​Let’s face it, we’ve all heard them. Tell a friend that you are considering getting into contracting and no doubt they will hit you with all the reasons you should consider a permanent job and only take a contract if you absolutely must. At Leading Roles, we recruit into Local Government across Australia and we can honestly say that far from being a permanent job’s poor cousin, contracting can be very beneficial on a number of levels.

So here they are the 3 most common myths about contract work.

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Myth Number 1 – Contract work is not as secure

Let’s say that I am a an executive and I need to reduce my headcount. I have a Project Manager on a 6-month contract working on a project which is going to represent substantial growth to my business and I also have a permanent Sales Manager who for 2 years hasn’t met his sales targets, which head is more likely to go?

While it’s not always as clear-cut as that you understand the principle, the nature of the work is far more critical in making decisions about an employee’s future. The truth is that contractors often are brought in to deliver key, business-critical projects and if you do a good job there is a chance your contract will be extended or you become a permanent employee.

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Myth Number 2 – Contract roles are usually junior roles

Again, not the case. An agile business or Local Government body will bring in expertise as and when it is required. The type of expertise required can vary enormously from very technical skill sets to high level administration tasks to broader skill bases where just extra pair of hands is needed. At Leading Roles for example, the majority of contract work we recruit for is at a mid-to senior- level.

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Myth Number 3 – Multiple contracts on your resume looks like an ability to commit

Far from it! Imagine the depth of experience and the skills you could highlight on your resume and how much more multi-faceted your profile could become. Plus, when they are contracts and you make that clear on your resume, there is no perceived lack of commitment.

For the most part, people stay in the same career from graduation through to retirement and while that has its advantages, your resume can become very one-dimensional. Contract work can add layers of interest to your resume and make for far more interesting interviews with potential employers.

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