Reply to: Cutthroat Contracting

[LondonManc]

Much of it is jealousy. I mean how dare you have the balls/skills to open up a limited company and sell yourself.

I have said in the past, "it isn't a closed shop, you can do this yourself if you really want to."

Last gig had a contractor giving it the "big I am" in the kitchen about an Oracle to SQL Server migration and how he was such an expect and he'd smashed loads of them in.

I thought great cos we are really struggling, so I asked the MD if we could borrow him for an hour, thinking he would fix it, or at least help. Sat him down, after 10 mins his face going redder, muttered something about older versions then buggered off. Didn't last much longer after that.

qh

Never had need for a migration expect myself....

Cool story tho bro'

[quackhandle]

Much of it is jealousy. I mean how dare you have the balls/skills to open up a limited company and sell yourself.

I have said in the past, "it isn't a closed shop, you can do this yourself if you really want to."

Last gig had a contractor giving it the "big I am" in the kitchen about an Oracle to SQL Server migration and how he was such an expect and he'd smashed loads of them in.

I thought great cos we are really struggling, so I asked the MD if we could borrow him for an hour, thinking he would fix it, or at least help. Sat him down, after 10 mins his face going redder, muttered something about older versions then buggered off. Didn't last much longer after that.

qh

[BR14]

As in, IT are reluctant to upgrade? Hardly a contract thing, more a culture thing varying from place to place and their individual organisational risk policy.

and the drag of their legacy systems, maybe?
and, for banks, 24x7 availability.

[LondonManc]

Difficult to generalise. Most IT departments are not well run. Typically the business is trying to move faster than the technology will allow and shortcuts and bad practise is rife.

My experience with contract is it tends to be 'undiserable' companies to work for that hire contractors. not always but often.

Rarely its a green field project -usually its; projects late, over budget, client not happy. Time for the contractor.

Perm salaries have been flat for a decade maybe resentment against contractors is increasing.

As in, IT are reluctant to upgrade? Hardly a contract thing, more a culture thing varying from place to place and their individual organisational risk policy.

[tsmith]

Difficult to generalise. Most IT departments are not well run. Typically the business is trying to move faster than the technology will allow and shortcuts and bad practise is rife.

My experience with contract is it tends to be 'undiserable' companies to work for that hire contractors. not always but often.

Rarely its a green field project -usually its; projects late, over budget, client not happy. Time for the contractor.

Perm salaries have been flat for a decade maybe resentment against contractors is increasing.

[uk contractor]

after getting managed out of a permie role by a couple of people who I regard as borderline psychopaths. So glad I don't have any of that crap any more - although I do miss the way my life was before they turned up.

Sounds exactly like role I left a few days ago as I knew I had something better lined up so the money & hassle from working closely with psychos no longer appealed to me!!

[Peoplesoft bloke]

I have suffered far less from politics and bulltulip as a contractor than as a perm. My last perm role my mental health suffered quiet badly from politics and bullying. I have been more protected from it as a contractor - mostly the client and people around me are only interested in where my project delivery is up to, which suits me just fine.

Me too - I came back to contracting after getting managed out of a permie role by a couple of people who I regard as borderline psychopaths. So glad I don't have any of that crap any more - although I do miss the way my life was before they turned up.

[dx4100]

I have suffered far less from politics and bulltulip as a contractor than as a perm. My last perm role my mental health suffered quiet badly from politics and bullying. I have been more protected from it as a contractor - mostly the client and people around me are only interested in where my project delivery is up to, which suits me just fine.

[LondonManc]

It's one of the few things I don't miss now I'm a permie.

Being at a whim of someone's bit of politics was crap - banks can be a cracking place for it. I've seen a contractor recently trying to be the big "I am" but showing himself up because he regards himself as an architect when the reality is that he's an egotistical business analyst, creating more Excel wireframes than any sane person could cope with.

[psychocandy]

Permiedom redundancy was the worse.

Smallish IT company. Called me in to speak to HR and a senior manager. Told me there'd been complaints about me from customers. Some story, from one of the many unhappy customers. I'd only ever been there once to help a colleague out.

All became clear when they said, right you're being suspended, or...... you can sign a compromise agreement and get a bit of a payout and leave quietly.

Turns out 3 other people on the same day had complaints about them. Mass stitch up.

I had little choice - only been there 15 months - so took the money (about two months pay). Apparently, the company wanted to cut costs and couldn't be bothered to do redundancies properly so took this route. I was quite pleased mind when they went bust and director (who had a Bentley) got investigated for fiddling welsh government grants.

[Surrey Contractor]

I had high hopes that this thread was about a new Agency that had been formed

#Disappointed

As others have said, this happens in every walk of life, and not restricted to contractors.

haha... pretty decent agency name now that I come to think of it!
Yeah you're right. Guess seems more pronounced in contracting life because of the ease of which people can be removed

[Paralytic]

I had high hopes that this thread was about a new Agency that had been formed

#Disappointed

As others have said, this happens in every walk of life, and not restricted to contractors.

[Surrey Contractor]

When I was the hiring manager, I ensured that the contractors bought the first few rounds when we went to the pub. It seemed to bring the permies on side.

Now that's only fair )

[Surrey Contractor]

Friend of mine has worked in places where their every action was challenged and undermined by a cabal of other contractors (mates of the MD or some such, onto a good thing, their work was being shown up as a sham...). It's not just permies who get all uppity by the presence of competent people.

Pretty much exactly the same as one of the situations I saw. Contractors all worked with the Head of IT in a previous company and weren't afraid of letting everyone know. All very chummy. And this poor guy on the outside wasn't part of it so off he went.

[Surrey Contractor]

It's not limited to contractors. There are toxic people that instead of trying to deliver more, are focused on trying to point out everyone else's fault, to make themselves look good.

Fortunately one of the best aspects of being a contractor, is that you can just walk and not put up with their tulip.

Yes, but shouldn't be forced to do that especially if you're delivering