[pfarnsworth]

Why on earth would I quit my job or take days(?) off just so I can apply for a contract position? This would be strictly for unemployed software engineers, or truly desperate ones that needed to get out of their current job ASAP.

[SkyPuncher]

Yea, I'm in the same boat. Absolutely no reason for me to leave a stable job (even if I don't love it) for a C2H position. There is literally zero benefit to me as an employee to do C2H.

[rsweeney21]

Yeah, that's the part that sounds crazy. The benefit is you get to try them out first and you can negotiate a higher salary after you become indispensible. If it doesn't work out, you move on to the next C2H.

[pfarnsworth]

Right, that doesn't sound like much of a benefit to me, it sounds like a negatives. I don't think the best caliber engineers would take an offer like this, this sounds like, as I said, an option for unemployed engineers or desperate ones.

Especially in this environment, it could be weeks or months before the next C2H, especially with so many more engineers being laid off. There could be a ton of people competing for a single job.

Also, negotiated a higher salary when THEY hold the cards because now you need to find a new job? That's insane.

[blaser-waffle]

Yeah I dunno about that... a long (or even short) list of 6-12 month C2H gigs that didn't turn into full-time jobs screams trouble -- either you're a jerk, or you're bad at the tech.

If you're consistently swinging from contract to contract you're a freelancer, and you should be arranging contracts accordingly, not letting headhunters/recruiters control the playbook by dangling full-time employment.

I agree with the grandparent: C2H usually means you're unemployed, or you want out of your current gig badly, or you're aiming slightly higher than you're qualified; if you're qualified for the role and already have a job then they should be willing to take you on from the get-go.