Perspective

[Gentile]

Chin up, that first interview would be enough to send anyone into dispair.

I'm kinda in the the same boat, a .NET developer who for the past 7 or 8 years has been lucky enough to pretty much breeze between roles on a generally good rate and earned a good living and decent reputation (and actually earned my money, not saying i've had an easy ride).

I took a couple of months out after the last contract as I was just due a break, had done years with no real time off and suddenly find when I start looking a few weeks back I find that rates are low and even the lowest paying roles appear to require an expert in every single technology and acronym out there (expert level in .NET, Data Warehousing AND Java, yeah thats me, gizza job!).

Also had a rubbish interview experience as documented in Technical where I was appraised solely on my knowledge of the bumper book of .NET facts rather than what I can actually do (surprisingly got good feedback from that interview and that one is still ongoing).

Have actually landed a role now, way below what I was getting rate-wise a few months back and not for the big name PLC that I wanted but meh, its a role and will keep the wolves from the door.

So just to say, .NET-wise, things are looking up I reckon. Over the past couple of weeks I've seen a significant increase in the number and quality of roles i'm being pitched. So as crappy as things seem, you'll get a phone call out of the blue next week and a sweet role will be yours for the plucking.

You're probably right - that's the irony of contracting, your next gig always comes up out of the blue from a direction you hadn't been expecting. Very rarely is it all planned in advance.

This wasn't meant to be a rant of despair, more a light-hearted "see it's not so bad" post for those in-role that are experiencing troubles of their own right now for whatever reason.

[Durbs]

perhaps try to stop being so honest at interview.

This.

I could have walked straight into a good role when my last one finished.

They wanted some reporting functionality and the guy explained what data they needed using, who needed to use it and then showed me an Excel pivot chart and some pivot tables - "We want it like this".

Me: "Eeerm, you mean looking like that or actually in Excel?"

Him: "In Excel!"

Me: "No, from what you've said, Excel is not going to be the best solution here, you've got a fairly large user base who need the data and the dataset itself is fairly large and complex so I'd implement a datab....."

Him: "NO DATABASE, we've been down this route already, we had a database and we spent a long time getting nowhere, the users are comfortable with Excel, we want it in Excel, now explain how you would create it"

Me: "Well sorry but not in Excel for starters [carry on to explain how a web based or SQL based reporting tool would work for the app and their prior bad experience wouldn't be repeated]"


All I had to do to get that role was to say "YES! A pivot chart and table would be great, I can even colour code it for you" and then once I was on site tell them sorry, this data is going in a DB.

Honesty is not always the best policy.

[MarillionFan]

This.

I could have walked straight into a good role when my last one finished.

They wanted some reporting functionality and the guy explained what data they needed using, who needed to use it and then showed me an Excel pivot chart and some pivot tables - "We want it like this".

Me: "Eeerm, you mean looking like that or actually in Excel?"

Him: "In Excel!"

Me: "No, from what you've said, Excel is not going to be the best solution here, you've got a fairly large user base who need the data and the dataset itself is fairly large and complex so I'd implement a datab....."

Him: "NO DATABASE, we've been down this route already, we had a database and we spent a long time getting nowhere, the users are comfortable with Excel, we want it in Excel, now explain how you would create it"

Me: "Well sorry but not in Excel for starters [carry on to explain how a web based or SQL based reporting tool would work for the app and their prior bad experience wouldn't be repeated]"


All I had to do to get that role was to say "YES! A pivot chart and table would be great, I can even colour code it for you" and then once I was on site tell them sorry, this data is going in a DB.

Honesty is not always the best policy.

I've developed a tool for Excel which I've been using for years as a prototyping tool. Sometimes the prototype is so good I productionalise Pivot table reports.

It allows me to rapidly create SQL reports in Pivot tables. I can test SQL out, change connections instantly, create new ones using the same memory cache. Topped off with some VBScripting routines I have they can be productionalised using a scheduled windows job & emailed. If you're clever with SQL you can create more complex reports in a Pivot table than the vast majority of Reporting/Business Intelligence suites on the market. The last three companies I've contracted at have adopted copies of it.

Which is actually quite bloody annoying.

[Bunk]

Because, you know, naming variables is the main problem faced by experienced developers today.

It seems to stump plenty going by some of the tulip I see.

[Gentile]

This.

I could have walked straight into a good role when my last one finished.

They wanted some reporting functionality and the guy explained what data they needed using, who needed to use it and then showed me an Excel pivot chart and some pivot tables - "We want it like this".

Me: "Eeerm, you mean looking like that or actually in Excel?"

Him: "In Excel!"

Me: "No, from what you've said, Excel is not going to be the best solution here, you've got a fairly large user base who need the data and the dataset itself is fairly large and complex so I'd implement a datab....."

Him: "NO DATABASE, we've been down this route already, we had a database and we spent a long time getting nowhere, the users are comfortable with Excel, we want it in Excel, now explain how you would create it"

Me: "Well sorry but not in Excel for starters [carry on to explain how a web based or SQL based reporting tool would work for the app and their prior bad experience wouldn't be repeated]"


All I had to do to get that role was to say "YES! A pivot chart and table would be great, I can even colour code it for you" and then once I was on site tell them sorry, this data is going in a DB.

Honesty is not always the best policy.

My favourite past project with head-scratching requirements was a company that wanted documents signed, and transmitted to an external receiver. Their old paper system had used a set of carbon-copy sheets, that would be physically signed, then the top sheet ripped off, then the next person would sign off the next sheet down, rip off their copy, pass it on, etc., so that the last person ended up with the version that was fully complete and multiply signed by everyone.

The system they ended up building (and that I was asked to "complete") involved scanning a physical signed sheet into their system, storing it as a pdf, passing that PDF to the next person, who'd then print it out another physical copy, sign it and scan it into the system again, etc. They had a bit of a head-slap moment when I asked them why they weren't just electronically 'signing' the thing?, and using passwords and profiles to confirm who had approved each stage?, instead of using physical signatures on scanned documents that were easy for anyone to counterfeit.

When I was first starting out, I used to keep my mouth shut whenever I saw madness at work, and sometimes I still do if I feel people don't want to be told the truth or if I haven't actually been asked my opinion. You're right, though, it is a lot easier and more lucrative in an interview to say less, even when you know more.

[insur]

"Death March Project" is back home now and feeling

Reading your post Gentile, you have my every sympathy. I hope something comes up soon.

Being on the bench is certainly no joy but working in an environment where the people are so ruthless is not much fun either.

Oh well....

[Gentile]

It seems to stump plenty going by some of the tulip I see.

The only time I make an issue of variable naming conventions is if I see a developer using String1, String2, etc. Other than that, I really don't care which particular brand of camel casing or Hungarian notation they use, as long as the purpose of their chosen names is clear. I've better things to worry about than that, such as "does this solution do what it actually needs to do?".

[doodab]

It seems to stump plenty going by some of the tulip I see.

There are 26 letters in the alphabet, if you need more than that you probably need to consider splitting your code into smaller blocks

[suityou01]

There are 26 letters in the alphabet, if you need more than that you probably need to consider splitting your code into smaller blocks

Database table and column naming are a bug-bear of mine. If a table is called TPQ97_RWI it means fook all. If it's called PURCHASE_LEDGER_TRANSACTION_HISTORY this is much more meaningful.

Then again, I'm not one for sniffing around "back ends"

[insur]

Out of curiosity Gentile, how long would it take to get a decent permie .net job up north?