Permanent job vs. higher-paying contract job?

Kind of having a bit of a dilemma here. So right now I work on a helpdesk, part time (usually 30-39hrs week), but it is a permanent position. The job market sucks in Michigan (of course) so I've been stuck there for a while. I'd like to work full-time and the opportunities for advancement where I work are pretty limited (since nobody ever leaves or retires due to the economy I guess).

But what I'm finding is that most jobs I think I'd be qualified for (full time helpdesk/desktop support) are contract jobs, often for 3-6 months with the possibility of extension or hire.

So I'm not sure whether these jobs are worth looking at. A lot of the contract jobs DO seem to pay somewhat more than what I make now, and I'd probably get better experience (my current job is rather stagnant) but I'd be a little hesitant to leave a permanent job for a contract job that may or may not last.

You know? I'd feel dumb if I took a 6-month contract job and they decided not to extend the contract, leaving me out of work after six-months. And I don't know what I'd say if I was on an interview and someone asked why I left the permanent position for a contract job. But then again job opportunities are limited where I live and I don't really want to be stuck on the helpdesk forever.

Thoughts? Are these contract gigs worth looking at seriously?

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Comments

QHalo

I left a permanent gig for a contract job. Pay was 40% more too. They asked me here why I'd want to go contract and I told them that the reason was because it was a better opportunity for career pathing and where I wanted to go. Sometimes you gotta take a risk. As long as its calculated and you have the chops to keep up with what they need, why not?

If you can afford insurance paying on your own, or factoring that into your rates then its not a terrible gig. Personally I'd prefer a full time position but the possibility of full time with these guys, the pay increase and the fact that I was able to find insurance that was cheap enough was good enough for me. That's not to say that I'm not keeping my options open.

Rockets34Life

Depending on your lifestyle.

Family - perm job for benefits

Single - contract if no need for benefits. Pile the $.

Needing work experience - contract if you can't find perm. Enough buildup of experience can lead to perm

powerfool

Another option is if you are married and have dual-income... you could go contract and rely on your spouse for insurance and such. It is something I will definitely consider once my wife is done with nursing school.

MC85

Thanks for the input.

I'm single and needing work experience (not really worried about insurance). I have a perm but it's sucky and seems dead-end.

The reasons I'm hesitant to look at better contract jobs are:

1. Job market really sucks in my area, if I take a contract job and they don't renew, I don't know how long it could take to find another job.

2. Relating to the above, I have student loans to pay back and can't really afford to be out of work for any long period of time.

Then again, maybe I should be more open to taking chances. I suppose staying at a dead-end job for years isn't doing myself a favor. If it wasn't for these damn loans I wouldn't be so scared to take a chance.

Zartanasaurus

Ideally, you'd take a contract job at a company that has lots of opportunities for advancement even if you start as a help desk jockey.

Working for a MSP is always a good gig if you can get it also.

Moving from Michigan is a great idea. They don't call it the rust belt for nothing.

SteveLord

powerfool wrote: »

Another option is if you are married and have dual-income... you could go contract and rely on your spouse for insurance and such. It is something I will definitely consider once my wife is done with nursing school.

Just so you know, health insurance for hospital employees may not be as great as one might think if you need to cover a family. My wife is an RN of 15 years and has been at 4 different major hospitals between 2 states. We ended up dropping hers entirely, for my state employee insurance. No more $350/mo premium and confusing statements from hers/mine (same insurance company mind you.) However, anything leftover on a hospital bill should be manageable enough.....maybe...hopefully. This is health insurance we're talking about after all.

powerfool

SteveLord wrote: »

Just so you know, health insurance for hospital employees may not be as great as one might think if you need to cover a family. My wife is an RN of 15 years and has been at 4 different major hospitals between 2 states. We ended up dropping hers entirely, for my state employee insurance. No more $350/mo premium and confusing statements from hers/mine (same insurance company mind you.) However, anything leftover on a hospital bill should be manageable enough.....maybe...hopefully. This is health insurance we're talking about after all.

I hear you. But, it is a better option than having none. My mother-in-law is an RN that works for one of the biggest insurance companies around as a case manager and her insurance isn't any better than mine.

andy4tech

Well if you are not getting ahead where you are now is better to look for more opportunity outside.Contract job is not bad so far you are still single,just live within your means and try to find a contract job in a big company where there will be an opportunity of renewing your contract or be a permanent employee.Man take a risk.

bigmantenor

I would say that if you feel that it is a better opportunity, you should take it, contract or not. You just have to keep pushing until you get where you want to be.

spicy ahi

andy4tech wrote: »

Well if you are not getting ahead where you are now is better to look for more opportunity outside.Contract job is not bad so far you are still single,just live within your means and try to find a contract job in a big company where there will be an opportunity of renewing your contract or be a permanent employee.Man take a risk.

Agreed. If you can have 6-12 months of living expenses (including the bills you pay when you're working like your student loans; some people only think living expenses only includes rent and utilities) then you shouldn't worry too much of the periods in between employment should a contract be cut short. Of course, I would try to find contracts more in the 9-12 month range to give you breathing room between having to find another job.

You could also do what one of my friends did and try to find contract jobs requiring a particular skill (his was HP Openview) He worked for several contract jobs requiring different aspects of Openview and learned it inside and out. After a few contract jobs, he started his own consultancy based on... you guessed it, Openview! Now he makes a decent livign as an Openview consultant, and is even contracted with HP to teach Openview classes. It may be something to consider when looking at contract jobs in your area.