Contracting S*cks

[Mr. Pickles]

So, I lost my job a couple months ago because of *ahem* corporate cutbacks.

Now I'm contracting at a help desk. Man, do I dislike contracting.

I like to be a part of a company not a disposable employee.

[The Computer Valet]

What's wrong with it?

[Cleetus]

It is also nice not caring at all for the company you are at. You are there to do a job, that is it. No need for friends, no need for the politics, no need to know what all is going on here or there.

Then again, it is also nice to know that you have all the nice benifits and protection(I am laughing so hard as I mention that one) of a full time full employee job.

Just remember that you were a full time employee, a part of the company, and they disposed of you as well.

[Akuma]

... it beats the hell out of starving on the street! Ya it kinda sucks not being a part of that around you, but on the other hand, you can use them in the same way they are using you.

[The Computer Valet]

I just can't buy the security argument. (No one has really said that here, just speaking in general.)

Security is a frame of mind; it's not _real_ unless the outside forces make it and, still, it's not infinite.

[silencio]

There's more money to be made contracting. It's a tradeoff between security (if you're in a union (hate em)), and better pay. If you can be disposed of you're worth more. If you're great at what you do they'll keep you.

[Stanley_Kubrick]

McDonalds=Teh Hiring!!!111

[scarlet4130]

Originally posted by Mr. Pickles

I like to be a part of a company not a disposable employee.

I thought this too until after 7 years of hard work and late nights I became disposable. Apparently because I had been there so long and the company wasn't making money I was "part of the problem" ..... yeah like poor management decisions had NOTHING to do with it.

Now with a baby "noticably" on the way - I am a risk-for-hire and can't beg my way into a job. Even the temp agencies are reluctant. Unfortunately the days of being a choosy employee are over and most folks have a "thank god I get a paycheck" attitude. Company loyality isn't worth squat anymore. You are an employee at will and likewise they can let you go at their whim for the sake of cost cutting or restructuring. (but I'm not bitter......)

It may not be the best situation, but it could always be worse.

Just make sure when consulting/contracting that you are asking for enough to cover your taxes. Unless you are with an agency - as an independant don't you have to pay both the employer and employee portions of them?

Good luck.
-Scarlet

[kato2274]

Originally posted by Mr. Pickles
So, I lost my job a couple months ago because of *ahem* corporate cutbacks.

Now I'm contracting at a help desk. Man, do I dislike contracting.

I like to be a part of a company not a disposable employee.

Hey, These days everyone is a disposable employee, as your opening sentence demonstrates.

[Great White North]

Its better than living on the street.

or dressing up as a donald duck

[Cleetus]

I'd kill for that Goofy job!!!

[PuterGeekGirl]

there are days I can't stand my job, but am thankful for it. I know Pickles that you are good at what you do...hang in there...it will happen!

[NeuromancerIV]

Originally posted by scarlet4130


I thought this too until after 7 years of hard work and late nights I became disposable. Apparently because I had been there so long and the company wasn't making money I was "part of the problem" ..... yeah like poor management decisions had NOTHING to do with it.

Now with a baby "noticably" on the way - I am a risk-for-hire and can't beg my way into a job. Even the temp agencies are reluctant. Unfortunately the days of being a choosy employee are over and most folks have a "thank god I get a paycheck" attitude. Company loyality isn't worth squat anymore. You are an employee at will and likewise they can let you go at their whim for the sake of cost cutting or restructuring. (but I'm not bitter......)

It may not be the best situation, but it could always be worse.

Just make sure when consulting/contracting that you are asking for enough to cover your taxes. Unless you are with an agency - as an independant don't you have to pay both the employer and employee portions of them?

Good luck.
-Scarlet

damn, if this was slashdot, I've have wasted all my mod points on "insightful" in this comment.

Its fsuking crazy, companies expect you to be totally loyal, sign NDs so you can not discuss what you've done on a resume, sign Non-Competes so working in your same filed is nearly impossible , sign over your creative work to them unless you document everything you've done with an idea and never used even a company pen while doing it, yet most places will NOT offer anything for YOUR security in your job.

Disposable assets are what the IT industry workers have become. We can be fired/laid off for no reason with NO notice (in the States) yet we have to be totally loyal to our company to hope we get another week of employment, and we still are expected to give proper notice when we leave, and beg permission to get to work in the same field without fear of being sued by our previous employer.

The market is glutted with unemployed IT folks from the dotcom bomb seeking entry level positions with pay a year and a half ago they would have laughed at, so you can't even speak up when your rights/dignity are trampled. You dare not speak up to the upper level management anymore about doomed projects anymore or get labeled as "not a team player" and you must indeed, take part and even helpt eh project fail.

During the dotboom, I salted away a decent bit of fundage, so I'm not AS worried as many of my friends about my employment right now, but that reserve would be burned up quickly trying to find a job here with similar pay.

I used to laugh at all the absurdities in Dilbert © but damn me if it hasn't become my life.

[Cleetus]

And don't forget the part that you better know the in and out of everyone of the 40+ programs as well as the 3 different networks, not even adding in the fact the you better know all the hardware as well. Best know a little something about all the newest stuff coming out. Know all the OS's. And we aren't going to pay to send you to training, we aren't going to let you sit in on the training that happens here for the brand new beta software we are using that you are going to have to troubleshoot. And we are going to throw you on indefinite probation so we don't have to pay for your training that you were intitled to. Mix that with pay going down, no respect, idiots filling our ranks.

AGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!

But I still do love the work!!!