Topic: Career
By Brian Eckard
Are you looking for more freedom in your career? Have you ever considered contracting? Need to find a job fast? If you have a marketable skill, such as technical writing, you can make a lot of money contracting. Writers are in high demand and based on your skills and experience, you can gain competitive wages and a steady income as a contractor. Consider my experience...
For most of my career I have been what is called now days a FTE, or a full-time employee. FTEs are also know as permanent employees. Ironically, over the years I have learned that there is really nothing permanent about being an employee. The down side of being permanent is that you never know when the ax is going to fall and end your employement. Yes, there are actions you can take to minimize that risk, but it is always there. In most places, your employer has the right to let you go without notice. However, you too have the very same right. You always have the right to let your employer go with out notice too.
Two years ago, when I came to Washington state, I left a permanent job in order to make major changes in my personal life. I arrived unemployed and with no job prospects to speak of. I had a dwindling supply of money and the challenge that faced me was to find employment as fast as possible so that my income stream could be returned and I could start to rebuild my life.
When I arrived in Dallas, Texas nine years ago I was in a similar situation where I needed to find employment. I decided to try my hand at temping it, and was able to find a six-month contract that would go permanent after the initial period. It was a great way to find a job in a new job market where I did not know anybody to network with.
I did the same thing in Washington. However, here I have found that it is possible to stay gainfully employed as a contract employee. I have also discovered that I like the lifestyle that is possible in contracting that a permanent job prohibits you from having. For example, when I am in between contracts I can get some time off. Before I started my current contract, I was off for about four weeks during the Holiday season. The last time that happened was way back when I was in college. While I was a FTE I never was able to take four weeks off, and hardly ever was able to get decent amounts of time off during the Holiday season.
Even though my family was low on funds during that time, I truly believe it was one of the best holiday seasons that I can remember. Another aspect of contracting that I like is the flexibility it offers for my schedule. Right now, my boys are in town and I have been able to adjust my schedule so that I can work four 10-hour days and end up having three day weekends. This is valuable time with my sons, and being a contractor has made that possible.
I am not bound by PTO contraints. I take my vacations when I am in between contracts, and if time off is needed during a contract it is easy to arrange since my client benefits with a reduced cost. They do not pay for time off, so when I take time it is always at my expense. If I properly budget for it, this is really not a major concern.
The agency that I work for also provides benefits, so I also have access to medical insurance--just like when I was a FTE. For me, contracting has been a very positive experience, and it has allowed me to work for companies that I might not have had an opportunity to work for as a permanent employee. Plus the knowledge and experience I gain from each assignment is priceless and helps me to keep my resume up to date and very competitive in today's job market.
Pros and Cons of contracting
Pros
- Flexibility in work schedules
- Time off in between contracts
- Arrange vacations around contracts
- Learn new job skills quickly
- Broaden your career experiences
- Pays well
Cons
- Contract has a start and end date
- Sometimes there are no benefits
- Short term employment
- No job security (is there such a thing?)
- Sometimes isolated in the work environment
Conclusions
Personally, I have found a new freedom with my contracting, and since I am a technical writer, I have also discovered that it works well in the contracting market. Here in the Seattle area many technical writers work on contract due to how the Microsoft Corporation hires writers. They do have FTEs, but the vast majority of technical writers seem to be working on contract. Turnover of contractors is fostered due to a Microsoft rule that a contractor can only work for one year straight and is then required to take a 100-day break. During that break many contractors will seek gigs at some of the other corporations located in the Seattle area. If you are diligent with saving some of your money, you can even take a break and have a nice 100-day vacation! Ahhhhh….this is the life! --Brian
