Reply to: Contracting as a big "hitter" :-)

[sasguru]

Please, we are talking about IT now, can you remain in the playground for a few more minutes while we adults discuss something?

Nice one. You're learning

[Francko]

Still labouring under the mistaken assumption that your code monkey work is the most important thing in a project, eh? That's why you'll remain a junior for the rest of your life

Please, we are talking about IT now, can you remain in the playground for a few more minutes while we adults discuss something?

[sasguru]

That's obviously not true. In my experience the degree to which a role of an architect can vary is immense. In some places they are seen just as the creative thinkers, in others they are in essence the technical project managers, and in others they are the most experienced developers. Hard to say what constitutes a technical architect. To me all the ones who don't have acquired enough skills during their career are simply useless IT politicians and will never prove of any value in the projects.

Still labouring under the mistaken assumption that your code monkey work is the most important thing in a project, eh? That's why you'll remain a junior for the rest of your life

[Francko]

A technical architect is a junior role, only created because the quality plan says "Technical Architect" in the list of project roles.

That's obviously not true. In my experience the degree to which a role of an architect can vary is immense. In some places they are seen just as the creative thinkers, in others they are in essence the technical project managers, and in others they are the most experienced developers. Hard to say what constitutes a technical architect. To me all the ones who don't have acquired enough skills during their career are simply useless IT politicians and will never prove of any value in the projects.

[BlasterBates]

A technical architect is a junior role, only created because the quality plan says "Technical Architect" in the list of project roles. The most important thing is that their name appears on the minutes and as a name on the review cycle of design documents. Sometimes they voice an opinion, of an advisory nature which is "taken into consideration"...

Their main job is to ask the project leaders what they're doing and then draw Visio diagrams of how everything fits together.

[TheMonkey]

And you are an architect for 350 a day?

No chance. I'm scum coder for that sorta money

"Sorry - not my field"

[ChimpMaster]

As a permie I used to be an Architect for a software company - visiting high profile clients, designing the solution and helping the team implement it etc etc. used to be a good gig at salary + bonus usually in the range of 70k to 90k (bonuses were high when the going was good).

Now, as a contractor, I do a developer's job, somewhat similar to what I was doing about 10 years ago. So yes I've taken many steps back in my career. And yet I earn more than what I did in my permie role. And I'm much much happier.

Contracting can be a big hitter, and that's why I'm doing it -- but only if you have the skills to get the right job at the right rate. I wouldn't contract for something like £200/day, it just wouldn't be worth the hassle unless of course it was working from home or 10 mins drive away or something.

Come on, gimme 5 years contracting and thats all I ask for. After that I will happily get a £5 / hour job in my local Asda.

[DimPrawn]

The TA is the Visio jockey who "does not do code" and bandies around terms like Service Oriented Architectures, Web Services, Enterprise Application Integration, XML everywhehre, Scale out, Scale up, Messaging Protocols, etc.

They are also the ones that go around saying "I told you so" as well when it goes tits up.

They are all action heroes and earn upwards of £500 per day.

HTH

[milanbenes]

oh dear

can somebody get Franko a life

Milan.

[Francko]

The TA is the guy who decides the software and the hardware architecture and makes sure they work together and is generally responsible for everything that isn't "business-end". Yes we do use Visio a lot

And you are an architect for 350 a day?

[TheMonkey]

wtf is a technical architect? this industry is full of muppets. is it one of those guys that uses Visio?

The TA is the guy who decides the software and the hardware architecture and makes sure they work together and is generally responsible for everything that isn't "business-end". Yes we do use Visio a lot

[snaw]

Dunno, in my field a big hitter would be a Network Architect but that title get's overused, generally CCIE's with a tonne of experience to back it up, who purely design big, complicated networks. Pay wise I'd be surprised if any permie ones are on much over 100K.

Plenty of IT bosses get more than that though I'd guess ...

[milanbenes]

Franko,

I feel sorry for you.

Milan.

[Francko]

wtf is a technical architect? this industry is full of muppets. is it one of those guys that uses Visio?

You also need white hair and a beard. A bit like in Matrix, you know. Else you are not credible.

[Bovvered]

But what about roles as a high-end technical architect, management consultant

wtf is a technical architect? this industry is full of muppets. is it one of those guys that uses Visio?