Reply to: Todays high paying contract

[DaveB]

"Programming is like engineering with lego."

I have not managed to get past the Sticklebricks stage yet.

I'm still on Playdoh.

[BoredBloke]

"Programming is like engineering with lego."

I have not managed to get past the Sticklebricks stage yet.

[Jobberwacky]

Thing is that proper engineers build things of value that stand the test of time. Programmers just shovel sh*t around until it meets a functional spec. Programming is like engineering with lego.

[zeitghost]

Yup, it's usually the self taught guys that think they are coding gods, but usually don't have the first clue about anything.

Yes.

It's funny how anyone with a pc (used to be a BBC B) and six months experience of basic thinks he/she/it is a Real Programmer.

Whereas it takes years to be competent at any engineering skill.

[Ardesco]

Do they get anybody for rates like that?

Yup, it's usually the self taught guys that think they are coding gods, but usually don't have the first clue about anything. I've seen huge amounts of utter tulipe software by people like this that is usually fixed later on in it's life cycle by a competant contractor for a decent rate.

The problem is that most big corporations don't look to the future, each manager has his/her budget and won't go above it to make that program perfect for the job, but will happily underspend and make it a pile of crap just so that they can come in under budget and get a nice pat on the back from more senior beancounters....

[ChimpMaster]

A lot of banks appear to run their project budgets Jan - Dec, hence now that we are in Q4 there is more constraint on what they can spend. This may also help to explain the lower number of contract vacancies at this time (certainly in my field).

[HankWangford]

Whenever you speak to agents about this, they always say that they have had loads of applicants. Who are they? or is it bollocks?

If you look at the jobs on reed.co.uk youll often see the applicants for the lower rate gig's have more applicants....


and if I hear what is the lowest you will go down to phrase again I will tell them where to shove it. Wish they would be open and say the client will pay 400, take my cut off and we can put you in for 350. Why the fek is it always shady hush-hush and one sided (the agent knows what your getting but will harldy ever disclose his cut)

[MarillionFan]

Whenever you speak to agents about this, they always say that they have had loads of applicants. Who are they? or is it bollocks?

[Troll]

I've noticed some appallingly low rates on offer recently-often for quite experienced positions.

I figure it must be for a large bank wanting more FTV's in, and will use the non-take up by local contractors as supporting evidence to the authorities

[TheMonkey]

I had a permie job like that once, back in the dark ages.

[xoggoth]

Do they get anybody for rates like that?

[VectraMan]

I saw a C++ job on cwjobs the other day that was £10-£12 ph.

[oraclesmith]

"Contract length will be 3 months initially"

....and if you're good value at that rate then we will coerce you to stick with it for the next two years.

[HankWangford]

"You must have at least 12 months ASP. NET experience ideally with VB. NET and ideally have experience of Classic ASP."


You will be supporting and adding crappy features to a legacy asp application that we would like to upgrade to .net but it will never happen

[kramer]

"Demonstrable experience of developing data-driven public facing Websites in a fast paced environment under tight constraints. "

i.e. we have no spec..