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05-02-2012, 10:10 AM
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#21
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: the City of Subdued Excitement
Posts: 5,588
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Yup.
If you check my name tag, you will notice that I am working about ten time zones ahead of you at the moment.
I am not kidding about travel.
__________________
I have outlived most of the people I don't like and I am working on the rest.
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05-02-2012, 10:03 PM
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#22
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,049
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Travel depends on where you live, of course. If you're in software and live in Silly Valley, then you can get local contracts easy. If you're in Topeka, you'll have to travel sooner rather than later.
I use airbnb or priceline and, for extended periods, find a room on craigslist.
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05-05-2012, 06:25 AM
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#23
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 1,050
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I would not do your type of traveling for contract employment. I would/have traveled for several weeks at a time for previous employers. I would enjoy the bench time until I was broke. Thanks for your feedback.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed_The_Gypsy
Yup.
If you check my name tag, you will notice that I am working about ten time zones ahead of you at the moment.
I am not kidding about travel.
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05-05-2012, 06:30 AM
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#24
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 1,050
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Unemployment rate in the MN is fairly low, about 5.8%. There has always been a shortage of workforce in my area of work, so I can see opportunities frequently. I'm hoping to stay in the area with limited travel. Thanks for the suggestions on the websites.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eridanus
Travel depends on where you live, of course. If you're in software and live in Silly Valley, then you can get local contracts easy. If you're in Topeka, you'll have to travel sooner rather than later.
I use airbnb or priceline and, for extended periods, find a room on craigslist.
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05-05-2012, 09:27 AM
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#25
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 969
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Regarding the travel, I definitely understand personal reasons you may want to avoid it; but, just something I have found that you may want to consider which I have never understood: It seem to be true whether you are an independent contractor or member of a global consulting firm: You worth (pay, respect,etc.) on any given project seem to directly proportional to the distance you have traveled to do your work.
Even though I used to have many more opportunities presented locally, the [relatively] few that came my way which involved significant travel also paid significantly better. For many of those gigs, I have to imagine a local candidate could have been found. (I have also worked on many local projects where expert talent was being flown in from across the country that I could have easily replaced locally at much lower cost.)
__________________
If there's one thing in my life that's missing; It's the time I spend alone
Sailing on the cool and bright clear waters; There's lots of those friendly people
Showin me ways to go; And I never want to lose your inspiration
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05-06-2012, 08:32 AM
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#26
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: On a hill in the Pine Barrens
Posts: 9,682
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First, you must agree to use the consultant/contractor motto at every opportunity. "It depends..."
I was a consultant/contractor on and off for a decade or two or three. My advice is to try it. Temp work is an eye-opener. Six years ago I took a temp job, and went full time with megacorp. Without a working spouse to supply the baseline dollars, it is difficult for most to survive as contractors.
The contracting landscape has changed, as have various industries. My opinion is that companies use temps to try before they buy, or it is definitely project-type work, and projects come to an end. In either case, it comes to an end. You must plan for that and bank the extra cash you receive. Also, don't plan on receiving extra beyond what a perm makes. It is not always that way. In the perm job I have, I was offered exactly what I was making as a temp. No negotiation was possible. This is not true for every company, but I suspect megacorp didn't get large by spreading the wealth.
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05-06-2012, 07:57 PM
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#27
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: the City of Subdued Excitement
Posts: 5,588
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Quote:
It seem to be true whether you are an independent contractor or member of a global consulting firm: You worth (pay, respect,etc.) on any given project seem to directly proportional to the distance you have traveled to do your work.
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__________________
I have outlived most of the people I don't like and I am working on the rest.
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05-08-2012, 08:59 PM
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#28
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 1,050
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05-08-2012, 09:03 PM
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#29
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 1,050
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Travel and overtime seems to be a badge of honor. I'm willing to hang up that badge until further notice
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed_The_Gypsy
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"It seem to be true whether you are an independent contractor or member of a global consulting firm: You worth (pay, respect,etc.) on any given project seem to directly proportional to the distance you have traveled to do your work."
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05-12-2012, 08:19 AM
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#30
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 1,050
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Contract assignment started last week and logged 40 hours.
Megacr*p is paying me 2 weeks to be oncall plus my 3 weeks of banked vacation time.... padding the bench time/emergency fund.
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05-12-2012, 09:58 AM
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#31
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: the City of Subdued Excitement
Posts: 5,588
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I should mention: usually there is NO overtime (when you sign on). Still, at some point in the project (IT, engineering, whatever), Project Management discovers (Alors!) that 'We can't meet the deadline!" Then it is Katie-bar-the-door.
I am where I am now a little over a year. The epiphany has just come to the brain trust. I am waiting for the green light. When they get the hell out of the way, we will burn up the road. [Ten minutes of silence for Carrol Shelby, please.]
Verdammt Ingenieur (AKA Leadfoot)
__________________
I have outlived most of the people I don't like and I am working on the rest.
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05-12-2012, 10:01 AM
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#32
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: On a hill in the Pine Barrens
Posts: 9,682
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Quote:
It will. It establishes you as an authority. One mistake you might make as a consultant is to quickly give answers. However, you must take the time to survey all inputs in order to determine correct outputs. It is likely that you'll enter an environment where chaos and personal agendas reign above all else.
Congratulations on the contract.
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05-12-2012, 10:06 AM
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#33
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: the City of Subdued Excitement
Posts: 5,588
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As one of my mentors told me, In chaos, there is overtime.
You might remember that those who need help the most, don't know they need help. Avoid them.
Corollary: Avoid amateurs. Seriously!
__________________
I have outlived most of the people I don't like and I am working on the rest.
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08-19-2012, 10:47 AM
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#34
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 1,050
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Just a quick update -
I made a switch to contracting/consulting 3 months ago, it has reduced so much stress and work hours. Going from 55 - 60 hours with no OT pay to 40 - 45 hours with straight time pay has made me very happy as I don't feel taken advantage of. Assignment will definitely be more 18 - 24 vs. 12 months as originally discussed. My straight time pay increased 33% from the previous job and the OT is just icing on the cake.
My biggest challenge so far was more of letting management duties go and wondering about everything. Now, I'm enjoying being the Project Manager and Subject Matter Expert on two projects/assignment. Some of the simplest tasks (organizing chaos) are getting responses like "nice job", great, super". If this continues, I'll never look for perm work again.
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08-19-2012, 11:01 AM
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#35
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Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 7,922
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Thanks for the update, Aiming. Glad to hear everything worked out so well for you!
__________________
"One of the funny things about the stock market is that every time one person buys, another sells, and both think they are astute." William Feather
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ER'd Oct. 2010 at 53. Life is good.
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08-20-2012, 08:12 AM
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#36
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: the City of Subdued Excitement
Posts: 5,588
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Welcome to the Dark Side, grasshopper.
el Gitano,
AKA Old Nick
__________________
I have outlived most of the people I don't like and I am working on the rest.
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08-23-2012, 01:11 PM
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#37
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 969
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Thanks for the update; glad this is going well for you.
__________________
If there's one thing in my life that's missing; It's the time I spend alone
Sailing on the cool and bright clear waters; There's lots of those friendly people
Showin me ways to go; And I never want to lose your inspiration
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