Freelancer-to-fulltime or visa-versa, do employers run from freelancers?

Question

If you have been freelancing for a few years, does it make you less likely to be hired by an employer? What if you freelanced for 3 years, then worked for 2 years, then went back to freelancing for 2 years and now want to get back to a fulltime job?

Will not an employer avoid someone with a freelance background because they know he could potentially leave if he gets enticed by a good contract? As opposed to someone who has always worked as an employee, their track record shows they are more comfortable with a 9-5 and are therefore more 'stable'?

Answer 1

It's going to depend on the person making the hiring decision. I personally haven't run into any issues.

Answer 2

I went from freelancer to full time pretty easily. My freelancer time was my "industry experience" so being a freelancer basically got me the job. I still do freelance jobs from time to time, energy and drive permitting.

Answer 3

I think it will all depend on the specific situations. Full time employers will want assurance that you aren't going to bounce around (aka "stable"), but in the IT arena, it's not as uncommon as it might be if it were another job sector.

I think one should be prepared to defend the switch to and from and why they are looking for a more "stable" opportunity at present.

Answer 4

For my company it's unreasonable to assume you're going to have people stay beyond one year. It often happens, but if the ROI on an getting an individual up to speed is greater than a year, it's too big of a risk to hire them. When I'm interviewing the applicant's current skills and ability to help our team trump any prior experience. I honestly don't look further back than two years worth of jobs as most skills gained that long ago are out-dated by the time they get to us.

Answer 5

It varies. Some managers avoid freelancers at all costs because they fear job shoppers. They also fear employee candidates with numerous short stints for the same reason. Given the current economy, both scenarios are foolish but there isn't much you can do about it. Once you've secured an interview, make your case and address you job history head on if it comes up. Ultimately, a decent manager will hire you for your abilities and potential, not the number of entries on your resume.

Answer 6

I have been involved in hiring decisions in my company for almost 5 years and can honestly say that freelancer experience raises a number of flags in my mind. I prefer to address the following concerns with candidates directly during the interview:

1. Commitment - Is the candidate still taking contracts/sidework? Are they currently providing support for past projects? What level of ownership do they maintain in their old company. Honest and direct answers are crucial to advance to the next level. Any hesitation or run-around concerning their circumstances will result in immediate exclusion.

2. Teamwork - Freelancers often lack team experience which results in resistance to company standards and a tendency to "roll their own" solution. I would favor a medium-sized corporate developer over a one-man show. Often, the gap can be bridged, but lack of team experience will chill me to a candidate very quickly. I also do not consider "working with a client" to be team experience.

3. Prima Donna/Superstar Syndrome - I'm not interested in people that want to be their own boss, rewrite every rule and require focused coaching to integrate with the team. Of the freelancers that I interviewed, the more bounces they had, the less likely that they would put their nose to the grindstone for tight deadlines.

If they somehow manage to address those concerns, I will consider them. When measured pound for pound versus an experienced corporate developer, I would lean away from the freelancer.

With that said, you can still find some real gems that bring fresh ideas to the team and if you can keep them grounded, you can get some very creative, passionate work out of freelancers.

Answer 7

When hiring, I've always looked favourably on freelance/self-employed developers as they often bring additional skills, particularly in terms of commercial sensibilities, client relations and project management. I've generally found them to be highly committed and motivated, more likely to take ownership of a project they're working on and, perhaps most importantly, more likely to take control of their own continuing education as developers.

By "freelance", I mean someone who has gone out and bid for projects that they've then delivered themselves (or as part of an ad hoc group) rather than someone who is working on contract for a larger company.

I tend to steer clear of people who have bounced around from short-term job to contract and back. We're usually looking for developers who will be part of the team for at least two years (we find it takes 6-12 months to become really effective).

For context, my experience is in hiring for small consultancies/development houses (20-50 technical staff) where people are mostly working in small teams with considerable client contact.

Answer 8

As an embedded developer, I am finding a different story. All the companies I have talked to recently have been scared off by my contracting history along with some start-up work I did. Companies want someone that is going to stay with the company to keep the knowledge base rather than having to retrain developers every other year. I have been surprised that this has been the case even at Telecom companies where it seems that the culture is much more fluid.

Answer 9

Managers: It's hard to find and recruit talented people, but it shouldn't be hard to keep them. Make your company a great place to work, and you won't have to worry about people leaving just after they arrived. Put your effort in to making sure your best people are happy.

What that means for the original question is that you should be able to find a good job with a company that takes good care of you, if you have what they need.

Answer 10

I've been a full-time, employee, contractor and a freelancer. I haven't yet had any freelance client have reservations due to my past employment. As a web developer, they're typically more interested in my portfolio and making sure I understand what they need and how to achieve it.

Going for full time positions, being a freelancer has only helped when I've gone on interviews, though I typically only go after positions within smaller companies where they place more value on being self motivated.

Answer 11

It will depend on who is doing the hiring. In my specific case I won't care that you've been freelance or full time. What I will care about is what you did while a freelancer. Was it relevant and can you talk about it in detail? If the answers to both are yes, a freelancer will be at no disadvantage (or advantage) over someone who was full time.

The one caveat is if you bounce around a whole lot. Then whether freelance or full time, I want to know what has changed so that you want to settle down and work for me for a sustained period of time.