[vonmoltke]

> you are afraid you don't get the job (well, then you wouldn't have been a good fit if they hired you)

Or, you rubbed the wrong, politically-connected person the wrong way. Yes, this is always a danger, but a contract employee is more expendable and easier to get rid of.

Or, they weren't really looking for a permanent hire and this was just a means of tricking someone into a contract who wouldn't otherwise take one.

Or, the company hits a rough patch and decides to freeze hiring to avoid layoffs.

There are a whole host of things that could go wrong in a contract situation that are either tempered or nonexistent when you are permanent.

[throwaway859876]

And ... you don't get stock. And ... when you go perm, your vesting schedule starts after your contract. And ... if you get hurt/sick while you're a contractor, you're fired. And ... you often don't have full facilities access as a contractor. And ... after you go perm, half your co-workers still think you're a contractor, and blow off your email requests.