IT help desk

aznkoolguy

I just got a job offering as Help Desk Analyst for 1 year contract and potential to extend. I am looking to stay with a company for a long period of time and build a good foundation for them. I was wondering if I do a good job on the contract will I go permanent with the company.

networker050184

Working hard surely would help, but there is no way for anyone here to know that. Ask the company what their plans are.

Nemowolf

I would advise that if your working on staying, develop a good working relationship with your manager. The only person that is going to go to bat for keeping you may be that manager. You can also get a good gauge of your work performance if you can speak candidly with your manager during a one-on-one for instance.

Cleverclogs

I'd say it's definitely possible to get an extension. At my last job I started on an 8 week contract that eventually became 10 months. I took some time out to deal with some issues and came back a few months later, eventually getting a full time job. Being on good terms with your manager definitely does help

FloOz

It really depends on where the company stands a year from now. It's not unheard of for comapnies to hire contractors full time after their contract is up.

NetworkVeteran

I was wondering if I do a good job on the contract will I go permanent with the company.

Nobody can say for certain. While your performance is a factor, so too are the company's long-term plans, as well as the situation when your term expires (are the hiring, staying the same, down-sizing, etc.) I just laid off someone who was phenomenal after two years. I'd intended to keep them for only one year, but I couldn't justify more than two.

I've known good people with high-up friends who were dropped, and so-so people who were extended.

cknapp78

Typically in more general IT roles like Help Desk companies will either re-up a contract or flip the contractor to a full-time role. However, as per some of the previous comments, it all depends on the hiring company. The more specialized you become the less likely you are to be let go once your contract or project is over.

Corey

Totino

Sounding like a broken record here: Really depends. I can tell you that on the helpdesk I work at, they no longer do contractors. It's all direct hires. A few months back, some of the contractors were hired as permanents, others were not. The folks that didn't get a permanent spot most likely missed out due to poor performance. Naturally office politics could play a role too. But if you're doing what you're supposed to, your outlook should be bright.
It's 100% dependent upon what the company plans to do in the future though. You should ALWAYS be trying to outshine your peers performance wise, regardless of what's going to happen. And as noted, you want to try and good in good with your manager. If you're doing that, you give yourself a good chance of getting a permanent position IF that's what the company is aiming for in the future.