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Do you work? ... In work?

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  • 07-12-2018 10:22pm
    #1
    ryo.jodeci
    Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭


    Hi All,
    I've gone re-reg for this because I know that some of my colleagues know my true username here and I'd rather not share this dilemma with them.

    Do you work in work? Because I don't. There is literally nothing for me to do.

    I work in IT for a global company. I was hired to code in Python/SQL as part of my job.

    I've been in my place for 2 years, and out of those two years, there has been a couple of hectic days where I earned my money. Aside from this, I literally sit on BBC, RTE, Udemy, and stack exchange all day. I sit beside my manager, who is on her phone all day (facebook mostly, or some other social media sites)

    At the beginning of my career, I spent about 4 years working in an international bank, and god did they work us. I worked some nights until 4/5am. Everyday was crazy, nothing was good enough. Strangely I think I enjoyed it.

    Eventually, because of the lack of money through internal promotions, there were people on the level below me earning more money, so I left.

    I went to a similar company (my previous company) for 2 years, and that's when this "problem" started to present itself. There was nothing to do there. The managers kept talking about how stressed they were, but none of the 15 resources under them were doing anything. Actually none of the managers were doing anything, except talking about how busy it was.

    I moved again. That was 2 years ago. And here I am, logging in at 9am, sitting in the chair all day, and then going home at 5pm.

    Should I stay? The only thing that's keeping me there is the day rate of 625 euros. But I'm losing my coding skills. I'm losing my mind. Is this normal nowadays in IT?

    The thing is the manager keeps renewing all of our contracts because she doesn't want to lose knowledge in case something comes along, and it's not out of her pocket, so she doesn't care. Also, I should note that as a contractor, there's no internal projects/societies or things for us to do. They actively keep us out of those.

    I know it sounds lovely on the outside because the money and the lack of work. But it's been so long. I'm worried, say for example, they don't renew my contract someday, and not only will I have lost my skills, but I'll have lost the ability to put in a hard day's work.


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    #2
    SCOOP 64
    Registered Users Posts: 5,226 ✭✭✭SCOOP 64


    Sorry but what do you mean by the day rate of €625?


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    #3
    seannash
    Registered Users Posts: 5,672 ✭✭✭seannash


    SCOOP 64 wrote: »
    Sorry but what do you mean by the day rate of €625?

    Id Assume he's a contractor and as such is paid per day. That's the rate.


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    #4
    ifElseThen
    Closed Accounts Posts: 348 ✭✭ifElseThen


    Use some of the time to keep your skills relevant and up to date.


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    #5
    ryo.jodeci
    Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭ryo.jodeci


    It means you get 625 euros per day, but nothing else (such as job security/healthcare/bonus).


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    #6
    runawaybishop
    Registered Users Posts: 9,500 ✭✭✭runawaybishop


    Happened to me in my last job. Was playing Xbox all day at work, given trivial tasks to do that took no time or effort and had a few times I was actually busy - this was at a time other colleagues were busy but my managers were useless and unable to organise workloads. Having nothing to do gets boring very very fast. I decided enough was enough and did a good few online courses and left for a more challenging job.


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    #7
    ryo.jodeci
    Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭ryo.jodeci


    seannash wrote: »
    Id Assume he's a contractor and as such is paid per day. That's the rate.

    Correct. Sounds great (until of course the contract isn't renewed, and you're turfed out to the job market with 15 other coders at the same time).


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    #8
    ryo.jodeci
    Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭ryo.jodeci


    ifElseThen wrote: »
    Use some of the time to keep your skills relevant and up to date.

    I've tried doing Udemy courses, but unfortunately I can't download (or upload) any datasets to the local pc in work, which means that I'm just watching people coding, rather than being able to practice it myself.


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    #9
    Oasis1974
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,077 ✭✭✭Oasis1974


    Python language coding is very advanced and most sought after for big pay checks.


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    #10
    runawaybishop
    Registered Users Posts: 9,500 ✭✭✭runawaybishop


    ryo.jodeci wrote: »
    I've tried doing Udemy courses, but unfortunately I can't download (or upload) any datasets to the local pc in work, which means that I'm just watching people coding, rather than being able to practice it myself.

    Transfer via your phone? Or tell work you need access to training material to keep your skills current


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    #11
    ryo.jodeci
    Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭ryo.jodeci


    runawaybishop wrote: »
    Happened to me in my last job. Was playing Xbox all day at work, given trivial tasks to do that took no time or effort and had a few times I was actually busy - this was at a time other colleagues were busy but my managers were useless and unable to organise workloads. Having nothing to do gets boring very very fast. I decided enough was enough and did a good few online courses and left for a more challenging job.

    I'm at that stage now.. Do you regret it? Did you find the interviews tough after not been busy for so long? I remember after my first company, I felt ok going into interviews because I felt like I had worked hard for the next step. Now I would be a bit nervous about sitting in front of someone.


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    #12
    Franz Von Peppercorn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,070 ✭✭✭Franz Von Peppercorn


    Surely somebody in that company would question the contracting cost. Pretty good money I must say.


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    #13
    marketty
    Registered Users Posts: 1,080 ✭✭✭marketty


    You're pulling around €150k pa out of this place without being expected to deliver anything? And this is a problem?
    You must have been hired on the basis of having great skills, couldn't you apply them to personal projects during 'working' hours and keep your skills sharp that way while building your own side gig?

    Or are you winding us?


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    #14
    ryo.jodeci
    Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭ryo.jodeci


    runawaybishop wrote: »
    Transfer via your phone? Or tell work you need access to training material to keep your skills current

    I tried to connect my phone before (for a different reason) butwhen I plug it into the USB, the computer's firewall doesn't allow me to access any data on the phone. I haven't raised your 2nd point to my manager yet, but it's a good idea.. maybe she knows of a way to get data down to the pc.


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    #15
    runawaybishop
    Registered Users Posts: 9,500 ✭✭✭runawaybishop


    ryo.jodeci wrote: »
    I'm at that stage now.. Do you regret it? Did you find the interviews tough after not been busy for so long? I remember after my first company, I felt ok going into interviews because I felt like I had worked hard for the next step. Now I would be a bit nervous about sitting in front of someone.

    No regrets in the slightest. Bit apprehensive that I would find the new job hard after having it soft for so long but realistically I was unmotivated, not lazy. Everyone told me I was crazy to leave my job ( I was in charge of international Xbox testing which was cool) but for my own sense of worth I needed something that challenged me. New job has a good bit for me to learn but I am loving being busy, learning new things and actually stretching myself.


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    #16
    Andrew00
    Registered Users Posts: 2,484 ✭✭✭Andrew00


    OP, stop complaining. That is a dream job to have, And ur on good money.

    Lots of us have to work our backsides off just to earn a **** wage. You don’t yet you have a good wage


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    #17
    ryo.jodeci
    Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭ryo.jodeci


    Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »
    Surely somebody in that company would question the contracting cost. Pretty good money I must say.

    Seems like the way some companies are going to protect themselves. Particularly the ones who carried a huge redundancy cost during the downtime. Also, they don't have to worry about employees having sick days, or holidays, or complaints with HR. Because if we do, we're gone! Also, no healthcare/bonus/complaints about promotion etc.. It's still very expensive but maybe in the long run it suits them best. Hire when the company's making money. Dump us when it's not.
    marketty wrote: »
    You're pulling around €150k pa out of this place without being expected to deliver anything? And this is a problem?
    You must have been hired on the basis of having great skills, couldn't you apply them to personal projects during 'working' hours and keep your skills sharp that way while building your own side gig?

    Or are you winding us?

    I would love to get further into python and machine learning, building complex artificial intelligence tools (neural networks etc) but the problem is being able to access data in work. I was thinking about bringing in my laptop, but I think my manager would say that a step too far. It would be taking the mick in fairness. No, not a wind up, promise you that.


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    #18
    SCOOP 64
    Registered Users Posts: 5,226 ✭✭✭SCOOP 64


    Wow €625 a day, different world.


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    #19
    Tell me how
    Registered Users Posts: 21,520 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    I find it hard to believe that any company is paying circa €2.4M/annum (15 resources + manager @€;625/day) to have those people do as little as you say they do.


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    #20
    ryo.jodeci
    Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭ryo.jodeci


    Andrew00 wrote: »
    OP, stop complaining. That is a dream job to have, And ur on good money.

    Lots of us have to work our backsides off just to earn a **** wage. You don’t yet you have a good wage

    Until I lose the wage and have to interview against the coders who have been pushing themselves!


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    #21
    SCOOP 64
    Registered Users Posts: 5,226 ✭✭✭SCOOP 64


    How do you get onto this coding malarkey?


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    #22
    delly
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 7,653 Mod ✭✭✭✭delly


    I was all in until the rate was mentioned. While your issue is real and many people can experience it, not a hope in hell at that rate as an outsourced contractor. The rate may exist, but not for idle resource.


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    #23
    runawaybishop
    Registered Users Posts: 9,500 ✭✭✭runawaybishop


    ryo.jodeci wrote: »
    Seems like the way some companies are going to protect themselves. Particularly the ones who carried a huge redundancy cost during the downtime. Also, they don't have to worry about employees having sick days, or holidays, or complaints with HR. Because if we do, we're gone! Also, no healthcare/bonus/complaints about promotion etc.. It's still very expensive but maybe in the long run it suits them best. Hire when the company's making money. Dump us when it's not.

    Not to be the bearer of bad new but if you are a contractor after 2 years you need to be made permanent so if the 2 years isn't up I would be be expecting them to not renew. If the two years is up you should be permanent though.

    Also the money you are paid will be way way less then what they charge your customers. Contract prices for senior devs (5 years experience) would be about 1200-1500 charged to a customer.


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    #24
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,295 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    Buy TeamViewer. Install it on your PC & your phone. Remote onto your PC from your phone (not using your works WiFi).

    Get a Celluon light keyboard (something like this; http://amzn.eu/d/e2EQh1a)
    Hook it up to your phone, and do some coding on your PC via your phone.


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    #25
    Tell me how
    Registered Users Posts: 21,520 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    the_syco wrote: »
    Buy TeamViewer. Install it on your PC & your phone. Remote onto your PC from your phone (not using your works WiFi).

    Get a Celluon light keyboard (something like this; http://amzn.eu/d/e2EQh1a)
    Hook it up to your phone, and do some coding on your PC via your phone.

    Add in a google chrome and a tv to cast and hey presto, your working at home from work as opposed to the current trend towards working at work from home.


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    #26
    ryo.jodeci
    Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭ryo.jodeci


    Tell me how wrote: »
    I find it hard to believe that any company is paying circa €2.4M/annum (15 resources + manager @€;625/day) to have those people do as little as you say they do.

    15 resources was my last company 2 years ago.

    This company has over 12/13 levels of mgmt. I'm not sure what some of the other lads are on in my current place. I got wind of the upper end of the bandwidth so I asked for that during the interviews and got lucky.
    delly wrote: »
    I was all in until the rate was mentioned. While your issue is real and many people can experience it, not a hope in hell at that rate as an outsourced contractor. The rate may exist, but not for idle resource.

    Like I say, there have been a couple of busy periods, but it seems the managers above me want to appear busy, so they completely blow the level of work out of proportion when talking to their seniors (I guess).


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    #27
    frozenfrozen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    guacamole to your home pc or something on gc, aws, do, etc... work on some other projects while you're in there and get another couple hundred quid a day.


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    #28
    ryo.jodeci
    Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭ryo.jodeci


    runawaybishop wrote: »
    Not to be the bearer of bad new but if you are a contractor after 2 years you need to be made permanent so if the 2 years isn't up I would be be expecting them to not renew. If the two years is up you should be permanent though.

    Also the money you are paid will be way way less then what they charge your customers. Contract prices for senior devs (5 years experience) would be about 1200-1500 charged to a customer.

    I'm an independent contractor as opposed to working with Accenture/KPMG/First Derivatives. I'm aware those companies charge ridiculous amounts of money, it's crazy really. But as far as I can see, the company gets good staff in return.


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    #29
    siblers
    Registered Users Posts: 12,378 ✭✭✭✭siblers


    I don't really understand how you work in I.T but aren't able to do online courses that only require a basic IDE and access to YouTube. You must be using a very outdated system.

    Why can't you do the course at home in your own free time


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    #30
    ryo.jodeci
    Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭ryo.jodeci


    SCOOP 64 wrote: »
    How do you get onto this coding malarkey?

    I studied it in college, and then did a ton of Udemy courses to help build up a portfolio on github. All they care about is your portfolio, although certificates and grades can help. In my opinion, Python is the way forward. But that statement has the potential to unleash hell in the coder's world, so maybe have a look and see what suits you!


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    #31
    ExoPolitic
    Registered Users Posts: 353 ✭✭ExoPolitic


    Bring your own laptop in and code on that? Hotspot on your phone?... cant understand the problem.


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