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Pro/e contractor questions

D

DrWily55

New member
Hello All,

I am thinking about going the gypsy (contractor) route. I see adds all the time, and I have been contacted by some headhunters recently and in the past. What I am not sure about is how it all works.

I'm sure it's different for various companies and who you go through to get the contract job. Many are in a huge hurry to get you in someplace and aren't too willing to tell too much. You might have a phone interview or two, then maybe a trip to the company for a test. No problem there.

But what happens then? How do they do the rest. I'm sure they do background checks, physicals and drug screens. You also have to find a place to live, and then get there. How do you pull all this off in a couple of weeks?

For anyone who has done this, or is doing this, what's it like, how does it work. Before I do anything I would like to hear some reality stories. The good, bad and ugly.

Thanks in advance.
 
When I was a contractor back in the early to mid 90's I always said.... "how do you double your pay and reduce your stress? GO CONTRACT" -

Answer to your question... go to design engine and learn surfacing - mechanica or plastics or what every you don't have an edge on... then use our design engine database and email tools to engage the agencies....;) Your phone will ring so much you will laugh then get mad at me for making it ring so much then... you will take me for dinner because of your rate.

No background checks and the other things like drug tests often come but after you work there for a while or when they want to court you to go perm.

The Pros and Cons of contracting:

CONS:
you have to travel
you have to eat out all the time
you have girl friends all over the country
you don't get any responsibility
you have to mail your check to your bank

PROS:
you get to travel
you get to eat out all the time
you have girl friends all over the country
you don't get any responsibility
you have so much money in the bank that you don't bother mailing checks home till you have a month or two saved up for the one stamp.
Edited by: design-engine
 
Heeheheh Bart makes me want to move to the USA again!


Ball park what types of hourly rates can be entertained?
 
I told that to dads who send their kids to Chicago for the thee week comprehensive program design engine offers.

I understand some contract agencies have a cieling and only take 25 percent margin while other push past the 50 percent margin.

I would think for the high end surfacing folks 55 per hour is minimum.Mechanica expert contractors come in higher. Depends upon competency and how one caries themselves over those phone interviews... then that contractor has to continually deliver. The Pro/CABLE-RSD contractors are higher even than the Pro/SURFACE contractors. pushing past 65 to 80 per hour.

I found some manufactures... their budget or their process is too big or confused.After working with ID firms for decades.... with the major manufacture you can work on a chair design for over 10 months. With a design firm I have under two weeks to do the surfacing for example. I guess what I am trying to say is the manufacture does not typically embody a process that moves fast enough for what I am used too.

So I help people get those jobs instead by working at design engine. When those contractors get over their head I help.


Edited by: design-engine
 
design-engine said:
When I was a contractor back in the early to mid 90's I always said.... "how do you double your pay and reduce your stress? GO CONTRACT" -



Answer to your question... go to design engine and learn surfacing - mechanica or plastics or what every you don't have an edge on... then use our design engine database and email tools to engage the agencies....;) Your phone will ring so much you will laugh then get mad at me for making it ring so much then... you will take me for dinner because of your rate.



No background checks and the other things like drug tests often come but after you work there for a while or when they want to court you to go perm.



The Pros and Cons of contracting:



CONS:

you have to travel

you have to eat out all the time

you have girl friends all over the country

you don't get any responsibility

you have to mail your check to your bank



PROS:

you get to travel

you get to eat out all the time

you have girl friends all over the country

you don't get any responsibility

you have so much money in the bank that you don't bother mailing checks home till you have a month or two saved up for the one stamp.
Click to expand...

What is design engine? Never heard of that. But new to this. No new to pro/e but new to the contract type stuff.

Thanks to all that replied. More suggestions welcome.
 
Welcome to the forum DrWily. What does 55 stand for?I hope its a car make or something.

Design engine is a training center in chicago who teaches animation, manufacturing, design and engineering workshops in various software programs like MAYA Pro/ENGINEER and Alias Studio. We/I like proe because there are a lot of proe jobs out there... therefore I get to train up a good number of proe contractors... and we don't sell software.

CONS:
-cant spend money at stores and shops because as a contractor your always working overtime
-your wife cant come because she has a job

PROS:
internet... Craig's List and Ebay so contractors can -spend like everyone else 'large cash purchase items' online
-your wife cant come because she has a job
Edited by: design-engine
 
design-engine said:
Welcome to the forum DrWily. What does 55 stand for?I hope its a car make or something.



Design engine is a training center in chicago who teaches animation, manufacturing, design and engineering workshops in various software programs like MAYA Pro/ENGINEER and Alias Studio. We/I like proe because there are a lot of proe jobs out there... therefore I get to train up a good number of proe contractors... and we don't sell software.



CONS:

-cant spend money at stores and shops because as a contractor your always working overtime

-your wife cant come because she has a job



PROS:

internet... Craig's List and Ebay so contractors can -spend like everyone else 'large cash purchase items' online

-your wife cant come because she has a job
Click to expand...

Thanks design-engine.

The 55 came from the number on the car when I raced. DrWily was the name of a computer on a unix network years ago.

Not sure I'm interested in training, I have 25,000+ hours of Pro/e experience.

Not married but I can relate to the wife thing.

Thanks again for the info.
 
I was hoping you was a racer. My dad was asked to race dirt track (several year old cars) for the Boy Scouts of America... since he raced motocross all his life and was a scout master. he turned it down and regrets it for life.

Just because you have 25000+ doesn't mean you can't learn new techniques!I take classes but I find it difficult to learn with the PTC structure. I wish I didnt always have to learn on my own!

I have been doing the track day thing with motorcycles.


http://www.myspace.com/bartbrejcha
Edited by: design-engine
 
You motorcycle guys are nuts! I really don't know how you can do that. I thought I was nuts to do the dirt thing, but I never dreamed of trying a motorcycle.

There have been a few bike guys cross over into dirt racing. They were pretty good. I wasn't surprised one bit.

Yea, there are areas I should probably get sharper in. Good advice for sure.

Thanks for your help, and by all means, keep your wheels under you.
 
I just heard the other day that Catapillar is laying off contractors.Heavy equipment sinking,automotive industry at morte a la porte, consumer elctronics nosediving.


I got a buddy out west in defense says business is good. I guess with two wars going on, we'll need them for awhile.


Whois else is working these day?
 
There has to be a better way to spur industry. If the Olympics had motor sports then all nations would make motorcycles instead of Pro/CABLE routed amphibious tanks.
Edited by: design-engine
 
With oil back below $70 a barrel all the alternative fuel technologies will go back on the shelf until the next crisis. That is an area the government could stand to spend some money on in the name of national security.

I wonder when the economists analyze this depression in 20 years how much they will attribute the crash to the out of control banking & housing markets and how much to the skyrocketing oil & comodities prices?
 
Cat does not lay off any Pro/CABLE contractors. or surfacing or plastics people with surfacing experience!

It seams to me that if PTC was really trining to sell this software (which they are) then they would have more qualified consultants out there. I understand there are only four high level RSD users in this world. I had an hour conversation yesterday with one of them and got the entire history.

I am preparing to teach a one week RSD class for consultants who want to customize the class. I hope to offer this class early next year. My next RSD procable combo class is offered the second week of December.



Pro/E Cabling
One Week Pro/CABLE Intensive
12 .08 - 12.12

http://www.proetools.com/courses/pro_engineer/procable.htm
Edited by: design-engine
 
dr_gallup said:
With oil back below $70 a barrel all the alternative fuel technologies will go back on the shelf until the next crisis. That is an area the government could stand to spend some money on in the name of national security.
Click to expand...

They really need to do something here. Oil will not stay at this price forever. Once we get through this rough patch, and demand picks up, oil will rise once again. The oil is not getting any easier to extract, or cheaper to find either.

I wonder when the economists analyze this depression in 20 years how much they will attribute the crash to the out of control banking & housing markets and how much to the skyrocketing oil & comodities prices?
Click to expand...

Hard to tell how they will analyze it, but the banks leveraging themselves 40 to 1 in derivatives should be a large part of the culprit. I think the oil prices just sped up the inevitable.
 
This has been an interesting and entertaining thread. Strayed in many directions but intelligent conversation none the less.


design-engine said:
you think motorcycle guys are nuts. That is funny I think married guys are nuts.
Click to expand...


Yes we are nuts. Like the radio commercial says, "It takes a man to be a dad". But hey, we had our time in the sun too, so for now, you guys enjoy it!
 
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