test please delete

[mudskipper]

Coffee arranged with agent tomorrow to sort out paperwork..

That means I can expense my train travel to the xmas do....

Is Mrs eek still doing her chocolate thing? Any of those orangey ones?

[eek]

Is Mrs eek still doing her chocolate thing? Any of those orangey ones?

Don't think we have orange slices, they are special order nowadays as the sugar and chocolate don't last together. We probably have orange slices on bars I will look when I get home. Dark or milk chocolate?

[mudskipper]

Don't think we have orange slices, they are special order nowadays as the sugar and chocolate don't last together. We probably have orange slices on bars I will look when I get home. Dark or milk chocolate?

Dark, please!

[eek]

Dark, please!

Asked mrs eek to rescue them from stock...

[SimonMac]

Asked mrs eek to rescue them from stock...

You'd better bring a random selection, as gifts for your friends, and one you've found those two people we can all share the rest

[vetran]

Following up now with pimps from two interviews in the last week.

One is local and ok-ish rate (not far off my preferred bottom line, but meh), pretty straightforward work but being close to home means I don't mind too much. At the bottom of their JD they'd even had to put in an estimate of the day rates they expected (using it to justify this being a "specialist" role and not something they can do with an hourly temp) - and I was pleased to note I was about smack in the middle of that range. Of course at the end of the interview there was the usual guff about sorting a quick decision inside two working days.

A week down the line the pimp phones up and rah rah they want to offer it to you - well done! One thing though, they're complaining about the rate. We're on a fixed 8% of course so nothing in it for me - could you possibly drop to the bottom of their range? They're not sure they'll have the budget to get the project done on your rate blah blah.

Nope, sorry. Bottom line is bottom line!

The other one who I spoke to yesterday morning - not so close, rate also a bit pants but in my acceptable spectrum - had also been on about his high workload, need to get someone in right away, by the end of the week really. Didn't really ask me any questions in the interview, just seemed to think I was a good fit. All well and good but the pimp had been ringing the phone off the hook in the run up to the interview. Now no one wants to pick up or be in the office.

I suppose them doing a bit of due diligence beats me getting to site and finding naff all to do! Ah the fun of life on the bench!

Kiss the frogs find the prince

[NickFitz]

Morning denizens

Rainy grey day

[eek]

You'd better bring a random selection, as gifts for your friends, and one you've found those two people we can all share the rest

MS is sorted. If I remember I'll raid the seconds box before I come down for the rest of you...

[SimonMac]

Following up now with pimps from two interviews in the last week.

One is local and ok-ish rate (not far off my preferred bottom line, but meh), pretty straightforward work but being close to home means I don't mind too much. At the bottom of their JD they'd even had to put in an estimate of the day rates they expected (using it to justify this being a "specialist" role and not something they can do with an hourly temp) - and I was pleased to note I was about smack in the middle of that range. Of course at the end of the interview there was the usual guff about sorting a quick decision inside two working days.

A week down the line the pimp phones up and rah rah they want to offer it to you - well done! One thing though, they're complaining about the rate. We're on a fixed 8% of course so nothing in it for me - could you possibly drop to the bottom of their range? They're not sure they'll have the budget to get the project done on your rate blah blah.

Nope, sorry. Bottom line is bottom line!

The other one who I spoke to yesterday morning - not so close, rate also a bit pants but in my acceptable spectrum - had also been on about his high workload, need to get someone in right away, by the end of the week really. Didn't really ask me any questions in the interview, just seemed to think I was a good fit. All well and good but the pimp had been ringing the phone off the hook in the run up to the interview. Now no one wants to pick up or be in the office.

I suppose them doing a bit of due diligence beats me getting to site and finding naff all to do! Ah the fun of life on the bench!

Low rate close to home, that is what I am on at the moment, no travelling, or commuting I should say, saves me a fair bit meaning my "take home" is more than a higher rate away from home.

How much does the bench pay is the question though?

[Pondlife]

Morning/Afternoon* all

There's some big wigs in town so they've drafted about 10k extra police who are all over the train stations and public transport. Now I've got pairs of military helcopters going overhead and as it's in Germany you just know the pilots will have a bit of Wagner blasting.

* delete as applicable