Do contracts ruin your career?

[diddak28]

Hello,

I d like to ask because I am not quite sure. I have 1 year experience in IT. I want to continue and build my career. If I go for a 3-6month contract and then try to continue, does this affect my career? You can earn a lot ..but does it have any disadvantages in terms of your career?

[BlasterBates]

no not really.

If you stay permie chances are you'll go nowhere anyway.

It's all down to probability, there are only a few senior managers so most permies end up in a fairly lowly position anyway.

If you do end up in a senior position then you might find yourself made redundant at the age of 50 and all washed up. At least as a techy contractor age doesn't really come into it. Middle managers are always the main target in cost cutting.

[JoJoGabor]

it can do. With only 1 years experience I would say you would find it hard to get contracts as contractors are hired for proven skills in a certain area. In the past I have found I have plateau'd in contracting and have had to go into a permanent role to go to the next level. Now I'm at a quite senior level its easier.

[ChimpMaster]

it can do. With only 1 years experience I would say you would find it hard to get contracts as contractors are hired for proven skills in a certain area. In the past I have found I have plateau'd in contracting and have had to go into a permanent role to go to the next level. Now I'm at a quite senior level its easier.

I'd agree, 1 year's experience will get you the "temp" roles rather than the "contract" positions you really want. I would recommend choosing a specialism, whether that be a product (technical) or business area (for BA roles), and get several years' experience in consulting with that skillset. Become confident and strong in your chosen area, and build up a good network of contacts and clients over the next 4 or 5 years.

Contracting is as much about the professional attitude/aptitude/mindset as well as the skills you are selling.

[The Spartan]

I don't believe they, do mind you before I decided to become a contractor I built up my skill set and ensured that I had exposure to different tool sets, methodologies and had pretty much done almost all I could at permie level. Mind you I was always building towards contracting in the process as now I'm here that's where I want to stay. Specialising will also help you

[kingcook]

Hello,

I d like to ask because I am not quite sure. I have 1 year experience in IT. I want to continue and build my career. If I go for a 3-6month contract and then try to continue, does this affect my career? You can earn a lot ..but does it have any disadvantages in terms of your career?

There is a chance that future potential employers (having seen the last bit of work you did was contract based) will think that you're just applying for a permie job to ride through the rough patches in the contract market, and you might be wanting to leave them 6 months down the line.

Just my own personal thoughts....

[Notascooby]

Where's NLUK????

Career - you'll only get that as a perm, as a contractor, you're responsible for furthering your knowledge, no one but yourself is going to fund training and feedback is given on extensions.

1 year is SFA experience, so I'm not sure what you're hoping to get in a contract - but maybe it's possible as say a low-level tester but not as someone to write test scripts.

Certainly if it's in development, then unless you've got some tulip hot skills then 1 year isn't going to cut it.

I maybe very wrong but with one years experience I doubt you'll be commanding big rates so the money wont be that amazing and you run the risk of big breaks in work.

Maybe best get a few years under your belt...but happy to be proven wrong.

[MarillionFan]

Yes it does, especially if that career is one in management.

Having gone perm twice in the last 14 years from a contract, I worked my way up into senior managment positions in both cases, before going back contracting as a 'techie'. As there aren't really senior management contracts in what I do I have to restart the clock. Attempting to apply for FT management positions when you've been contracting always makes it more difficult.

[kingcook]

Career - you'll only get that as a perm, as a contractor, you're responsible for furthering your knowledge, no one but yourself is going to fund training and feedback is given on extensions.

I was under the impression that the OP is still in a permie job, and was considering doing a contract before returning to his career in permiedom.

[Spacecadet]

As flippant as it sounds I found contracting made me go from career (noun) to career (verb)

Permie developers, unless they are very good AND in the right company, tend to go nowhere and will spend decades doing the same tulip over and over and over.

Generally contracting means you're kept busy. If there is no work for you at a company, you move on. Each new place is a new opportunity to learn and develop. And if you're sensible you'll spend some of that evening time stuck in a hotel room learning new skills.