Keeping up with industry trends, shifting market demand and emerging technologies is critical in the technology field where things are always in a state of flux. Unless you are acquiring cutting edge skills or making an effort to tackle increasingly difficult and complex projects, your career might stall out.
However, growth opportunities don’t come along every day in most companies and finding the time to search for work is never easy. That’s why more and more tech pros are turning to staffing agencies for help with career planning and information on training courses and salary trends in their niche or specialty. The benefits extend far beyond a regular paycheck to a wide array of resume-building contract assignments at marquee companies.
If your stalled career could use a jump-start, you may want to consider the advantages of working as a professional contractor through a technical staffing firm.
Challenging Work, Higher Pay
Unless your manager is throwing exciting new challenges your way, you’re probably bored and your skills could be deteriorating. A top notch tech staffing firm will keep you busy and challenged by proactively marketing your expertise to their top clients and keeping an eye out for your next project before your current one ends.
A report from Experis found that 40 percent of U.S. companies now have a hybrid workforce comprised of permanent, freelance and contract employees. Today’s talent model provides contractors with ample opportunities to work on resume-enhancing projects involving in-demand specialties such as big data, IoT and mobile development.
Plus, staffing agencies monitor swings in supply and demand from a specialty, geographic and industry standpoint to ensure that you get top dollar for your work. In fact, tech pros with highly-sought-after skill sets often make more working on a contract basis than they earn as regular, full-time employees.
Some 59 percent of IT pros reported that they “aren’t paid what they’re worth” and 69 percent said they’d “change jobs to advance their IT skills, which could benefit their overall career prospects in the future” according to a recent survey by Spiceworks.
You might find that you can avoid those frustrations entirely by working as a contractor for a few years. Working in diverse technical environments can help you gain the global experience, contacts and technical acumen to advance professionally and financially.
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Career Insights and Advice
Top-tier technical agencies are proficient in market intelligence. What’s more they can provide advice on the demand for your current skills, continuous learning opportunities, skills assessments and resume preparation. At eTeam, our staffers conduct monthly reviews with our contractors to capture work experiences, maintain certifications that enhance your marketability.
Our counselors may recommend free online training courses or help you by recommending you for large scale projects that have high visibility and impact to an organization.
eTeam Inc. also posts memes or snapshots of talent needs and skills that are in high demand in the marketplace along with articles that provide job hunting tips to help busy contractors keep up with the latest trends.
Professional Support
If you decide to market yourself as an independent contractor, you need the time and ability to manage your own career, billing and cash flow. You’ll also need marketing skills to find work and you’ll have to pay for your own insurance, equipment, conferences and self-employment taxes.
On the other hand, most staffing firms pay their employees on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and you’ll be eligible for health insurance, paid sick leave and other benefits if you work for an ACA-compliant agency.
Our staffers will help you prepare for technical interviews by providing a detailed scope of work, sample questions and insights into the company’s culture and the hiring manager’s hot buttons and chief concerns. We’ll handle the offer, the paperwork and negotiate on your behalf so you don’t have to haggle over salary.
By working as a contractor through a technical staffing agency, you’ll not only gain support but an advocate and coach who will guide you to resources and provide the direction you need to keep your tech career out of the ditch and moving forward.
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