I worked for a large manufacturing unit of a UK-based conglomerate. I had recently applied for the job of Software Manager, a role that I reported to. Another team leader in the department was the successful candidate. As I had been a candidate for his job, he viewed me as a threat and started a series of nasty tricks, undermining me.

Then it came to pay review time and I didn’t get a rise, first time ever. I knew I had to leave. I joined a small software house in the South-East. One of the things they did was hire out their engineers to other companies (bodyshopping). After a few months there, they hired me out to another business unit of the same conglomerate I had left.

I smiled smugly to myself every time I walked through the gates, knowing they were paying three times as much for my time as when I worked for them before. And all over a 2.5% pay rise.