Corporate Recruiting VS Contract Recruiting

I have been kicking around the idea of going solo as a "Contract or hourly" Recruiting Consultant. With over 22 years experience, 10 years agency and 12+ corporate experience with a focus on Professional Services (IT)

Any advice out there on the good, the bad and the ugly of the Business....other than the obvious risks inherited in working as an independent..

Thanks in advance...Paul

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Shanie LaMonica on February 7, 2008 at 10:49pm

Paul,
I don't have experience with corporate vs contract recruiting but my co-worker and fellow member of this site has done both. I shared your question with him. He may be able to provide some insight into the pros and cons...

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ann Luna on February 8, 2008 at 9:39am

If you enjoyed corporate, you would probably like it as long as the role is defined. The good: nice hourly rates and if you work through a firm that places contract recruiters, you can get benefits and a check every two weeks like a regular job. The bad: if the job is not defined and they don't support you right away in the culture, the project will fail and it can look like a personal failure and you can get caught short without a job. Be sure and ask loads of questions about what kind of tools and resources are provided to you and whether or not they have had someone in the role before and if it was successful. I've done it a few times but prefer the energy of sales/agency recruiting.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul Lovallo on February 8, 2008 at 9:55am

thank you Shanie,
I hope to hear feom your co-worker.....

Paul

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mark McMahan on February 8, 2008 at 10:00am

Paul,

I have 17 years in the business and I'm working as a contractor for the second time in my career. This is the most fun ever. You come in, do the job and go home at a decent hour leaving work at work. You also get paid a lot of money. My biggest piece of advice is twofold; 1. Be careful with how you structure things for the tax man, I got stung because I paid annually versus quarterly. 2. W-2 hourly has worked better for me. I would say that rate should be commensurate with length of contract. The longer the gig, the more flexible you can be on rate and not price yourself out of the market. The beauty of this is that corporate recruiters that you will work with on a daily basis have somehow forgotten how to do the job and they all seem to be in this wait to see who applies mode. Simply picking up the phone and calling people is looked upon as some mysterious thing that nobody does anymore because it's easier for them to send an e-mail. So, I find that a minimal amount of effort is required for what is perceived as great success and everybody wins. Feel free to e-mail me directly if you want to discuss further mark.mcmahan@target.com

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by BILL GALLOP on February 8, 2008 at 11:09am

Paul,

I have worked both. Contract Recruiting is the best but there are pit falls. The biggest being the company can let you go at anytime (regardless of the contract) and you are out of a job. The good part is that the salary USUALLY makes up for this insecurity.

I work Government IT in the DC metro area. The rates here are some of the highest in the nation. Technology, Medical and Legal are the fastest growing fields in recruiting. If you have experience in these areas and you have a good base of those companies in your area, you should do well. If this is NOT the case... Corporate is the best.

I hope this helps.

Bill Gallop
JOB HUNTER, LLC

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul Reino on May 29, 2008 at 3:34pm

What is the going rate or rate range for contract recruiting? I am in the Philadelphia area and am considering adding some contract recruiting to my contingency business.

Also, I was told by some people that a contingency recruiter is of interest to companies looking for contract recruiters. Others have indicated the opposite. Comments?

Paul

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dean Holmes on July 7, 2008 at 10:52pm

I have an idea for you, if thinking of going out on your own. You could begin posting FREE at www.consultingcooperative.com for all of your Contract and Consulting assignments.

POST-MATCH-DONE
Only the Consulting Cooperative offers

QuickMatch™ – View potential candidates ranked by relevance within minutes vs. days
QuickView – Immediately review credentials of all consultant matches
QuickConnect – Immediately connect with candidates via confidential communications
Personal Dashboard – A single view of all your projects with matches and current status

Let me know your thoughts and good luck.

Ken Holmes l CSO l www.consultingcooperative.com