Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations Mike Lewis on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
Contract to Perm
- Thread starter Swi
- Start date
If the money is right, the benefits (especially health) are good, and you are not independently wealthy yet, it's a LOT less headache. You will be giving up flexibility in your schedule though.
"Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without."
"Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without."
- Thread starter
- #3
PatrickIRL
Programmer
- Jun 25, 2003
- 383
I made the move 2 years ago, prior to that it had been 7 years since I had a perm job.
Benefits? Paid holidays, sick days, regular income.
Downsides? For me it was difficult to get used to the red tape and corporate policies, a thousand sign offs to get something done.
But thats just me, I'm sure others have made a smoother transition.
Patrick
Benefits? Paid holidays, sick days, regular income.
Downsides? For me it was difficult to get used to the red tape and corporate policies, a thousand sign offs to get something done.
But thats just me, I'm sure others have made a smoother transition.
Patrick
- Thread starter
- #5
My other concern is that right now I have a stable, rather well paying job and a new baby on the way in a month. It is a pretty good opportunity but I am concerned that after 6 months if the job doesn't go permanent that I will possibly be without work. Thanks.
Swi
Swi
A stable, well-paying SIX MONTH contract isn't very stable, IMHO.
I've contracted on and off for fifteen years, and when the opportunity came for me to go perm (as perm as any position is anymore), I took it. It wasn't so much about the money or benefits (although, I didn't short-change myself), but the ability to give up:
1) the constant headaches and pressure of continually ramping up on a smorgasbord of technical skills to keep as many options open as possible,
2) facing unknown periods of no income as each contract drew toward the end, and
3)the grinding process of resumes, recruiters, and interviews.
Yeah, you have to take on the politically-correct bull of the corporation to a greater extent, but for me, it was worth it.
< M!ke >
[small]First Rule of Holes: When you're in one, stop digging.[/small]
I've contracted on and off for fifteen years, and when the opportunity came for me to go perm (as perm as any position is anymore), I took it. It wasn't so much about the money or benefits (although, I didn't short-change myself), but the ability to give up:
1) the constant headaches and pressure of continually ramping up on a smorgasbord of technical skills to keep as many options open as possible,
2) facing unknown periods of no income as each contract drew toward the end, and
3)the grinding process of resumes, recruiters, and interviews.
Yeah, you have to take on the politically-correct bull of the corporation to a greater extent, but for me, it was worth it.
< M!ke >
[small]First Rule of Holes: When you're in one, stop digging.[/small]
BrianTyler
IS-IT--Management
I was in my mid 50s, and had been successfully contracting as a Bull mainframe Cobol analyst / programmer in the UK. This was a dying arena and work was becoming scarce.
A customer for whom I had been contracted on and off for 20 years decided that they were going to redevelop their main systems. They were changing the platform to Unix / DB2 and would not retrain contractors.
They offerred me a permanent position at about 60% of my contracting rate.
I took the post because of the training, the employee benefits (holiday / sickpay etc) and the reasonable confidence that I would have regular work until retirement.
I disliked the red tape and politics, but it was probably the best thing I could have done considering the market for my out-of-date skills.
Brian
A customer for whom I had been contracted on and off for 20 years decided that they were going to redevelop their main systems. They were changing the platform to Unix / DB2 and would not retrain contractors.
They offerred me a permanent position at about 60% of my contracting rate.
I took the post because of the training, the employee benefits (holiday / sickpay etc) and the reasonable confidence that I would have regular work until retirement.
I disliked the red tape and politics, but it was probably the best thing I could have done considering the market for my out-of-date skills.
Brian
I'm confused.
Did you mean to ask "how does contract work compare with permanent positions"? It also might be significant to know which country you're in.
-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd
That sounds like you're considering moving from permanent to contract work, rather than the other way round.
Did you mean to ask "how does contract work compare with permanent positions"? It also might be significant to know which country you're in.
-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd
telnettech
Vendor
What you may want to do is see about changing your schedule at the permanent job if they are flexible that way. That way you can work both. The advantage of this is that if you do take the contract position, you can get a feel for the position and the employer and find out if it is the right opportunity. Also if for some reason at the end of the contract they dont hire you perm, then you have something to fall back on, especially since you have a child on the way. The disadvantage is that you will be tired alot as you wont get much sleep.(like you would with newborn in the house) 
I did the contract to perm position that i am currently in and can now make a better decision if the contract position is offered to me as a permanent position.
Brian
To error is human.....if the machine doesnt work, then KICK IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I did the contract to perm position that i am currently in and can now make a better decision if the contract position is offered to me as a permanent position.
Brian
To error is human.....if the machine doesnt work, then KICK IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Thread starter
- #11
ChrisHunt,
You are correct, the heading of this post should have been a bit different. I do have a full-time job right now but was considering a job that is contract to perm. I just don't think it is worth the risk although I am rotting away at my current position because my skills are not being utilized as was promised. Also, I am in the US.
Swi
You are correct, the heading of this post should have been a bit different. I do have a full-time job right now but was considering a job that is contract to perm. I just don't think it is worth the risk although I am rotting away at my current position because my skills are not being utilized as was promised. Also, I am in the US.
Swi
PHettinger
Programmer
I can't think of a better way to know a company than to actually work there. I too have done contract to perm a couple times and have never regretted it.
On the other hand, I've never left a full-time "permanent" job to do this either. I've seen other people who have and when it didn't work out, they would be begging to come back. Most of the companies I worked for considered resigning treason in the first place, so you can guess how successful the begging was.
Maybe you could try moving into another area in your current company? You'd have the advantage of doing something new but still maintain your seniority, vacation, etc.
On the other hand, I've never left a full-time "permanent" job to do this either. I've seen other people who have and when it didn't work out, they would be begging to come back. Most of the companies I worked for considered resigning treason in the first place, so you can guess how successful the begging was.
Maybe you could try moving into another area in your current company? You'd have the advantage of doing something new but still maintain your seniority, vacation, etc.
Subcontracting in the UK and US is different. From what I gather, UK subbies get more than UK permies for the equivalent job and US subbies get less than US permies for the equivalent job. Pay and conditions etc are also different.
Check the severence conditions: how quickly can they terminate you and how quickly can you leave if you wish to go elsewhere.
Another thing is to figure out how you deal with difficult situations. If you have to work with someone you cannot get along with, can you cope? As a subbie, you know the contract will finish in n months/weeks and you may never have to work with this person again. As a permie, it may last years so how would you cope?
Check the severence conditions: how quickly can they terminate you and how quickly can you leave if you wish to go elsewhere.
Another thing is to figure out how you deal with difficult situations. If you have to work with someone you cannot get along with, can you cope? As a subbie, you know the contract will finish in n months/weeks and you may never have to work with this person again. As a permie, it may last years so how would you cope?
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Question
- Locked
- Question
- Locked
- Question