Good gig & bad skills or vice versa?

[Euro-commuter]

How much more dosh? That would be my only question.

Environment is very important, I liked relaxed media environments where you can dress down and feel comfortable, I always regret accepting roles in stuffy corporate shirt and tie environments, and will in fact from now focus on trying to get roles within web/media company's. Corporate environments make me laugh, where Friday is 'dress-down' day ("no offensive logo's on t-shirts please"), reminds me of Hawaiian shirt day in the movie Office Space

Acquiring skills is not a big problem unless you are just starting out, depending on what you do, if you have a good base skill set and are relatively sharp you can pick most skills up on the job, or from reading/experimenting in your own time.

Oh yeah, as a contractor you want to be able to see the money, or at least smell it: not just have a hint that it might improve your career later.

Casual Friday: never. I will dress up if the client likes it. But I won't then dress down one day a week, just so that they can ram home the fact that I jump when they say jump.

[Charles Foster Kane]

How much more dosh? That would be my only question.

Environment is very important, I liked relaxed media environments where you can dress down and feel comfortable, I always regret accepting roles in stuffy corporate shirt and tie environments, and will in fact from now focus on trying to get roles within web/media company's. Corporate environments make me laugh, where Friday is 'dress-down' day ("no offensive logo's on t-shirts please"), reminds me of Hawaiian shirt day in the movie Office Space

Acquiring skills is not a big problem unless you are just starting out, depending on what you do, if you have a good base skill set and are relatively sharp you can pick most skills up on the job, or from reading/experimenting in your own time.

[barely_pointless]

Look at this for what it is: some dues-paying to keep you well-paid. Do it sometimes in your life; if you can choose the moments, or even choose easily to do it at all, then you're doing OK. But I wouldn't make a life out of it.

very very very good advice.

[Euro-commuter]

I'm in a good setup at the moment - long term, good team, plenty of p1ssups, not too much stress etc. Basically you don't dread going in every morning (done that too often before - no money can make it less miserable).

Trouble is the skills are extreme old skool and there is little chance of it moving on either.

I've got the chance of moving to somewhere more up to date with good skills base and more dosh. But it seems to be a more corporate setup which I hate.

So I probably would be less happy there.

What would you do, milk this and become obsolete then worry about it, or act now?

It depends. Usually you do have to take contracts from time to time for the skills they will give rather than the attractions of the contract itself. Sometimes these contracts may be uncongenial, in fact some are uncongenial without any gain.

Look at this for what it is: some dues-paying to keep you well-paid. Do it sometimes in your life; if you can choose the moments, or even choose easily to do it at all, then you're doing OK. But I wouldn't make a life out of it.


In fact, at age 56, I reckon I could have done OK with less money, but I sure would have liked more fun. And as for all that struggle to keep current skills, I was an experienced COBOL programmer while the Bay City Rollers and ABBA were still recording and Rod Stewart was still single - and I could still make a living from it. So maybe I shouldn't have bothered.

[barely_pointless]

one in the oven .......... cry 'Havoc' and let slip the triple toddlers of mayhem, destruction and sleepless nights........so to speak


finance does not even come into it now, we're skint.....

[Euro-commuter]

How can you have 2.5 kids?

He may be speaking financially.

[Troll]

How can you have 2.5 kids?

[barely_pointless]

Hey Shimano105,

I was in a similar position, veeeeery slow moving government position, lots of veerrrry slow ideas, nothing happens quickly, they're still in awe of forms 4.5 on 8.1 , endless discussions , not a single soft skill at facilitation amongst them etc etc.

1. I used it to get fit, (ride an ellis-briggs custom with campag group )
2. I used it to study
3. They then offered me a PM position

+ its' flexi, only drawback is all these Business Objects report writer Indians who seem to think they are data modellers

Plenty of gigs came along during that time that paid more , and I'm still not sure, but money ain't everything............ says I with 2.5 kids

[DimPrawn]

What tools and technologies are they using?

If it is Microsoft bases, then there will come a time where there will be no support for the product and the company will have to move foreward or face trouble.

[Troll]

Surely you should be using your skills to 'lead' them into recognising that they need to replace the obsolete stuff with the latest & greatest- migrations are great ways for picking up new skills on the cheap

If you don't then the consultants will

[Shimano105]

I'm in a good setup at the moment - long term, good team, plenty of p1ssups, not too much stress etc. Basically you don't dread going in every morning (done that too often before - no money can make it less miserable).

Trouble is the skills are extreme old skool and there is little chance of it moving on either.

I've got the chance of moving to somewhere more up to date with good skills base and more dosh. But it seems to be a more corporate setup which I hate.

So I probably would be less happy there.

What would you do, milk this and become obsolete then worry about it, or act now?