Lavida Cooper, a photo by NASA Goddard Photo and Video on Flickr.
Thirty one percent of America’s workforce is comprised of
independent contractors, grown out of corporations’ needs to staff on the fly.
With this trend rising, the contract model might become your most likely way of
getting hired. After all, it’s easier for companies to end a contract than to
terminate a coworker. Firms can successfully outsource their Account managers,
Human Resource reps and IT Analysts and reap all of their successes without the
obligation of paying for employee benefits and paid time off.
Does working as a contractor make sense for you? Consider
these points:
Being independent puts you in the category of Subject Matter
Expert. You’re in a position to offer big picture opinions of your
business landscape to your client company because you’ve worked in a variety of
scenarios. You’re politically neutral
when you offer your expertise because, while you are completely professional,
you don’t have to drink the company Koolaid. Likewise, you wont be disappointed
by the typical two or three percent increase that salaried employees receive at their
annual review. You can set your own rates for the duration of the contract—and it's a fact that most contractors earn more than their salaried counterparts.
Looking for job security? Create your own by being great at
what you do. Whether you
are in between jobs or you’re looking for a long-term role, contracting might
be the way to go if you are really good at what you do. You can charge more for
your expertise since you know how to solve your client’s problems. As your
paycheck increases, stash as much as you can away for rainy days in between
contracts (or for taxes if you’re on a 1099). Stay connected to your network
and keep your skills fresh so that you’re poised for the next contract when
the current one ends.
You get to steer your own ship. As a contractor you won’t concern
yourself with which rung of the corporate ladder you sit on. Promotional
opportunities won’t pervade your thoughts. Corporate politics can be observed
from the sidelines. Instead, your focus is on the work itself.
What about benefits and a sense of permanence? It’s
true—you won’t be paid for your sick days or vacation time, and it might be
hard to carve out time off over the holidays when you’re covering for salaries
employees on the team. If you contract through an agency, you may be able to
earn benefits and PTO—but given the changes in healthcare benefits, you might
be better off funding these for yourself.
I think the biggest concerns a contractor has are those that are focused on the work itself. Often, contractors are hired as a last ditch
effort to meet business goals that the permanent staff could not achieve. If
you are offered a contract gig, find out early if you’re being set up for success or
a failure. Gauge if the client’s expectations for your performance are
realistic or not (sell twenty new clients in three months time? You’re an
Account Manager, not Houdini).
Remember that when you’re hired on a temporary basis, you
are, at first, an expense to the company and not an investment. You won’t
receive employee developmental goals and there's not talk of your future. You will, however, be paid well to do
what you do best—the work itself. And if it goes well, you’ll be appreciated by
the team and be treated well. You might even get picked up as a permanent
employee later, if that's your goal.
Contract work is a career lifestyle choice with pros and
cons like any other. But it’s a prevailing trend that is seeping into more workers’
lives at a rapid rate. Chances are you will need to explore this option at
some point in your career trajectory.
No comments:
Post a Comment