What's the stupidest thing you've done as a contractor

[KentPhilip]

Just wondering what idiotic things you're prepared to own up to, are?

I'll start with myself, last night: Agent calls saying the client is really impressed with my CV, and would I like to add a few lines in an email to him to describe what I've done in my most recent contract.

So I opens up my email client app and start typing, when I have a brainwave: Instead of typing stuff, why don't I send him the report I wrote for my last client saying what I'd fixed and how. That'll impress the new client!

It was only after clicking "Send" that I realised, apart from the fact that that report could be deemed confidential to the client, it also contained the email addresses to most of the directors of said client, who are probably this minute being bombarded by sales calls from said agent and his side kicks.

Awww crap!

[MaryPoppins]

Mine = joining CUK.

^ That's pretty moronic, BTW.

[manclarky]

Just wondering what idiotic things you're prepared to own up to, are?

I was at ClientCo sending a personal email to a friend organising a weekend night out with our respective partners.

i was about to click send when I realised he'd changed his email address, so I right-clicked on his email address and opened the contact. I added the new email to contact 2 and deleted the email address held in contact 1.

For some reason, Outlook decided to email the email to the entire company and every company distribution list - most of which I (as a consultant) didn't have access to.

I believe I found a bug in Outlook though......!!!

I'd only been at the company a month or so and the resulting email chaos that ensued made me believe I would be walked off-site (I'd referred to the fairer sex as 'birds' in the email), but the company was remarkably forgiving!!

[GillsMan]

Probably getting a bit giddy with my new contractor salary and spending £7K on a 10 day holiday with my (now ex) wife and daughter last year.

Not end of the world stuff, really, but wish I'd been a bit more sensible. Especially now when I'm working towards building up the warchest.

[amcdonald]

Went darkside for 8 months

[MrRobin]

Probably getting a bit giddy with my new contractor salary and spending £7K on a 10 day holiday with my (now ex) wife and daughter last year.

Nowt silly about spending money on memories and experiences with your family.

[TestMangler]

Extending my current gig with LBG must be up there with the really ******' dumb things I've done

Although I'm saying that now with 20/20 hindsight. They brought a new touchy feely prog manager in who talks about leveraging the position and synergies and quick wins. ****.

[Wodewick]

Extending my current gig with LBG must be up there with the really ******' dumb things I've done

Although I'm saying that now with 20/20 hindsight. They brought a new touchy feely prog manager in who talks about leveraging the position and synergies and quick wins. ****.

That is certainly the stupidest thing anyone could do!!!

Which touchy feely PM was it? There a few I might call "touched" but not touchy feely.

[TestMangler]

That is certainly the stupidest thing anyone could do!!!

Which touchy feely PM was it? There a few I might call "touched" but not touchy feely.

He's new, only been around a couple of weeks, contractor too, but acts like a senior permmie with his leverage & synergies

I confidently predict he gets a boot in the stones the first time we have a night out I've decided to leverage your bollocks with my foot and this will be a quick win, for me

[OwlHoot]

Answering the phone half asleep, and scribbling down on the back of an envelope some interview details dictated by an agent.

By the day of the interview the next week I had lost the bit of paper and forgotten who the contact was, and the agent/agency.

Clientco was too large to turn up and announce that I had anterview with "someone", and that wouldn't have looked too good anyway.

Moral of the story for agents is always to email an interview confirmation, and for me not to lose bits of paper.

It was a pretty juicy contract too, good rate and close to home. But I had no choice but to blow them out, and never heard back.