Adam Russell wrote:
> Given the current economic climate I cannot see why anyone
> would try to, or even be successful at, working as a contractor.
there is no single answer that will apply to everyone.
"there is more than one way to do it" applies to life
as well as perl.
> Non-permanent employees are *always* the first to go.
Onk! Wrong answer. That may be the story given by
Human Resources during a layoff, but I've been a contractor
at places where directs got laid off before I did,
simply because I was on a sucessful project, and the
project manager fought for us.
there are no guarantees, regardless of what the labor laws
tell you. I've been laid off as a contractor and as a direct
employee. in both cases, they cleared out the entire building.
> I suppose if you are already an established name and you
> have the right contacts then you'll not have this problem
> but the thread has to do with starting, right?
contractors are "black boxes" coming in the door.
I worked with a contractor who had this amazing resume.
when he came in for an interview he talked a good talk.
within a week after he was hired, everyone in our group
realized just how much of an idiot he was. he got the
boot soon after. you never know as an employer what kind
of people you'll get.
having a good reputation will help you maintain a job within
a company. I've moved around within a company as projects ended
because project managers within the company could recomend me.
I don't know if it's still the case, but it used to be that
when you check references from prior employers, most will have
a company rule to only confirm that the person worked during
the times listed, i.e. they cannot say the person was "good"
or "bad". Saying a former employee was "bad" could open you
to a lawsuit. so a lot of companies prohibit you from saying
anything, just to be safe.
inside a company, project managers can easily talk in confidence.
not to mention you can follow your manager from project to project.
why go with an unknown when they can just keep you around?
so it's hard to get a "good reputation" at a company you've
never worked at before. unless someone already works there
that can give you a good recommendation.
> Just my opinion. Also, I just moved to the Boston area
> so maybe things are a little different/better here.
I contracted in Florida, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
it's not the end-all-be-all of the work life.
but if all the parameters line up with what
is going on in your life, it can be one way
to pay the bills.
I've been working as a direct (w-2) employee for
awhile now because I wanted to get some experience
in a different field. when I feel I've mastered the
field, I may consider doing contract work again.
I'm now married and have a mortgage, so certain
variables have changed in the equation. It'll be
something I'll have to evaluate when the time comes.
The biggest factor, I think, is simply the willingness
to take the risk.
Greg
