Reply to: Gulp - i'm benched...

[milanbenes]

Luke,

good luck and all the best

Milan.

[Troll]

ftfy

you read between the lines.....

[MarillionFan]

Good man - I don't know about the others but I actually get a buzz from getting the next contract, what will the canteen be like,will there be any decent totty so I can stare at them drooling and then shufty off to the bogs at lunch for a pot noodle..etc.. onward and upward!

ftfy

[Coalman]

Currently in a very similar position to the OP, comfortable long running project.

Told project will finish at the end of the year and I will not be renewed. Shame for the client as there is at least 6 months work remaining to keep all parts of the business happy!

Already looking for Jan and have a couple of interesting options.

[Troll]

Wow, thanks all, that has really cheered me up. Couple of cold ones at the weekend and spent some time with the family for a bit of perspective.
Well over the initial shock, looking forward to the chase of getting another job and it was probably past the time for a change. Warchest looking plump so no immediate concerns.
Good luck to all. CHARGE !

Good man - I don't know about the others but I actually get a buzz from getting the next contract, what will the challenges be,will there be any decent totty..etc.. onward and upward!

[russell]

I'd love to be benched, but clientco keeps winning contracts and then putting me on new projects. I'm not going to jack it as it's such a good location but frick me I'm bored tulipless.

I had a horrible contract last year, boring as hell in banking,glad I'm back at a semi interesting role , not in banking.

[MarillionFan]

I would hate to be benched now just in the runup to holiday season, good luck finding that next role.

I'd love to be benched, but clientco keeps winning contracts and then putting me on new projects. I'm not going to jack it as it's such a good location but frick me I'm bored shit:less.

[russell]

I would hate to be benched now just in the runup to holiday season, good luck finding that next role.

[lukemg]

Wow, thanks all, that has really cheered me up. Couple of cold ones at the weekend and spent some time with the family for a bit of perspective.
Well over the initial shock, looking forward to the chase of getting another job and it was probably past the time for a change. Warchest looking plump so no immediate concerns.
Good luck to all. CHARGE !

[Pondlife]

Just got canned, no renewal coming. Had a good run here and probably got a bit too comfy, which is never a good idea. Benched in December - which is an even worse idea.
Shaken me up a bit, which it shouldn't after this long in the game, time for a stiff drink, dust myself down and get back in....

Sorry to hear fella.

Take a break over xmas then hit the phones.

[shaunbhoy]

time for a stiff drink

There are no answers to be found at the bottom of a beer glass. But if you look carefully in a Lead Crystal Whisky one....




Good luck anyway.

[anothercodemonkey]

Just got canned, no renewal coming. Had a good run here and probably got a bit too comfy, which is never a good idea. Benched in December - which is an even worse idea.
Shaken me up a bit, which it shouldn't after this long in the game, time for a stiff drink, dust myself down and get back in....

Sorry to hear that. Always crap to be booted but as other posters have said sometimes it can be a good thing. I've been booted a couple of times. Once I got a higher rate contract almost immediately and the second time I managed to get another one with the same rate and had to be off for four weeks only and as a special bonus I didn't have to work with an utter tool any more.

Good luck with the search.

[Cliphead]

Just got canned, no renewal coming. Had a good run here and probably got a bit too comfy, which is never a good idea. Benched in December - which is an even worse idea.
Shaken me up a bit, which it shouldn't after this long in the game, time for a stiff drink, dust myself down and get back in....

I was facing this up until yesterday. Been a long term very secure contract but a major restructuring that came out of the blue took the feet from under me. Yep, easy to get comfy and forget that you're a contractor sometimes.

I got extended but that won't last more than a year tops so got some time to find another role come the end of the contract or take the offer to go permie. Bad time as others have said but I'm sure you're having a look around and it may not be as bleak as it looks. Keep the faith...

[EternalOptimist]

you sound a bit shocked luke. So I guess this has come at a bad time

good luck mate

[Freamon]

I know the feeling very well. Was there just a few months back, when I became part of the furniture at a client and then it hit me really hard when suddenly I found that I wasn't wanted any more. It's a devastating feeling, but you have to fight through it to the other side. I hit all my contacts hard (but professionally) and eventually another contract dropped - it still didn't help me get over the previous client easily but that's my fault for being over-committed to them.

I forgot I was a contractor, but the client didn't forget.

When you're in this situation, unless you can come up with some very good reasons why you are indispensable to the client, you have to ask yourself why they haven't transitioned your role to a permie. One possible reason is that they want to be able to get rid of you at short notice. I was at a place last year where most of the IT dept were contractors who had all been there for years, but the team had halved in size over the last year as other contractors had been kicked out with no notice, therefore none of the remainder were too comfortable.

The other reason is that the client are just really poorly organised, which isn't a good omen for their success as a business, and ultimately their ability to continue employing contractors on good rates.