10 #Tips for #Interviewing: Transitioning From Contract to Permanent

Over the last few months, I've encountered more candidates that say they are looking to transition from contracting work to full-time permanent employment.

That's excellent! Who doesn't like stability and a commitment to loyalty?

The problem is that most of the candidates I meet who are looking to make that transition are incredibly unprepared for the interview process.

Let me be clear: this is not a candidate-bashing article. Instead, my intent is to help anyone looking to move away from contract positions to a full-time permanent position with a few helpful #interview #tips.

These tips are derived from my experiences as a candidate and an agency recruiter, internal hiring manager, and internal talent acquisition professional. Most of these tips apply to both technical and non-technical roles:

1. You are not disposable, but you probably feel like you are.

In your experience, you've probably received a call from a recruiter (and possibly several others) for the same job opportunity. In this initial call, they review your experience, evaluate your communication skills, get your commitment to the expectations of the contract, have you submit onboarding documentation, and references. Some agencies may even ask you to complete a few technical tests using a testing platform. Once your file is complete, they send it over to the client.

Once the client gets your information, they evaluate your profile and other candidates and decide which candidates to invite for a virtual interview that is likely relatively short and has little-to-no technical-related challenges or questions.?

Overall, it's a fast and efficient process. You could potentially have a new role within a few days, but you may wonder, what is happening? And why didn't they put much effort into vetting you?

Contract workers are, unfortunately, considered disposable. Therefore, they don't put much effort into vetting you. That's because, at the outset, they know that if your quality of work is not to their minimum standards, they can let you go with only a week's notice or a week's pay in lieu (in Ontario), and quickly find another candidate.

If all you have ever done in your career is contract work, then this is the interview experience you are used to, and that perception may shape how you prepare for an interview for a permanent role.

However, interviews for permanent roles are entirely different. If we hire you for a permanent position, we will invest in your career and your long-term growth within our organization. We want to make sure you will have the right impact on our organization.

2. Carefully review your resume. Everything is fair game.

Let's be frank: If it's on your resume, be prepared to be asked questions about it. You've likely added many words and skills on your resume to beat keyword filters and get noticed.

Don't do this! Stick to what you know. When applying for a permanent position, you may be setting yourself up for failure by taking that approach.

Can you imagine listing #JavaScript as a skill on your resume and not being able to answer the difference between null and undefined? Or, if you are applying for a #DevOps role, you can’t explain what a load balancer does? If you can't explain it, you don't know it, so don’t include it on your resume.

3. Make sure you have a reliable setup for virtual interviews.

No one needs to remind you we live in a virtual world. So, prepare accordingly. Here's a short checklist of what you need:

• A wireless headset that’s fully charged (there’s nothing worse than having a kick-butt answer to a question only to find out that the interviewer didn't hear a single word).
• A backup wired headset (avoid using cheap earbuds).
• Download and install Microsoft Teams, Skype, Zoom, and have access to Google Meet, and be familiar with using all of them.
• Download tasteful backgrounds or clean up your real environment or use a blur filter.
• Have a fast internet connection, especially if you are interviewing for a Site Reliability Engineer position. Nothing screams ‘unreliable!’ more than an unstable internet connection.
• If you can afford an external camera, get one. So much is lost without proper visual communication. Recruiters want to see your body language, and you are more likely to build a deeper connection with the interviewer. It’s wise to have a backup camera as well.
• A quiet space to do a virtual interview that’s free of distractions, or at least let your roommate know that you are interviewing so that they don't walk over and offer you a pizza pocket during the interview.

4. Take five minutes to research the company.

If an organization plans on hiring and investing in you, spend at least five minutes researching what the company does. Get a feel for what you think the company is about and why you would enjoy joining the team. Find something that interests you about the company, whether from the careers page, the job post, or social media. If you can't find something that appeals to you enough to justify why you want to work for them, then save yourself and the interviewer time and decline the interview invitation, or don't apply at all.

5. Be honest and genuine.

Look at some of the most common interview questions being asked nowadays and prepare a few answers. If you do that, though, make sure they don't sound too scripted or stale. When things sound scripted, the interviewer may think you are insincere or disingenuous. And regardless of whether a business checks your references or not, be honest with your answers during the interview because, as I mentioned above, everything you say or write is fair game to be tested in some way later.?

So, if the interviewer asks you what your skill level is on a scale from one to 10 for a particular technology, and you say, "10 out of 10," then you better be the best person in that skillset the interviewer has ever met and be ready to teach them a thing or two.

6. We have likely already read your resume numerous times.

Since we expect you to do some research on the company, expect us to research you.

Most interviewers will start the interview with introductions and ask you to tell them a bit about yourself. If you find the question vague or too broad, it's okay to ask a follow-up question like: "Would you like me to run through my work history?"

If the interviewer says no, it's because they are more interested in your motivation for choosing the career path you are on, how you feel this role will impact your life and career growth, or what impact you think you will have on their environment.

Ask for clarification on the scope, especially if we are looking to learn more about you and not your resume. The interviewer probably has limited time to get through a few questions, so don't take up the first 10 minutes with a detailed walkthrough of your resume unless they ask for it.

7. Be prepared to answer basic technical questions.

For the most part, many companies are becoming aware that candidate experience is critical to consider when designing an interview process. One of the most crucial pieces of feedback from the candidate experience is that most interview processes are too long and have too many steps.

That's why it's becoming more common to find recruiters, talent acquisition, and HR professionals asking technical questions early in the process.

We work hard with our technical teams or subject matter experts to identify the basic skills and experience requirements and design questions that candidates at the expected experience level should answer easily.

In my experience, I have found candidates who are transitioning from contract roles are not ready for this and sometimes try to fake the answers. Or they suddenly have technical issues with their cameras (but the audio is still clear so that we can hear the keyboard typing as you Google the answer).

Tips for when you find yourself unprepared:

• Don't panic. Be comfortable with saying "I don't know" or "I am not sure, but I think it might be...". Showing vulnerability and humility count for a lot in an interview.
• Don't try to research the answer while in the interview. An interviewer can tell if you are.
• If you feel the questions are way too advanced, don't be afraid to admit it. Instead, ask if they have other opportunities available that might be more suitable.

8. Listen carefully, and only answer what was asked.

Carefully listen to each question. If you didn't understand it, ask for clarification or for the interviewer to rephrase the question. Additionally, do your best to stay inside the scope of the question, and allow the interviewer to ask follow-up questions if they want more info. Remember, time is of the essence, and there may be quite a few questions to answer. You want to find the balance between depth in your answers and being concise.?

9. Be prepared to ask questions.

Show some interest! Ask the interviewer one or two questions about the role, the company, the interview process, whatever you want. After all, you’re having a conversation, and a conversation is a two-way street.

10. Be realistic in your expectations.

Do your research on compensation, be realistic about your current situation, your desired result, and be empathetic to the potential employer's position.

As an incorporated or temporary worker:

• Typically, you don't have health benefits, and your current compensation is designed to consider that.
• You don't see a deduction for employment insurance and other taxes. That is because you are technically not an employee (unless you are on a temporary contract).
• You can write off certain expenses as business expenses.
• You may qualify for different deductions come tax season that may result in paying fewer taxes.
• You’re not a 'burden' on the company's payrolling expenses and time.

What you need to consider when interviewing for a permanent position:

• You will see taxes and employment insurance deducted from your paycheques each pay cycle. That might seem scary at the outset, but when it comes time to do your taxes, you will probably realize that it works out to only a marginal decrease in overall total compensation compared to being employed as an independent contractor. (Disclaimer: I am not a tax professional, so check in with your accountant on this one.)
• The size of the company. Depending on its size and funding, it may not be able to afford to pay you as much as Amazon or the FAANG companies. That said, you may get the tradeoff of getting in on the ground floor of something great and potentially help change an industry. That means a lot of potential for career growth.
• Health benefits cost the employer money. As an independent contractor, you may be on your own for your health and dental expenses, and it can be costly to have a health issue that comes out of nowhere. An employer may also be able to offer you a short-term and long-term disability plan. That requires deducting some money from your paycheque, but the safety net can be a literal lifeline.
• The employer will likely invest in training and development by paying for you to take courses and get certifications, so you don’t have to pay to continue your education and up your skills.

With that in mind, at first glance, you will realize that your overall purely financial compensation is better as an incorporated worker, but how does that affect your quality of life?

Think of it this way:

• ?You will no longer have to worry about creating the paper trail for your work.
• You will no longer have to worry about whether your contract will be renewed.
• Filing your taxes will be easier.
• You will no longer have to worry about paying to remedy a nagging health concern that you may not be able to afford.
• You may no longer have to worry about paying for that one course that you've been dreaming about taking for years that you know may help your career.

There are many things to consider when transitioning from a career contractor to a permanent employee. However, the ultimate upside is a stronger feeling of belonging and purpose with your permanent employer. That is priceless!

So, the next time you are interviewing for a permanent position, take the interview process seriously and be prepared to nail it. Good luck!