Anybody out there Contracting... NOT JOB ADVERT...

[DiscoPistol]

Regarding being 'classified' as an Excel expert and only an Excel expert, I usually find a quick/informal chat to the IT Manager usually opens a door or two. Once they are confident in your abilities (or self confidence) then the barriers are usually removed. In so doing I almost always run things past the IT Manager to make sure I'm not stepping on any toes (and to make them feel like they are in charge).

Andrew

I agree that in a lot of smaller companies management are glad to utilise as many skills as you can offer.

But the bigger the company, the harder it is to get anywhere near the IT Manager. In fact I'm not even allowed to talk to the Server guys as they employ a 'Liason' to handle communication. True Story.

 

[Expiry]

the company I work for is a joint venture between two big companies. Company A has an IT department that designs some reports for us, based on similar ones they have.

This makes good business sense, until you have a query and then have to go to the communication manager because you're not allowed to talk to the programmer himself. It's crazy. Everything takes 3 times as long to sort out.

 

[DonkeyOte]

This is all very true but of course if like me (or like me when I had a job ) you're in Finance it's quite easy to get through to the Server guys and anyone else for that matter because to all intents and purposes you control either directly or indirectly the payroll, commissions, expenses button(s)... and that pretty much makes YOU the daddy of all daddy's.