Ask HN: Contracting vs. FTE as a young professional ~1 yr out of school

[ynot269]

I'm currently employed but I'm looking around because I'm bored/interested in seeing if my company will match.

I'm getting contacted for alot of contracting roles, but my understanding is that these roles don't really involve training.

As someone who's fresh out of school (1 year to this day) I want to put myself high risk positions where I can learn a lot, but I'm not sure about dealing with the consequences that come from contracting (ie handling your own benefits). With that said I'd like to hear the HN communities thoughts on the matter. I think some FTE roles (especially as a university grad) tend to imply a degree of training/mentorship (which I would highly appreciate).

Also there seems to be a stigma towards contractors, though that may be a YMMV depending on company?

If you were 22, a year out of school and your priority was learning and becoming a better engineer, would you take a contract role over an FTE?