Smartek21 is a consulting company. That means that they send you off to client companies to do actual the actual work and provide expertise and/or labor. Client companies often use contractors as experimental employees, and if the client company does not see you as useful, they will fire you with little to no warning. There is not much that Smartek21 can do in such cases. They do have a bench in the Washington area (and probably will in Palo Alto), but if you're in the Bay Area, you are at the mercy of the client company. I do not see this as the fault of Smartek though. Being a consultant usually means it's easier to get a job at a client company, but also easier for the client company to dispose of you.