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Kevin Steele
Kevin Steele

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I got my first job and it's a contract, what now?

Hi all! I didn't make my usual, weekly blog post because I've been busy onboarding and such. I want to ask the Dev.to community something. I recently started as a contractor with an at-will agreement and many of the people working there as salaried employees used to be contractors. What are some next steps I can take to become salaried there or find full-time work as a developer once the contract ends? I'm at a bit of a loss.

Top comments (10)

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coderfoundry profile image
CoderFoundry

Contracting

Contracting vs Full Time

Kevin, Bobby Davis chose your question to answer!

We hope it helps you!

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kevindsteeleii profile image
Kevin Steele

Thanks so much!! I'm putting the things you've talked about in your response video to practice.

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matthew_collison profile image
Matthew Collison

Hi Kevin,

This needs a bit more context for all of us here I think, then the community can offer some advice based on you. Would you prefer to work full-time for already decided reasons, or are you simply worried that contract work will dry up? As a solution depends fully on this.

Always feel free to DM us but it would be more awesome if we could get a comment chain going incase anyone else having the same struggles comes across your post ✌️

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kevindsteeleii profile image
Kevin Steele

I'm trying to work full-time and I don't like the uneasy feeling of working on a contract. It's a great opportunity for a first job but I want stable, full-time employment as a developer, not a perpetual chain of contracts. If possible, I would like to turn my current gig into a full-time thing.

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horus_sky profile image
Cedric W

I would ask others around you. Are any of them working on contract? Or have they transitioned from contract. Is this the company's general hiring process?

Just asking because I worked contract for a year at my company. This lead to full-time employment. This was also their normal hiring transition - contract for 6month to a year, depending on the time of the year, then hire. Normally within that time you or the company will know if you are a good fit. So I would ask around is my advise.

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kevindsteeleii profile image
Kevin Steele • Edited

Thanks Cedric. I interviewed for a salaried position, didn't get it and almost a month later one of the folks who interviewed me reached out and offered a contract. So they had a role to be filled and it has been. They typically hire contractors for either work ramp-up or as an on-going tryout. I'm not sure where I lie.

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dmfay profile image
Dian Fay

It sounds like you're working with several people who will have much more specific ideas on how to jump from contract to full-time at that company than any of us -- ask them!

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stereobooster profile image
stereobooster

Or ask mentor if you have one

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Darkø Tasevski

Just want to add that there is nothing wrong with being contractor :) As long as they are paying (well) it's good enough for me.

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kevindsteeleii profile image
Kevin Steele

Darko, I, of course, mean no disrespect to all the folks who work as developer contractors. I just started my career and feel that I don't have much bargaining power yet. You probably have loads more experience, a better developer, and your rate is probably much higher than mine. I would prefer not doing the contract to contract thing until I can get more out of it (money) or can deliver more (skills).