has it ever happened to you

[cs#]

I've started contracting last month and it ended a week later, first time with umbrella company too. So here it goes: interview, no test, not many questions (weird I thought), got the job .

I work on a system requiring skills I don't have (literally not mentioned on my cv) while the project I should be working is prepared. The system has hundreds of bugs, a horror to look at, tight deadline, at end of the week I'm told I'm no good enough! gulp! is this real?

...and it's not finished, i've been waiting for my timesheets to get signed, and waiting, excuses after excuses

is this common practice?

c*

[MPwannadecentincome]

I've started contracting last month and it ended a week later, first time with umbrella company too. So here it goes: interview, no test, not many questions (weird I thought), got the job .

I work on a system requiring skills I don't have (literally not mentioned on my cv) while the project I should be working is prepared. The system has hundreds of bugs, a horror to look at, tight deadline, at end of the week I'm told I'm no good enough! gulp! is this real?

...and it's not finished, i've been waiting for my timesheets to get signed, and waiting, excuses after excuses

is this common practice?

c*

Sorrry to hear this.

I'm no expert but did you opt out of the regs, I think if you opted in the agency has to pay you?

[cs#]

Sorrry to hear this.

I'm no expert but did you opt out of the regs, I think if you opted in the agency has to pay you?

I've opted out, but was not asked to do more hours, maybe they wanted me to do unpaid hours, maybe

[cannot find the option to change username, thought I could delay thinking a good one I know...]

[Support Monkey]

Are you being serious, "welcome to contracting"

most interviews I have had last less than half an hour, they tell me what they want and i tell them what i can and cannot do, if i roll up on the first day and i am not doing what they told me they wanted its straight in to see the hiring person wanting an explanation. if its not looking good after eight hours it goodbye from me.

opt in or opt out its all the same your gonna be fighting the agent all the way to get paid for a week of non productive work, its a lesson learned just move on

Look on the bright side, you have spent a week learning a new skill now you have seen it gets some books and learn it properly

[EddieNambulous]

is this common practice?

Not that I know of.

Nightmarish way to start your contracting career - sorry to hear it.

[NotAllThere]

Buy a copy of Yourdon's Death March. Contains excellent advice about impossible projects. You should have been better at covering your lack of experience. Jumping in on new technologies is one of the ways contractors expand their skill-set.

[VectraMan]

That's crap. Most managers are a little incompetent, but they're not usually that incompetent.

Good luck with getting some money. If you were Ltd., you could take action, but the problem is your umbrella might not be interested in fighting it for you.

[cs#]

You should have been better at covering your lack of experience. Jumping in on new technologies is one of the ways contractors expand their skill-set.

Here I perfectly agree, I've done exactly the opposite, shown very little confidence, ahhhrrr. well it's a lesson, but I'm sure I was on a "Death March", the gloomy atmosphere, everyone fearing for their jobs, all deads down.... so I might have been spared, who knows! But jumping on new techs, that's exactly what I like about contracting..... thanks for the book sounds cool.

[cs#]

Are you being serious, "welcome to contracting"

Thank you

if its not looking good after eight hours it goodbye from me.

I think I can start imagining this after my third contract, but right now, and with this crisis, hell no or yes or no or

Look on the bright side, you have spent a week learning a new skill now you have seen it gets some books and learn it properly

quite right, I don't deny that, I needed some +