Not exactly rushed of my feet!

[Tasslehoff]

4 contract in (well 3rd if you count the first one that kind of imploded after a month (not my fault may I add)). Got the gig after a 20 min phone call, turns out that I am needed to cover someone who was leaving 2 days later.

Loving the gig, it’s 10 mins cycle from my house I am home to eat with the kids and the rate is great (still not quite market rate but I cannot grumble so early on in my contract career) turns out the person I am covering was part time. 4 weeks in I have pretty much got up to speed and at the stage where I am looking for work. As you might have guessed this is a public sector contract.

Just slightly nervous, and wanted to gauge peoples opinion, have any of you ever been in a similar situation? All the permies are far from rushed of their feet (relative to my previous private sector stuff), I just feel under pressure to deliver as I am a contractor but if there if up to date with my tasks then I don’t want to start making work for myself. I think I have answered my own question here, but would welcome other peoples experiences.

[Gittins Gal]

4 contract in (well 3rd if you count the first one that kind of imploded after a month (not my fault may I add)). Got the gig after a 20 min phone call, turns out that I am needed to cover someone who was leaving 2 days later.

Loving the gig, it’s 10 mins cycle from my house I am home to eat with the kids and the rate is great (still not quite market rate but I cannot grumble so early on in my contract career) turns out the person I am covering was part time. 4 weeks in I have pretty much got up to speed and at the stage where I am looking for work. As you might have guessed this is a public sector contract.

Just slightly nervous, and wanted to gauge peoples opinion, have any of you ever been in a similar situation? All the permies are far from rushed of their feet (relative to my previous private sector stuff), I just feel under pressure to deliver as I am a contractor but if there if up to date with my tasks then I don’t want to start making work for myself. I think I have answered my own question here, but would welcome other peoples experiences.

Never make a rod for your own back because whoever it is you make promises to will still expect you to deliver when your real project work comes online.

Keep busy and stick to the scope of your project schedule.

You do have a project schedule in your contract?

[Support Monkey]

Sit back and relax, your on easy street now, it's easy to make yourself look good in that environment, you would have to kill somone to get canned from the public sector

[northernladuk]

Just slightly nervous, and wanted to gauge peoples opinion, have any of you ever been in a similar situation?

Similar situation as in being a bedwetting fawning lickspittle or as in being able to cycle 10 mins to a gig?

[sasguru]

I've never understood people who complain there's not enough to do.
Do you know everything about your sector/technology? Are you in the top quartile of what you do? is there anything you can do to obtain additional skills?
Having "spare" time is a blessing - use it wisely.

[northernladyuk]

Similar situation as in being a bedwetting fawning lickspittle or as in being able to cycle 10 mins to a gig?

Don't think you're wasting money on another bike. Last time you had one, you were always too sore to cycle home after a night's work.

[Brian Potter]

Don't show up the permies.

Enjoy NOT being invited to the meetings.

Invoice with a smile!