Convincing Employer of Motives for going Perm

[PCTNN]

I switched back and forth many times and I've always used the mortgage excuse/lie.

When I wanted to switch from contractor to permie I would say that I wanted to get a house and a mortgage so I couldn't afford the risk of being out of work for months at the time and therefore I wanted the income stability that a permie job would give me.

When I wanted to switch from permie to contractor I would say that I only went permanent strategically because it was easier to get a mortgage approved and it was always my plan to go back contracting after the mortgage had been secured.

So, in general, lie like there's no tomorrow but make sure it's a believable lie.

[escapeUK]

Tell the truth. Tell them that the anti-business government has made it utterly pointless, given they want to tax you just as much as a perm while simultaneously denying you all the benefits and rights.

[PerfectStorm]

If you are neither then again mention travelling, stability, miss being part of a team and growing with the company.

Are we at least trying to sound credible?

"I really miss all-day brainstorms with curly sandwiches and dirty looks in the corridor"

[Lance]

After a long and illustrious contracting career, I'm going to move back to the dark side. Last couple of yers have been tough with too much downtime and I just don't think it's worth it anymore.

So, faced with a CV like mine, any potential hiring manager is rightly going to think this guy's going to jumo ship as soon as the market picks up again.

What sort of things coukd I say to convince him/her otherwise?

you need to convince them you are after perm as a lifestyle, and not simply because you have no work.
Best bet is to be interviewing for the perm work whilst still in a contract. Cos that is the only way you can convince them you'll not jump at the first sniff of another contract.

They might take a punt on you anyway, but they also recognise that you are a 'flight risk'.

[edison]

It's a nice thought, but I found that HR mostly only want people already experienced in their own particular industry vertical.

Perhaps the best way in is to do the old start-as-a-contractor-and-switch when you've proved you can hack it.

I was going for IT Director roles with a significant element of facing off to senior functional business stakeholders. In my experience and from what I've picked up from headhunters over the years, retail, financial services and pharmaceuticals are the sectors that most commonly prefer people with past sector experience.

One headhunter coach advised that because I had been a contractor for 7-8 years, getting a contract role and converting to perm was probably my most likely successful option.

[gables]

Possibly but the back and forth is exactly what the recruiter may be expecting hence the OP's problem. Really depends on whether the guy hiring them has been burned or first hand experience of contractors dicking them about. If they have its unlikely any contractor will get the role.

When I say back and forth I'm not meaning like 6 month perm, 6 month contract, 6 month perm - for me I went perm in 2008 then left in 2014 to contract, took 3 contracts (with healthy breaks) and went perm in 2020 then left this year to contract - no one seemed bothered.

Good point though about being burnt, although I think this would apply to the younger generation who seem to hop around quite happily.

[northernladuk]

Interesting, as my experience suggests that moving between contract and perm (back and forth) isn't a problem like it was when I started, back then it was pretty much a one way street

Possibly but the back and forth is exactly what the recruiter may be expecting hence the OP's problem. Really depends on whether the guy hiring them has been burned or first hand experience of contractors dicking them about. If they have its unlikely any contractor will get the role.

[GregRickshaw]

Try to convince them why you want the role, it's all about the role and the company (not the salary etc.,). If the salary is a lot less than you're contracting rates DON'T tell the hirer you are taking a big pay cut to come to this role, even though it may sound to you in your head that it means you're serious - it really does not sound good.

Perhaps tell the hirer you have been following the company for a long time you really like what they do, you want to be part of something new a journey etc.,

A permie employer is now used to even permie's sodding off quickly, just talk to a 'young' person and they will think 'been here a long time' is three years.

It's incredibly tough to get a permy role when you have been a long time contractor as it's also (so I'm told) tough then to settle down somewhere. And let's face it who are you kidding anyway you'll be off back to contract land quicker than they can say 'performance review'

[gables]

Interesting, as my experience suggests that moving between contract and perm (back and forth) isn't a problem like it was when I started, back then it was pretty much a one way street i.e. you left a perm role to go contracting and there you basically stayed. For me recently (2014) I left a perm role, picked up a number of contracts and then went perm in 2020 without anyone batting an eyelid, then returned to contracting this year and the client has already floated the idea of perm seemingly not worried I might leg it.

[malvolio]

I kept getting this question from recruiters and at interviews when looking at moving back to a perm role in 2020 and 2021 during the peak of Covid.

In my case, I had actively prepared to go perm by working with a career coach and studying for a qualification, both at significant personal expense. It still wasn't enough to convince some hiring managers though.

All you can do is focus on longer term growth and development and stress your breadth of experience if you've worked in multiple sectors, different types of project etc. That's something a lot of perms won't have to the same degree and will be attractive to some companies.

It's a nice thought, but I found that HR mostly only want people already experienced in their own particular industry vertical. Given I worked mainly in Service Management, which is totally unconcerned with what the client actually does for a living, I always found that a bit strange: 20 years of plasterboard manufacturing seen as more beneficial than 20 years across FTSE 100s and public sector clients from finance to policing to the courts system never really made a lot of sense when all you are dealing with are people and process.

Perhaps the best way in is to do the old start-as-a-contractor-and-switch when you've proved you can hack it.

[edison]

I kept getting this question from recruiters and at interviews when looking at moving back to a perm role in 2020 and 2021 during the peak of Covid.

In my case, I had actively prepared to go perm by working with a career coach and studying for a qualification, both at significant personal expense. It still wasn't enough to convince some hiring managers though.

All you can do is focus on longer term growth and development and stress your breadth of experience if you've worked in multiple sectors, different types of project etc. That's something a lot of perms won't have to the same degree and will be attractive to some companies.

[TheDude]

After a long and illustrious contracting career, I'm going to move back to the dark side. Last couple of yers have been tough with too much downtime and I just don't think it's worth it anymore.

So, faced with a CV like mine, any potential hiring manager is rightly going to think this guy's going to jumo ship as soon as the market picks up again.

What sort of things coukd I say to convince him/her otherwise?

Blame IR35.

[northernladuk]

And he wouldn't be far wrong. We've loads of people on here that went perm and have gone in less than a year. To be fair, if you are only going per because of the downtime you are kinda doing what he thinks. If the market does get back to endless end to end gigs it does look like you'll be back.

Just have to make up a story and convince your self of it so you don't slip up in the interview. Make it believable but as close to the truth as you can so hard to get caught out.

Only you'll know based on your circumstances but some examples are.
If you've a young family tell them you want something stable so you can enjoy the time with the family. Too much travelling and uncertainty in contracting and family comes first now.
If you are older go for the stability
If you are neither then again mention travelling, stability, miss being part of a team and growing with the company.

[cojak]

It’s a lot easier to convince employers these days. Just say that you’re tired of the hassle of contracting.

Or, depending on your age you could say that your wanting more stability in your life.

[Jum In The Morning]

After a long and illustrious contracting career, I'm going to move back to the dark side. Last couple of yers have been tough with too much downtime and I just don't think it's worth it anymore.

So, faced with a CV like mine, any potential hiring manager is rightly going to think this guy's going to jumo ship as soon as the market picks up again.

What sort of things coukd I say to convince him/her otherwise?