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Is it better to go for a contract role or full-time opportunity?

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Anonymous User at Taro Community2 years ago

For context - I have recently left Amazon and I'm actively looking for another role that suits my lifestyle in terms of work/life balance as well as the interest during the job role. Given how the market is right now - I was wondering if it is better to get a contract role until you can get the opportunity that you find interesting or go for a full-time opportunity regardless?

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  • 19
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    Tech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course Hero
    2 years ago

    It depends a lot on your current job-hunting journey and your needs. Here's my thoughts:

    Case For Full-Time

    • You need benefits like health insurance
    • You are ambitious with your career growth (FTEs are given way better opportunities compared to contractors)
    • You have high compensation requirements

    Case For Contracting

    • You don't need benefits (I see a lot of married couples where one of them works as FTE getting benefits and the other as a contractor)
    • You want better work-life balance with more flexibility and less pressure
    • You can't get anything else (very possible in the current crappy market)

    For broader advice around finding good opportunities in general, I highly recommend this video (it has a software engineer focus, but most of its advice applies to anyone in tech): [Masterclass] How To Choose A Good Company And Team As A Software Engineer

  • 2
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    Tech Lead/Manager at Meta, Pinterest, Kosei
    3 months ago

    I'd like to offer a strong opinion here: don't take on a contracting role unless you really need employment. Better to wait for a full-time role.

    I say this because I've been interacting with recruiters at top startups recently, and they are biased against contractors. They'll immediately think, "This person couldn't cut it as an FTE, why would I want to interview them?" It's unfair, but doing a contract gig has a negative connotation. I want you to be aware of the perception and the potential impact on the future.

    Here's the reality: contract software engineers are given less autonomy and more scrutiny. Contractors are, almost by definition, more expendable than full-time staff.

    Think of the extreme case: have you ever heard of a core leadership, strategy, or PM job be contracted?

    Nope, and that's because that's a core competency that can't be outsourced.

    If you have done a contracting gig, I would not volunteer the fact that it was contracting. You should still list the work experience, but don't make it evident on LinkedIn or your resume that you were a contractor.

Amazon.com, Inc. is an American multinational technology company which focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, and much more. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, it has been referred to as "one of the most influential economic and cultural forces in the world".
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