Longest Time in Contract With No Work

[foritisme]

What's the longest time you have from starting a new contract to actually being given something to do (apart from reading the manuals !). I've been in my current contract since the beginning of December and haven't been given a single dot to do. At the interview they made out they were very busy and there was a high chance of lots of overtime ! I took the contract because it was close to home - spent all of last year working away, but now I am pulling my hair out with boredom. It's not as if the rate is good. I thinks it time to chat to the boss to either give me something constructive or let me go. (another 8 weeks of this !)

[Bagpuss]

That sounds like most of my contracts, they take months to get going. I advise you to take up skiving. Either take up smoking, have extended pub lunches, go to the gym, surf the net, read on the bog, or have a snooze in the car. It's amazing how the times passes

[Rebecca Loos]

you must be new at contracting

Time with no work to do on client's money is like gold dust

If you were a real contractor, with mindset to match, you'd have learnt 2 or 3 new skills by now, surfing technical sites and doing mock-up certification tests

you would also have invested in some shares in the stock market and play a bit of day-trading game during office hours

So during the 5 weeks you have been idle, a proper contractor would now have added .net, PHP and Data Warehousing to your skillset, and made about £10,000 on day-trading on the British stock market.

Me, I haven't had much to do for the last 2 months and now I know everything there is to know on XML types and methods within Oracle. And I have nearly doubled a wee pot of money I've got on the Nasdaq.

[foritisme]

Time to pull my finger out

Thanks Rebecca you have made me see the light. (Chico I was just about to join your bandwagon through utter boredom, but you can now f*** o**)

To think I have been doing this for 11 years !!! Less money now than when I started - though that was down to a serious illness in the family. Majority of that time has been testing - I have gained qualifications in most of the Mercury toolset in that time. So now onto QTP.

[Jabberwocky]

Me, I haven't had much to do for the last 2 months and now I know everything there is to know on XML types and methods within Oracle. And I have nearly doubled a wee pot of money I've got on the Nasdaq.

Wow we really must have dinner some time and have a good chat about XSL functional programming. You sound like a real swell girl with a very tight bottom.

[BlasterBates]

Have to agree with Beccs here. In fact these days I get a bit irritated when the boss give me something to do, as it stops me learning "Quanto-Convertible Bonds" or "Slap-Bang-Kick-out Options".

[DaveB]

Started here at the start of the new year, to date the only work I have done has been of my own bat to create a good first impression. My line manager is only in the office 2 days every other week, both co-workers are on a start early / leave early routine and I'm currently the only one in the office, as I was on Friday as well. I havn't actually been directly given anything to do since I started.

As far as I can see it will be at least next week before anything like work actually appears over the horizon.

I'd post more boobs in the "Test, please delete" thread to pass the time but my monitor is open to observation by too many other people and I dont have control of the web filters anymore Looks like I'll be swatting up for the CSSP or CISA exams earlier than I exected

[privateeye]

Up to a month from start of contract with nothing to do is normal. I think there are some agents wanting a fast start for payment etc so push for a start before the client is ready and some/most clients just disorganised. The agent wanting fast start for payment can also be mutually beneficial so will not complain about that.

I normally ask at interview if given the job when would be the ideal time for me to start as I am willing to wait for you to organise PC's desks etc so I can hit the ground running but also emphasise that I could start immediately - thats if I'm not desperate to get money in the bank and would like a break between contracts.

My longest break is at the end of a contract - 5 months with nothing to do and then they asked me to extend!!! Thankfully I had another offer

The worst thing is trying to look busy especially if you are by the door and everyone coming in can see you surfing.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Up to a month from start of contract with nothing to do is normal. I think there are some agents wanting a fast start for payment etc so push for a start before the client is ready and some/most clients just disorganised. The agent wanting fast start for payment can also be mutually beneficial so will not complain about that.

I normally ask at interview if given the job when would be the ideal time for me to start as I am willing to wait for you to organise PC's desks etc so I can hit the ground running but also emphasise that I could start immediately - thats if I'm not desperate to get money in the bank and would like a break between contracts.

My longest break is at the end of a contract - 5 months with nothing to do and then they asked me to extend!!! Thankfully I had another offer

The worst thing is trying to look busy especially if you are by the door and everyone coming in can see you surfing.

Good points PE.

Altough I must say that when there is work to be done I simply get on with it .

When there is a lull no work requires to be done, then, if I fancy I can surf with impunity, everybody at my site has the same approach and poses no problems.

No need to look busy , simply work when the requirement arises.

[Bumner]

5 weeks now and still reading manuals....... I initially put it down to the Christmas period but..... after reading all this.... guess not, should start a book of whom can have the longest dos period... although I do fear I'm getting brain-fog due to the lack of mental activity..... May have to learn a few additional skills myself.......