...the contract duration has been at least 6 months and you haven't argued with anyone.
I've been contract 23.5 years, and I don't think I've ever (actually, I know I've never) completed a contract where I haven't gone "ape" with at least one person. Now, it's been very, very rare that that person has been a fellow contractor, although I will admit it has happened once or twice.
Each time I start a new role I say to myself, "Nomadd, calm down. It's just a few weeks, it'll soon be over. Don't argue with anyone." And then the next thing I know is I'm in a fooking great argument with someone. List of reasons are:
1. Rude, pushy and arrogant Project Managers (I will simply not put up with this.)
2. Noisy twats in the office disturbing my ability to work (usually a person who doesn't work on my project, but likes to stand behind my chair shouting about his.)
3. Scope creep. And more scope creep. Especially after you'd warned them about scope creep several meetings back.
4. Foreign people who can't understand English - usually situated at the end of a very poor quality phone line.
5. Offshore support staff who can't follow simple cut-n-paste instructions - even after several attempts.
6. Offshore teams who clearly know what they are doing more than you do - even when you fixed their code for the hundredth time, and you've been doing the job 25 years or more compared to their 2 years.
7. Shirty PMs who refuse to sign timesheets until you've mentioned it too them ten times - and begun threatening.
8. Technology arguments with permies who are completely out of their depth, regarding stuff you've been doing for years (and they'd actually employed you for in the first place.)
9. Permies who simply hate contractors, and are vocal about it.
10. Hours keeping complaints - even when you are covering your contracted hours (i.e. they moan because you won't do continued unpaid additional work.)
And so on, and so on - please feel free to add any I've missed.
So, hands-on-hearts, what percentage of reasonable duration contracts have you done over the years where you've never had to take anyone to task? Ps. If you are a wuss who just sits there talking s-h-i-t from anyone, then please feel free to skip this thread; I'm only interested in responses from seasoned pros who are prepared to stick up for themselves and their project to make sure it's done right.
So, are you always sweetness and light, or does that dissipate after the first few days? Answers on a postcard.
I've been contract 23.5 years, and I don't think I've ever (actually, I know I've never) completed a contract where I haven't gone "ape" with at least one person. Now, it's been very, very rare that that person has been a fellow contractor, although I will admit it has happened once or twice.
Each time I start a new role I say to myself, "Nomadd, calm down. It's just a few weeks, it'll soon be over. Don't argue with anyone." And then the next thing I know is I'm in a fooking great argument with someone. List of reasons are:
1. Rude, pushy and arrogant Project Managers (I will simply not put up with this.)
2. Noisy twats in the office disturbing my ability to work (usually a person who doesn't work on my project, but likes to stand behind my chair shouting about his.)
3. Scope creep. And more scope creep. Especially after you'd warned them about scope creep several meetings back.
4. Foreign people who can't understand English - usually situated at the end of a very poor quality phone line.
5. Offshore support staff who can't follow simple cut-n-paste instructions - even after several attempts.
6. Offshore teams who clearly know what they are doing more than you do - even when you fixed their code for the hundredth time, and you've been doing the job 25 years or more compared to their 2 years.
7. Shirty PMs who refuse to sign timesheets until you've mentioned it too them ten times - and begun threatening.
8. Technology arguments with permies who are completely out of their depth, regarding stuff you've been doing for years (and they'd actually employed you for in the first place.)
9. Permies who simply hate contractors, and are vocal about it.
10. Hours keeping complaints - even when you are covering your contracted hours (i.e. they moan because you won't do continued unpaid additional work.)
And so on, and so on - please feel free to add any I've missed.
So, hands-on-hearts, what percentage of reasonable duration contracts have you done over the years where you've never had to take anyone to task? Ps. If you are a wuss who just sits there talking s-h-i-t from anyone, then please feel free to skip this thread; I'm only interested in responses from seasoned pros who are prepared to stick up for themselves and their project to make sure it's done right.
So, are you always sweetness and light, or does that dissipate after the first few days? Answers on a postcard.
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