4 ms·

The way to get around some of this is to work on contract. I have found I am most free being a contractor. I go in to the gig knowing it has a definite end an

The way to get around some of this is to work on contract. I have found I am most free being a contractor. I go in to the gig knowing it has a definite end and do not care about any of the internal politics. It’s not a perfect solution but much better than being an employee where I have granted a company a monopoly on my time.

kortilla 3y ago
How do you find gigs that actually pay like FTEs?
- tossandthrow 3y ago
  at least where I am at, the contractor rate is more than double the FTE rate.
  - jghn 3y ago
    Yes. Contractors typically get more per hour. It still works out cheaper for the company as they don't have to pay for the benefits, PTO, and that sort of thing. And of course the contractor still has to pay for insurance, covering their own PTO, etc.
    - tossandthrow 3y ago
      I think it is a bit different depending on you country. I believe it is comparable in the us with the steep Healthcare prices. in Europe it usually makes sense to contract if you only have smaller projects.
      - jajko 3y ago
        Did both in few parts of Europe. Initially its normally better to contract (but you need to have some chops, nobody hires juniors on contract), but not all countries make this easy or even viable. Once you want to settle, if you want to settle, permanent job under normal circumstances offers better overall package. Maybe not outright amounts, but if you count in things like sickness, holidays, off for kids, social contributions, being treated better among colleagues, and for me personally having much more freedom whenever personal I need to do like bureaucracy (but that may be current circumstance only).
        tossandthrow 3y ago
        yep, I am there myself. I seek to settle. as a part of that I also seek to transfer from having worked freelance for many years to take a regular job
  - jjav 3y ago
    > at least where I am at, the contractor rate is more than double the FTE rate. But the big money in tech is in your options/RSUs, not base pay. And contractors don't get options. (Usually anyway; I've been given options as a consultant once but usually don't see that.)

kortilla 3y ago

How do you find gigs that actually pay like FTEs?

tossandthrow 3y ago
at least where I am at, the contractor rate is more than double the FTE rate.
- jghn 3y ago
  Yes. Contractors typically get more per hour. It still works out cheaper for the company as they don't have to pay for the benefits, PTO, and that sort of thing. And of course the contractor still has to pay for insurance, covering their own PTO, etc.
  - tossandthrow 3y ago
    I think it is a bit different depending on you country. I believe it is comparable in the us with the steep Healthcare prices. in Europe it usually makes sense to contract if you only have smaller projects.
    - jajko 3y ago
      Did both in few parts of Europe. Initially its normally better to contract (but you need to have some chops, nobody hires juniors on contract), but not all countries make this easy or even viable. Once you want to settle, if you want to settle, permanent job under normal circumstances offers better overall package. Maybe not outright amounts, but if you count in things like sickness, holidays, off for kids, social contributions, being treated better among colleagues, and for me personally having much more freedom whenever personal I need to do like bureaucracy (but that may be current circumstance only).
      - tossandthrow 3y ago
        yep, I am there myself. I seek to settle. as a part of that I also seek to transfer from having worked freelance for many years to take a regular job
- jjav 3y ago
  > at least where I am at, the contractor rate is more than double the FTE rate. But the big money in tech is in your options/RSUs, not base pay. And contractors don't get options. (Usually anyway; I've been given options as a consultant once but usually don't see that.)