Dinah YoungProject Manager / Software Asset Manager| Prince William CountySpringfield, Va, United States
I worked as a contractor for about 20 years and have been a full time employee for 10 years now. There are positives and negatives to both.
Contractor:
Positives - Changing projects keeps things from getting boring. You tend to learn the latest technologies to stay competitive
Negatives - Changing projects means you are starting over again and need to build relationships. You never know when you may be cut loose.
Full time employee:
Positives - Stability. You build relationships over time. You are not always hustling to find another contract to work on.
Negatives - You can get in a rut of doing the same thing every day. You tend to not keep up on the latest technologies and focus on the one you are using. Relationships can turn sore and you are stuck working with the same people every day.
Given all of this, I do prefer being a full time employee now that I am older. I like the stability (even though nothing is set in stone) and not having to hustle anymore looking for my next contract. Saving Changes...
I prefer being an employee because I greatly value stability and consistency in my work environment. I'm sure there are many benefits to being a contractor, but I am generally risk-averse as it relates to my primary income. Saving Changes...
Pier Luigi CalabriaProject Manager| INFORM Institut für Operations Research und Management GmbH, Aachen, GermanyAachen, Germany
I may say that my answer could be "weather dependent".
In general I think that if you're looking for stability, you may choose the employment, if you want to choose the possibility of learn from differences then it's the freelance the best option.
And all my evaluation has not taken into account salary aspects. Saving Changes...
I prefer full employment always so I can plan my life Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
I prefer contracting, as carefully choosing assignments has elevated my skills, pay and job title far faster than working as an employee would have over the same time period. Eventually I reached a ceiling, however, and becoming an employee is now my best option to continuing my career growth. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
I fully agree with Dinah. Every option has its ups and downs. Saving Changes...
Anish AbrahamPrivacy Program Manager| University of WashingtonAuburn, Wa, United States
I have never been in a contract position, so I don't know the benefits of being a contractor. But I would like to explore that in future. Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
It depends :)
Though, generally prefer a FT gig. Saving Changes...
I've been a contractor all of my career and desire to transition to being a FTE mainly because I've experienced and agree with the "contractor cons" noted by previous respondents. Saving Changes...
its an interesting topic. I never thought about it previously, but.
I am presently a contractor and I have to say the "PERKS" are what's missing. For example take an employee for instance is usually on SALARY working in the PM field. the Pay is set, period, paid days off, holidays etc. as a contractor on the other hand, in the IT field no work means no pay. so while we do get our sick time (the mandated 5 days a year) we don't actually get any paid holidays. another drawback that I have noticed is that as a contractor, many times the salaried employees (particularly those who know that you understand the principles better than them) try not to be too helpful in obtaining support on projects. unfortunately not everyone is a team player. Ultimately I think the right answer lies in what is in YOUR best interest at the time of the deal. some contracting positions actually overshadow the employee side in terms of overall benefits. Saving Changes...
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