Did you know that nearly 17 million people in the United States work in a contract employment role? That’s right. Check out the full growth change insights since 2000 on Statista,
17 million people may be onto something.
What Is Contract Employment?
Here’s the technical answer in the marketing, creative and digital world: A contract employee is a person who works for a staffing firm as a W-2 employee. A contract employee is an employee of the staffing firm who works for the firm’s clients and performs their role under the client’s direction. Contracts are set for a predetermined period. And, in many cases, contracts are extended or rollover into a contract-to-hire scenario.
What does all this mean? Here’s an example: If you took a contract position through Celarity to work at one of our clients as a Marketing Specialist, you’d work onsite at our client’s office (or remotely) under the direction of a manager at the client — as a part of the client manager’s marketing team. However, Celarity is your employer. We are the organization that ensures you receive payment – handling all of your taxes, benefits, and contracts for your position(s).
The Benefits of Contract Employment
Becoming a marketing contractor might or might not be right for you. Let’s review some of the essential benefits to help you consider the option.
Access to Companies & Jobs
Have you ever struggled with the “black hole” of online applications — submitting your resume multiple times to the same company with no reply? If you’ve got your eye on an organization, but you can’t seem to get on their radar, connecting with a staffing agency to find a contract position may be the key to solving your problem.
Many large, reputable companies don’t post contract positions on their websites. That means there’s no channel for candidates to apply unless a recruiter from a staffing agency submits the individual to a role.
For instance, many large corporate compose their marketing departments with a mix of permanent employees and about 30% of full-time contract employees. That means the large corporate teams rely on contract employees to meet a significant portion of their team’s hiring goals.
Taking a contract role can provide you a contracting opportunity to showcase your skills, build relationships and learn the company culture. The company may find they can’t afford to lose you, and a contract position can easily transition into a permanent full-time employment opportunity.
Advancement Opportunities
Are you looking to advance in your career but feel like you’re in a rut? If so, contract employment could be your key to advancement.
There are many benefits to working as a contract employee. Suppose you’ve asked yourself how you can gain experience in other marketing, creative, and digital field areas. In those cases, contract employment can offer a bridge to those missing opportunities.
Contract positions can help advance your career objectives by providing access to new industries, skill sets, networks, or title levels. You may have gained exposure to a particular technology or skill, but you’re no expert (yet).
A contract role can often allow you to gain exposure and practice to acquire new skills faster and better, usually within larger organizations. New skills mean you’ll have reached a higher level of experience, making you more marketable for future positions.
Stability + Variety
Do you think contract employment could be exciting but need stability? Most of us do.
Many contract opportunities are long-term roles at Celarity, our typical contract duration is 6+ months, and we have some positions that last several years. Long-term contract roles have several advantages over short-term contracts: they offer stability, time to build your network at the company, and opportunities to learn a particular skill or technology.
If you’re more interested in shorter commitments because variety is the spice of life, there are also short-term contract marketing, creative and digital role opportunities. Short-term contract roles can still offer the exposure needed to acquire some of those new skills you’ve only experienced in theory. Short-term contract roles can provide an opportunity to test the waters in new areas without committing to a long-term position.
Flexibility + Work-Life Balance
Have you ever heard of work-life balance or work-life integration? Of course, you have. Do you feel like you have the right level of balance?
Contract employment may give you more balance — contract employees have the opportunity to pursue roles that fit into their lifestyle. Depending on the contract, you may even have the choice to work part-time, during specific timeframes, or when it’s most convenient for you. Some contract marketing, creative, and digital roles offer extra flexibility. Many of the larger companies do not have expectations for contract employees to work overtime. If you do work overtime, as a contract employee, you will always be compensated for your hourly rate, plus 50% — so time and a half.
As a contract employee, you may also find that you feel increased control over career goals.
Pay + Benefits
Sometimes, there’s a misconception that contract employees do not receive benefits. However, when working with a staffing agency, contract employees often do receive benefits.
At Celarity, contract employees receive benefits including; Medical/Vision, Dental, 401k, PTO, and access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Contract employees are paid for time worked and, depending on skill, are often paid at a higher rate than their peers in traditional, full-time positions.
An Agent Representing Your Needs
Have you ever thought that it would be nice to have someone looking out for your best interests, even after you get hired into a role?
Unlike traditional employment, contract employees have personal “agents” to represent their needs and goals. If you work in a contract role, your recruiter and staffing company’s HR representative will most likely stay in consistent communication with you to ensure things go smoothly.
There are many benefits to contract employment, and it might be the perfect next step in your career. If you think it might be, or if you want to learn more about the possibilities, we’d love to talk to you. Send us an email at recruiter@celarity.com!
