Urgggghhh!

I am like, a computer guru.
I am totally, like, a contractor.

This means that instead of getting a job, I take up a contract to do a particular job. I've had one for 2 and a half years and I've had one for 3 months and I've had a couple of ranges in between. Even though I've been contracting for a while, I'm still new to the whole contract-negotiation thing.

Contracting is cool, you get paid more, but you don't get leave or super paid and you do jobs, then have a break, then do jobs again.

It's been a bit quiet. Lots of people have said there is a bit of work in my field of pretend-expertise, but no one has really come up with the goods. In the two weeks I've had off, there has been a number of close calls. These have fallen through because I generally work for very big companies who don't really know what they want. That's cool.

Anyway, yesterday I received something like 15 or 16 calls.
It was craziness.
I very nearly signed up for a 25 day contract when one of my pimps don't me to hold off at the last second. This means I had to totally avoid my phone and everyone who thought they had a signed deal was trying to get a hold of me.
I felt totally unprofessional avoiding everyone. I'm supposed to be having an interview today.

I was a bit nervous about facing my e-mail and my phone today.
Nothing.
That's the thing, everything plays on your emotions, especially recruiters, it all seems pressureful, then a new day comes along and everyone has moved onto someone else.
Today is someone else's day to feel the heat, but because the market is so small, it'll be my day again next week sometime.

It's all very interesting, but it is also very childish, lots of people playing games with their own agendas. I want a contract that pays good and on time. The guy who I pay to do my payroll and taxes and stuff, he wants me working, but he also has favourite companies over others. The recruiters don't care who does what, they just want the cash for the deal. They also want to skim money off the top so they'll try and beat your rate down. The company just wants to get some work done.

A lot of contractors have houses and morgages and whatever. So when they are out of work for a few days they start to get nervous. The recruiters play on that.
The most important thing I'm learning is to stay cool, because there is always something else just around the corner.

Everything always works out.