them all they were arseholes and why but still walked despite being offered more dosh.

You keep getting the short straw and thus there's a pattern. Times are tough so maybe you need to take the tulip gigs or be more discerning.

The gig itself is ok, and the work really intersting. It's just there's a serious lack of talent / enthusiasm from the permies. If I could hire another 3 SY01's, and an MF as the light relief we'd have the lot done in a week.

I've secured a promition and a rate rise in a shade under 10 days.

[MarillionFan]

The gig itself is ok, and the work really intersting. It's just there's a serious lack of talent / enthusiasm from the permies. If I could hire another 3 SY01's, and an MF as the light relief we'd have the lot done in a week.

I've secured a promition and a rate rise in a shade under 10 days.

[suityou01]

Dude you would tulip yourself on this gig. There's really complex data migrations, and the CM piece is a real challenge. You just haven't got the minerals.

Now off you pop.

[MarillionFan]

Dude you would tulip yourself on this gig. There's really complex data migrations, and the CM piece is a real challenge. You just haven't got the minerals.

Now off you pop.

Fook me you're a clueless ****.

[Cliphead]

The gig itself is ok, and the work really intersting. It's just there's a serious lack of talent / enthusiasm from the permies. If I could hire another 3 SY01's, and an MF as the light relief we'd have the lot done in a week.

I've secured a promition and a rate rise in a shade under 10 days.

Some rules I set myself for any gig.

1. Record everything. Emails, take notes of any and every conversation. I got quite adept at writing while on the phone or looking anywhere other than the note pad. Dates, times, who I spoke to.

2. Take no tulip from jealous permies. If they block or stall discuss with the individuals concerned and resort to threats of taking it higher.

3. Report to management whether they request it or not. Most appreciate the weekly email outlining what's been happening.

4. Take no tulip from management regardless of who they are or where they are. It's mostly bluster or in the worst of cases setting you up as the fall guy. Nip that in the bud.

5. If you use an agent and they're any good they'll expect feedback about the gig. Lay it on thick especially if it's crap.

6. Any ad hoc advantage I can procure along the way I'll exploit.

[SimonMac]

I would have told him to feck off if he questioned my attire

[oscarose]

Times was hard, the war chest gone and just recovering from a stress related illness I got this crummy little asp dev role. So I started and from the moment I got there I was told the development work was off-shored and I was the business analyst. So I started doing the BA bit, and suggested as timescales were short taking an agile approach. "You had us at burndown chart" came the response. So I tidied up and the off-shore team are well onto it, we are on plan and have some capacity to manage change. All ticking along.

Then I asked about config and release management? More shuffling of feet and murmuring. Then I get asked to look at the plan and give my feedback, which I did. Next think I know, at the team meeting I am announced as the new team leader

So I gets the PM to one side and says, oi pal, happy to take this new role on but it'll cost ya. He ok's it. So I get on with planning all the interdependances on the workstreams that have been missed, arrange meetings, chase people for stuff, help out where I can. Do this for about a few days.

Then the PM tells me I'm doing a good job, and outshining everyone including him. Alarm bells. I apologise and ask for a clearer definition of what team leaders do and what I have picked up by mistake. We go through my list of tasks, and he tells me who to pass them to, but then realises just how much I have picked up and realises the handover-ees are going to be mightily pissed off when they inherit this workload.

So I get demoted back to BA. I carry on doing my BA tulip, and tell people who to talk to as I'm no longer dealing with this stuff any more.

Then I get a PM saying "We're in room xx, come quick!" and I leg it in there and there's a programme manager giving my PM a sound kickin.

I sit down and they turn their guns on me. Where are we with this, and this and this and this etc etc. Like Neo out of the matrix I calmly stop all the bullets in mid air, and then return fire. This is with so and so, this is on hold, this is a blocker to this etc etc. The detail in my brain was pretty impressive for just two days as team leader.

The attack dog is silent for a moment, then says, "So it's under control. Fine". Then dismisses us.

Afterwards the PM asks me to stop wearing a suit and tie to work as he only wears an open neck shirt and a jumper. I have obliged.

Today he trudged around moaning, and I got hauled into a data migration meeting where their data architect was spouting loads of "blockers" that didn't sound like blockers at all to me. Data migrations are a bit like riding bareback on a rhino at the best of times, just get on with it and hold on for dear life. I did my best to stay out of it, and gave some suggestions to approach.

I feel like Gulliver in Lilliput. This cannot end well.

That said the pimp rang me and said they love me to bits and want to clone me. Funnily enough they said this to me at my last gig before my 'episode'.

Time to lay it on the line I think.

[d000hg]

...

I didn't even know you'd got a new gig. How had you burnt through your war-chest when you only just left the last gig?

Need to re-read all that before deciding if congratulations or ridicule are most appropriate but congratulations on getting the gig

[suityou01]

Some rules I set myself for any gig.

1. Record everything. Emails, take notes of any and every conversation. I got quite adept at writing while on the phone or looking anywhere other than the note pad. Dates, times, who I spoke to.

I take my iPad everywhere, and minute everything. This is new for me, but I'm doing it nonetheless.

2. Take no tulip from jealous permies. If they block or stall discuss with the individuals concerned and resort to threats of taking it higher.

Yep, already took it to programme level straight away under the pretense of 'unless I get results your programme will fail, I need some clout'.

3. Report to management whether they request it or not. Most appreciate the weekly email outlining what's been happening.

I have my own reporting template, including planned and unplanned activities, risks and issues with mitigation options. I file this weekly, even though this is not asked for.

4. Take no tulip from management regardless of who they are or where they are. It's mostly bluster or in the worst of cases setting you up as the fall guy. Nip that in the bud.

I was in this meeting with the programme manager, and his PM started giving me loads of tulip, I soaked it up, answered all his questions, then pointed out that his staff were going to be late with a deliverable that was going to screw the pooch and I had been chasing daily. He backed right off.

5. If you use an agent and they're any good they'll expect feedback about the gig. Lay it on thick especially if it's crap.

Please clarify what you mean by lay it on thick?

6. Any ad hoc advantage I can procure along the way I'll exploit.

Goes without saying.