I think it has a lot to do with the experience of the people doing the hiring. If a hiring manager has been personally involved in a number of successful contra

I think it has a lot to do with the experience of the people doing the hiring. If a hiring manager has been personally involved in a number of successful contract jobs, then they will look favorably at others who have done the same. If those making the hiring decisions are waist deep in open source projects, then they will appreciate those who have contributed to popular OSS projects or have started their own. If, on the other hand, they only know traditional engineering shops that adhered to a particular development model, then they will almost always look for people who fit that mold.