Reply to: Ever had a contract..

[scooterscot]

... which just makes you lose the will to live? Excessive micro management, tons of tedious administrative tasks to do,
people who don't talk to each other except when talking about work (or Star Trek).

Yes I have, it was with THALES, stay away for they are all mad.

[cnch]

It brings us back to the old big company vs small company argument.
I have to say, I much prefer working for a small company - generally there are fewer procedures to follow, less administrative BS & less HR interference. Often you come in, are given a blank canvas and just told to get on with it. Downside I guess is for people who can't work without procedures and micromanagement but I'm a very independent worker so prefer it that way.

On reflection, I'd never want to work for current client co. again (large financial services provider in Swindon)

Nor I this one. Basically doing nothing for the past 4 mths.... soul destroying and if you try to move anything forward you are damned for being pro-active.

[Spacecadet]

It brings us back to the old big company vs small company argument.
I have to say, I much prefer working for a small company - generally there are fewer procedures to follow, less administrative BS & less HR interference. Often you come in, are given a blank canvas and just told to get on with it. Downside I guess is for people who can't work without procedures and micromanagement but I'm a very independent worker so prefer it that way.

It depends on the company and what sort of contract work you do.

From a design and working practices perspective all the big companies I've worked in have been very blank canvas for me.

When it comes to restrictive IT procedures then those can usually be made simpler by knowing who's arm to twist and when to do it, IT admin start being a bit more friendly when they know you've got their pay master on side.
Smaller companies usually mean I'm having to get on the server myself and make the changes!

[gricerboy]

Duly noted. You won't.

OHWWWWWWW!! Think we're a big hitter do we??

[Churchill]

It brings us back to the old big company vs small company argument.
I have to say, I much prefer working for a small company - generally there are fewer procedures to follow, less administrative BS & less HR interference. Often you come in, are given a blank canvas and just told to get on with it. Downside I guess is for people who can't work without procedures and micromanagement but I'm a very independent worker so prefer it that way.

On reflection, I'd never want to work for curtrent client co. again (large financial services provider in Swindon)

Duly noted. You won't.

[gricerboy]

Completely and utterly. In fact the contract I am currently on, but thankfully leaving is like that. I'm surprised the number of suicides hasn't increased in the past few months.

It brings us back to the old big company vs small company argument.
I have to say, I much prefer working for a small company - generally there are fewer procedures to follow, less administrative BS & less HR interference. Often you come in, are given a blank canvas and just told to get on with it. Downside I guess is for people who can't work without procedures and micromanagement but I'm a very independent worker so prefer it that way.

On reflection, I'd never want to work for current client co. again (large financial services provider in Swindon)

[cnch]

... which just makes you lose the will to live? Excessive micro management, tons of tedious administrative tasks to do,
people who don't talk to each other except when talking about work (or Star Trek).

Completely and utterly. In fact the contract I am currently on, but thankfully leaving is like that. I'm surprised the number of suicides hasn't increased in the past few months.

[Platypus]

Perhaps they summised that anyone who would spend their spare time collecting locomotive numbers, could be entrusted to metronomically undertake tasks that would bore the underpants off anyone normal?

<snigger>

[shaunbhoy]

At the moment I'm doing a really tedious bit of testing. Every single step they want screenshotted with timestamps etc. Then when I find a defect I have to fix it and reapeat the testing all over again. When I'm not doing that I have to mainin a ridiculously convoluted xm file full of enviromental variable; it's real needle in a haystack stuff and it makes you lodse the will to live.

Perhaps they summised that anyone who would spend their spare time collecting locomotive numbers, could be entrusted to metronomically undertake tasks that would bore the underpants off anyone normal?

HTH

[gricerboy]

I doubt it considering your inability to grasp the concept of regression testing.

LOL @ Churchy! Regression testing? What's that then?!

[Churchill]

They also use a vocabulary which is to the extreme of what Mich was talking about a couple of weeks back. Somebody just asked me "have you done the selenium build on the golden host yet?" WTF?
If they'd just said have you done the release build on the staging server I might have understood!

I doubt it considering your inability to grasp the concept of regression testing.

[gricerboy]

They also use a vocabulary which is to the extreme of what Mich was talking about a couple of weeks back. Somebody just asked me "have you done the selenium build on the golden host yet?" WTF?
If they'd just said have you done the release build on the staging server I might have understood!

[Drewster]

At the moment I'm doing a really tedious bit of testing.....when I find a defect I have to fix it.........reapeat the testing all over again......

Aside from the tautology and bad spelling.....

<CM* Hat>
You test your own Tulip.... Tut! Tut!

</CM* Hat>

* Thats Config Mgt not Mrs Churchy

[gricerboy]

No - but thats because I am not an Admin Temp - unlike you obviously!

Who's your Pimp - Office Angels?

At the moment I'm doing a really tedious bit of testing. Every single step they want screenshotted with timestamps etc. Then when I find a defect I have to fix it and reapeat the testing all over again. When I'm not doing that I have to mainin a ridiculously convoluted xm file full of enviromental variable; it's real needle in a haystack stuff and it makes you lodse the will to live.

[Drewster]

........tons of tedious administrative tasks to do,
people who don't talk to each other except when talking about work (or Star Trek).

No - but thats because I am not an Admin Temp - unlike you obviously!

Who's your Pimp - Office Angels?