Permies don't like me

[scott72]

My contract is not being renewed because permies have complained about me.

I've not broken breath to them, they know nothing about me. Only thing I can think of is honest comments on their code. I have many more years experience than them, working with much lower level languages, but I've not been arrogant or condescending. If anything I've been constructive.

My work has been of the required standard and I've turned up on time, been polite to everyone I've spoken to etc.

I'm not that bothered about leaving the job, the work's quite dull - Angular and Typescript with simple C# - but I would like to ask the contractors on here if they have been in a similar situation and how they handled it.

I take it that getting involved in reviewing anything permie might be a stupid idea!!!!!!!!

[malvolio]

So? They aren't brave enough to work for themselves? They think you are out-earning them by several factors of ten - except you aren't, in fact they are probably better off overall? They think you are not paying any taxes when in fact you pay 19% CT plus all your personal income taxes and both sets of NICs? You're technical better than them, both in the depth and breadth of your experience? Been there, done that, found that it's pointless trying to argue the case

Who cares. Don't deal with it. Leave them to wallow in their self-righteous indignation and move on.

[northernladuk]

Only thing I can think of is honest comments on their code.

There is your problem right there (compounded by Mals points). Honest isn't always the way they see it when you are trashing their poor code

Also, I'd be willing to bet everyone that has be binned becasue their face doesn't fit doesn't think its their fault either. For one reason or another, wrongly or rightly, you didn't fit. That's the end of it. Don't beat yourself up about it and move on.

[jamesbrown]

Too many possible explanations. The permie is Psychocandy. You labelled one code snippet as the cretin-among-cretins and forgot to remove before pushing. You smell. They've decided you don't talk enough.

Or they arrived at any excuse to get rid of you because they cannot afford you, don't want you, played pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey to eliminate one contractor for a laugh (insert your preferred explanation here).

By all means, ask them for feedback, but don't expect much. Don't whine or complain too much - better not to burn bridges. Then move on. That's contracting.

[scott72]

There is your problem right there (compounded by Mals points). Honest isn't always the way they see it when you are trashing their poor code

Also, I'd be willing to bet everyone that has be binned becasue their face doesn't fit doesn't think its their fault either. For one reason or another, wrongly or rightly, you didn't fit. That's the end of it. Don't beat yourself up about it and move on.

I'm about 15-20 years older than the permies; I don't have anything in common with them and so nothing really to say. I'm also quite a bit bigger than they are, I don't know if I intimidate them or not!

A few permies seem quite opinionated also (in Team chat), passively-aggressively so. Were I a permie I'd probably have something to say to them, however I feel its best I keep schtum.

There's a few other contractors my age in there but they've kept their mouth shut. Some have done a bit of schmoozing with the permies - not really my style.

It's not as if the work is top-end stuff, but its like a punch in the guts when you get told you're not being extended.

I keep forgetting that in contracting you can get the heave for just about anything.

Do you think in my next contract I should just sit down, shut up and be the grey man?

[northernladuk]

Only you can answer that. Sometimes being different works, sometimes it doesn't.

Apart from saying stay professional then it's difficult to advise.

Oh, the punch in the guts thing. You've got to get over that. You'll not be extended at every single gig you do. Calm it down to slightly disappointed then you'll be OK.

It just happens in contracting.

[jamesbrown]

Do you think in my next contract I should just sit down, shut up and be the grey man?

Isn't that what you did in your last contract?

I'd forget about it. Ask for feedback, expect none, move on. Just deliver the stuff you've been asked to deliver to the best of your ability and stay out of permie politics as much as possible. You probably aren't doing anything wrong.

[northernladuk]

Could be worse. Spare a thought for poor old Psychocandy. No one likes him.

[jamesbrown]

Could be worse. Spare a thought for poor old Psychocandy. No one likes him.

The lady down the Jobcentre plus loves PC. He always brightens up her day with some hard-luck story about a seemingly implausible sequence of gaffs that got him canned this time around.

[scott72]

Only you can answer that. Sometimes being different works, sometimes it doesn't.

Apart from saying stay professional then it's difficult to advise.

Oh, the punch in the guts thing. You've got to get over that. You'll not be extended at every single gig you do. Calm it down to slightly disappointed then you'll be OK.

It just happens in contracting.

Here's the strange thing. The place is in the middle of nowhere, effectively. There's no shops within walking distance so you're kind of stuck in the building for lunch. The work's not that great and the code is a complete mess in places.

Despite all that, the company seems to have a decent rep.

I should be happy to take the very decent money I've made so far and run but I keep feeling I come across as an a*se and I'd rather not have this in my next contract.

This PsychoCandy - he's probably very mentally resilient with losing all this work yet keeping on keeping on.

I'm an anxious type and I hate worrying about work. It's weird, I keep feeling I shouldn't upset the permies