What hiring managers actually see on a contractor resume
Before we begin:
I’m still doing resume/linkedin reviews for all new founding subscribers! Email me your email confirmation, resume, and linkedin to randomrecruiter3@gmail.com.
In This Issue
Why 18 month contracts read differently than short term ones
The niche skillset multiplier and why generalists get scrutinized harder
Charlotte, banking, and the local market reality
How to frame contract work on your resume
The one interview question you need to nail
What I’d actually do if I were Marcus
The Letter
Hey RR,
Long-time subscriber, first time writing in. I’m a senior software engineer in Charlotte. Eight years total experience. I got laid off in 2022 when half my company evaporated, and after a brutal three months of looking I took a contract role at a big bank. That gig ran 18 months. I rolled straight into another contract at a different bank, also 18 months. Both are massive publicly traded names you’d recognize.
Now I’m trying to get back into a full-time role and the rejections are starting to stack up. My recruiter friends are telling me different things. One said the back-to-back contracts look like I can’t hold a permanent job. Another said it doesn’t matter at my level. A third told me to lie and call them “consulting engagements.”
So what’s the real answer? Is three years of contracting actually hurting me, or am I just hitting the same brick wall every job seeker is hitting in this market?
Marcus
The Short Answer
Marcus, you’re fine. The contracts aren’t your problem.
Two 18 month stints at top tier banks is solid tenure. It’s at companies your next hiring manager has heard of and probably done business with. That’s not the kind of resume that gets screened out for “contractor red flags.”
Your rejections are coming from somewhere else. We’ll get to where in a minute. But first, let me explain why tenure changes everything when it comes to contract work.
Why Tenure Changes Perspective
