Reply to: Motivation in a Contract

[moorfield]

I take a stopwatch and a calculator to the toilets when I need a dump.

That always cheers me up.

[suityou01]

Welcome to the UK, twinned with Zimbabwe

ROTFL

[DimPrawn]

I wouldn't fret. Most work that is boring and on legacy code soon goes to India or an gang of smiling chappies on ICT visas arrive and take it off your hands.

[MrMark]

Doing boring work is part of being a contractor.

Evey company I have worked for will give the interesting work to the permies and boring legacy/support stuff to the contractors.

Thats why youre hired!

It's not always the case, but you can find inquisitive permies who want to pick your brains, which can be a boost to the ego. On the other hand you can always learn from others experience and code.

[northernladuk]

Interesting!

I come across a lot of permies who are demotivated and not interested - and the words out of their mouth most often is 'It's not my job'

I have also noticed a lot of contractors on here ensuring they do nothing more than what is explicitly stated in the contract.

I find you get out what you put in - if you can get involved in other areas which may not be what you signed up for you often find the distraction actually motivates you and you end up doing the core role better and with a more positive mind set.

Appreciate that probably means someone may get something for free from me or my company - but so what - the endless pursuit of money does not motivate me.

WHS. I also struggle with this concept of working to rule and wanting maximum out for minimum (and often less) input. Sometimes it is no wonder we get a bum deal from pimps/permies. It's life and won't change i guess but an aspect of our own community I have to get used to. This is also the case in permie land as well though so why not us I suppose.

[original PM]

Interesting!

I come across a lot of permies who are demotivated and not interested - and the words out of their mouth most often is 'It's not my job'

I have also noticed a lot of contractors on here ensuring they do nothing more than what is explicitly stated in the contract.

I find you get out what you put in - if you can get involved in other areas which may not be what you signed up for you often find the distraction actually motivates you and you end up doing the core role better and with a more positive mind set.

Appreciate that probably means someone may get something for free from me or my company - but so what - the endless pursuit of money does not motivate me.

[EternalOptimist]

all day on your arse on Jobserve and too skint to turn the heating on like I do.


sh1 t man. thats bad

[bandit_legs]

I do but I cannot keep up the positivity. It might take 2 weeks, it might take 6 months but there is never an interesting job or a decent team to work with that will keep me engaged. It always seems to me client bring on contractors to do the real crappy work the permies cannot do or are unwilling to do.

you need a plan B or something outside of work that you can focus all of your energy on...

are you single?

try getting married, or buying a puppie, or buying a more expensive house, that'll keep you interested and usually brings back that focus.....

[RichardCranium]

Doing boring work is part of being a contractor. Every company I have worked for will give the interesting work to the permies and boring legacy/support stuff to the contractors. That's why you're hired!

WHS

When I was a permie I used to hate it when contractors got shiny, interesting work to do. They'd produce crap, clear off and us permies either had to maintain it or rewrite it.

FFS, you get paid a premium for your work. If you don't like it, either find something else to do or walk and spend all day on your arse on Jobserve and too skint to turn the heating on like I do. But PM me your ClientCo's details so I can go and be bored for you and taking the money instead.

[MPwannadecentincome]

Does anyone else struggle keeping their motivation up on some contract positions?

The majority of roles that I do seem to follow the same path, working on a fairly crappy legacy code base which I work flat out on for a few months then my productivity just dips as I have enough of the job. I usually end up knocking back the extension at that point.

Current role I started 2 weeks ago is on a large shambolic legacy financial system and I can sense the feeling of 'not giving a toss' coming in a few weeks.

I know I am capable and always start of the job impressing the client, then it seems to slip and there is never a way back.

Is there opportunity to re-write the system or bits of it as you go along? Often these systems are tulipe as there is lots of repeated code or similar code, sometimes you can get some satisfaction by reducing these down to one or two clever bits of code.

Danger is of course that you introduce bugs - but then you get the excitement of having to fix them!

[EternalOptimist]

I think it human nature at play here. Some folks will always fight hard and battle no matter how low they sink and always see the bright side. Some folk will whinge and moan even when they are the luckiest person around.

You know yourself quite well minestrone, you can see the problem coming, I am just not sure how you should cope with it.
Maybe get yourself out of your comfort zone for a real icy cold douche. Go climbing in the cairngorms or something, or try unprotected sex with a Glaswegian cross-dresser.

[singhr]

I know I am capable and always start of the job impressing the client, then it seems to slip and there is never a way back.

there is always a way back minestrone! I always step up a gear in last month to maximise chances of renewal, so at least you have that in back pocket should you not find anything else. One way to maintain motivation is to hang out here for a bit and hear from benched contractors, the other way is to put down a deposit on a flash car or something you can only just afford or think about how you are going to fund your kids uni fees etc. that should get you out of bed in the morning.

[northernladuk]

Maybe I am in the wrong market then. I love getting a new dig and getting stuck in. I did 10 years in large IT corporate that left me feelin less than loved. Every time you get a new gig it's a new challenge and situation to manipulate and test you. Ok maybe my line of work is slightly different, coding different to PM'ing etc.

I know you get bad contracts. In my first 6 month gig I was known as 'the contractor' but swap the o for a u! not pleasant at all, stuck at it and when i finished i was over moon i did it. You get a gig, rag it to death, finish it, get ready for next challenge. Whats not motivational about that?

Maybe I am just still a bright eyed newbie waiting for a good dose of reality.

Gotta say though (sorry guys) we pick this method of working, we get well paid, whats with all the whinging about it. It's your choice, if you don't like it walk. If you hate contracting get out IMHO. I thought being tough and sufferin through bad times and reaping it in good times was our bread and butter??

[Andy2]

I would like to learn new skills in a boring contract but I don't have motivation even for that.

[Scary]

Just lie back and think of the money.