Take the Contract Job!
I’ve been seeing people say they get contacted for contract opportunities that are only 3 months so they don’t take it.
What’s my opinion? 🗣 TAKE THE CONTRACT!
📖 The STORY
I’d been a coordinator for 5 years at the point of my leaving Lucasfilm. I wanted the next thing > to be a recruiter. After internal discussions with Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company, there wasn’t an opportunity in the immediate future. I left my full-time, benefitted job at Lucasfilm to go into a 3-month contract with Ubisoft. People thought I was crazy! I did too! Why on earth would I leave a full-time role to do contract work?
🧠 The REASON
I could:
1️⃣ Stay with Lucasfilm, but I’d already reached the ceiling. 3 more months wouldn’t get me closer to a recruiting job. I also wouldn’t be learning anything new.
OR
2️⃣ Take the calculated risk of taking on contract work and learning something new. 3 months of building new skills to put under my belt. If the contract ended right at 3 months, I developed new skills and worked on new things to help me get to the next stage of my career.
🏆 The OUTCOME
🔥 3 months turned into 3 YEARS. I showed up, went above and beyond to earn my keep, fostered relationships within the company, showed my value as a partner, and was converted at the 3-month mark.
🔥 Gained new skills, building expertise within the 3 years, and now taking those experiences to where I am now at Netflix.
If you’re looking for a job and coming across contract work, don’t be scared of the timeframe. Think: in this same time, what could I gain and how could this work to my advantage for the next part of my career?
☝🏼 This could be the opportunity that could accelerate you into your next adventure! You could be adding to your skills toolbox, adding new responsibilities and impact to your resume, and gaining those on-the-job skills needed for those full-time roles! Don’t miss out! Truly rethink what these opportunities could mean!
PS. I know there are some risks involved with contracts, like having no benefits, but that's something you'll make the choice on. Also, make sure they are for roles that align with your career goals.