Reply to: Other contractor trying to impress too much

[CheeseSlice]

My take on this:

(I'm going to refer to your counterpart as he/she as you've not mentioned the other contractors sex)

Relax.. The other contractor is quick but obviously wasn't quick enough for clientco, hence why they recruited you. There is just too much work for him/her to complete alone. If they're working even harder now, then the bottom line is that adding another contractor has had a positive effect on output

Is he/she so quick that they're making mistakes? If you've got a careful head, it may be you could shine through as the contractor who values quality of work, and could even add value by identifying improvements to the process.

Is there anything you can do to further automate the rollout process to save time whilst keeping up the quality? Can you perform a sweeping check of 100's of systems to validate they took the package correctly, and display this information to your project manager?

There are plenty of ways you can turn a situation like this into an opportunity.

[ShandyDrinker]

You are a professional contractor. You do the job as quickly as possible to the highest possible standard. You do NOT drag your feet just to stay in a contract. The pay-off for this professional attitude is that you get recommended and asked back.

Personally I would not have expected a fellow contractor to think like this :

Spot on.

I agree with the point of view that the other person is your competition, how can you you view them as anything but? However, I wouldn't get too hung up on that point. You really need to concentrate on what you are delivering to the client and the value you are perceived to bring them - at that point what the other person is up to is irrelevant. That combined with always having a professional approach will reflect well on you. The way I've approached contracts so far is if the client doesn't appreciate that approach come renewal/extension/new project time, you're probably better off moving on anyway.

I accept that this may be a slightly rose tinted view of the world but with this approach I've constantly been in work with a couple of core clients (and a couple of shorter contracts) since I started contracting in 2008 through what I would argue has been one of the toughest periods for contracting/consulting in the last 25 years.

[Kanye]

They haven't necessarily fallen by the wayside, I only take extensions up to 2 years, then I move on.

And I only stay with the client for the project I've been brought in for.

It's just the way Myco works...

I know these guys have been canned as we've been through multiple round of cuts.

The point still holds though. In a tight market it is every man for themselves....

[cojak]

I have to agree with the other posters.

I'm like the other guy and I'm into my 6th renewal with the same client whilst other smarter and more experienced people have fallen by the wayside.

It's a competitive world this IT contracting business. Don't get too hung up on it day to day but you really are in direct competition with this guy for work.

They haven't necessarily fallen by the wayside, I only take extensions up to 2 years, then I move on.

And I only stay with the client for the project I've been brought in for.

It's just the way Myco works...

[Kanye]

I have to agree with the other posters.

I'm like the other guy and I'm into my 6th renewal with the same client whilst other smarter and more experienced people have fallen by the wayside.

It's a competitive world this IT contracting business. Don't get too hung up on it day to day but you really are in direct competition with this guy for work.

[BolshieBastard]

I recently started a new contract and found I am working with another contractor to roll out a new package by the end of the year.

Not the most exciting work but its local and money is quite good. It seems that the other contractor I work with now sees me as someone he has to try and beat in 'Impressing the manager' and is trying to get more systems updated and changed as possible.

Now as much as I'm all for showing I do a good job at the same time don't want to shoot myself in the foot by getting stuff done early and possibly having them say 'thanks and bye' earlier than the end of the contract as it all been done.

I will try and have a word and work out something to say if I can but they are not the most sociable of characters and keep themselves to themselves. Just wondered if anyone else had experienced this as I would have not expected a fellow contractor to think like this?

You sound like you havent been out of permiedom that long.

You must be pretty insecure about yourself if you ae bothered about someone working at a faster pace than yourself.

[IR35FanClub]

I am not slacking I am getting work done my point was they see it as some kind of competition now to try and look the better contractor.

I will not drag things out to make things last but will not rush to get it done as quickly as I can and possibly mess something up and also maybe be shooting myself in the foot. At the end of the day I am working to earn money and as much as its good to get good praise when you finished something early as they are saying bye to you after they have let you go earlier as the project is done sooner, that does not help keep the bills paid when your on the bench for quite a long time.

Are you sure you just an an over competitive type - and hadn't realised it? I.e. he's dong more than you and so you feel annoyed as he's better?

FWIW It took me until I was 35 to realise I'm too competitive - I hadn't stoped playing sport as a teenager becuase I wasn't any good at it, it's just that I can't stand losing.

[Ketchup]

I always work at the same pace, it is quicker than a lot of people, but slower than some. I always make sure my work is done efficiently and correctly and have usually had my contracts renewed.

I have met a fair few contractors who are very obsequious, but IMHO anyone who has to do this has some shortfall they are trying to hide and make up for. I have no time to play those games, it is why i got out of permie roles. I acknowledge my own limitations, I am a good developer, but by no means the best in the world (and have never claimed to be) but i work hard and am honest, i would rather admit i don't know something and learn it than pretend i do and cock it up.

As for dragging the project out, i think it would be fairly obvious to any clued up PM/Team lead that this was going on. I would sit down with the PM and say you think you are ahead of schedule and ask him if the contract is likely to be cut short. A number of projects i have worked on have been funded by other areas of the business so the costs have already been agreed and cross-charged, so you may find they move you over to another project which is a foot in the door for a renewal.

[SueEllen]

Project times are estimates so if you can do it quicker than good.

Just make sure you people at the client know who you are, and don't stab the other people you work with in the back.

[stek]

Think you need to think what being a contractor is all about, it's not about spinning the job out or whinging when someone better/faster/more efficient comes along. Learn off him.

[curtis]

I know they did not work like that before as they have already been here 3 months before I started and you have to do a week end report so I could see the average that used to get done a week as its all kept in a spreadsheet.

We don't code we are rolling out a new system so its just a rollout engineer job, they have the project to be done by the end of the year and thats what everyone is working to who is involved.

[oscarose]

Get the job gone professionally. Do a good job and build your reputation; give yourself chance to move onto other projects/additional work/repeat business/extensions.

Don’t listen to idiots.

HTH

[escapeUK]

I am not slacking I am getting work done my point was they see it as some kind of competition now to try and look the better contractor.

How do you know what he worked like before you started? How do you know he wasnt always faster at coding than you and this is just his natural pace?

work out something to say if I can but they are not the most sociable of characters

Who is they? The client?

[curtis]

I am not slacking I am getting work done my point was they see it as some kind of competition now to try and look the better contractor.

I will not drag things out to make things last but will not rush to get it done as quickly as I can and possibly mess something up and also maybe be shooting myself in the foot. At the end of the day I am working to earn money and as much as its good to get good praise when you finished something early as they are saying bye to you after they have let you go earlier as the project is done sooner, that does not help keep the bills paid when your on the bench for quite a long time.

[psychocandy]

But then you've got the other extreme which I've encountered with contractor I work with who is willing to work weekends for free. Really...