Why I Transitioned from Contracting to Permanent Employment
For over a decade, I built my career as a contractor, working across diverse industries and tackling a variety of design challenges. Contracting allowed me to gain a wealth of experience, develop a wide range of skills, and deliver impactful work for numerous clients. However, in recent years, I made the decision to transition into permanent employment—an intentional step to support both my personal and professional growth.
This article reflects on my journey, the perceptions surrounding contracting versus permanent employment, and how this transition has shaped my approach to design and strategy.
The Value of Contracting
Contracting has been an incredibly rewarding part of my career. It gave me opportunities to work with different teams, adapt to various company cultures, and deliver solutions to a broad spectrum of challenges. Each contract brought fresh perspectives, whether it was streamlining workflows for a publishing giant or implementing design frameworks in fast-paced environments.
Key advantages of contracting included:
• Versatility: I quickly adapted to new domains, picking up industry-specific insights and applying them effectively.
• Problem-Solving at Speed: As a contractor, there was often little ramp-up time, so I developed the ability to hit the ground running and deliver high-quality outcomes under tight deadlines.
• Exposure to Variety: Working across multiple organisations meant I witnessed diverse approaches to design, collaboration, and strategy—valuable insights that I now draw upon in my work.
However, while contracting sharpened my skills and broadened my horizons, I began to feel a need for deeper involvement in the organisations I worked with. I wanted to play a more integral role in shaping product visions and driving long-term strategies, which led me to consider permanent employment.
Why I Transitioned
In early 2024, I decided to take on a permanent role for the first time in years. This was a deliberate choice, driven by both practical and aspirational reasons.
From a practical perspective, the stability of permanent employment provided essential insurances—such as holiday pay, sick leave, and consistent income—that were increasingly important for my household. It also allowed me to focus more fully on my work without the constant cycle of seeking and securing new contracts.
From a professional standpoint, I recognised that permanent roles often offer opportunities to grow in ways that contracting does not. In particular, I wanted to:
• Develop Strategic Skills: Contributing to the long-term direction of a product or organisation requires a level of immersion that contracting rarely affords. I wanted to influence decisions at a strategic level, collaborating with stakeholders over time to ensure meaningful impact.
• Build Leadership Experience: As I move towards roles in strategy and management, it’s important to demonstrate my ability to lead teams and mentor others in a consistent, ongoing capacity.
• Shape Culture and Processes: A permanent role provides the opportunity to drive cultural change, implement frameworks, and build sustainable processes—key aspects of leadership that I’m passionate about.
What I’ve Achieved So Far
In the six months I’ve been in my current role, I’ve already seen the benefits of this transition. I joined a team in the midst of significant change, both culturally and operationally, and quickly found myself immersed in complex challenges. One of the most rewarding aspects has been helping to shift the organisation from a SaaS-led approach to a product-led growth strategy—a transformation that required not only design expertise but also stakeholder alignment, process creation, and cultural buy-in.
Key achievements so far include:
• Driving Strategic Change: I’ve played a pivotal role in embedding product-led principles into the team’s workflows, ensuring that user-centred design and business objectives are seamlessly aligned.
• Navigating a Tough Cultural Environment: Working in an organisation undergoing transformation comes with challenges, but it has strengthened my ability to manage difficult conversations, collaborate effectively across departments, and advocate for change.
• Delivering Impactful Results: Despite the short time frame, I’ve already delivered measurable results, helping the team establish a clearer design direction and supporting the company’s overall growth objectives.
This role has reaffirmed my decision to transition to permanent employment, as it has allowed me to engage more deeply with the organisation and its long-term goals.
Addressing the Perception of Permanent Employment
It’s no secret that some hiring managers view contracting and permanent employment differently, often favouring candidates with long-term roles on their CVs. While I understand the rationale behind this perception, I also believe it overlooks the unique strengths that come from a contracting background.
As a contractor, you’re often brought in to solve urgent, high-stakes problems, requiring adaptability, speed, and self-direction. Over the years, I’ve developed a strong ability to quickly assess situations, identify solutions, and deliver results—skills that translate directly to strategic leadership.
That said, I recognise that permanent employment offers its own distinct advantages. It enables deeper involvement in organisational strategy, a chance to shape company culture, and opportunities to manage teams over the long term. My decision to pursue a permanent role was made with this in mind, and it has already paid dividends in my development as a designer and leader.
For me, contracting and permanent employment are not opposing paths but complementary experiences. My contracting background gave me breadth and agility; my permanent role is providing depth and leadership. Together, they form a well-rounded foundation for the next phase of my career.
Looking Ahead
As I continue to grow in my current role, my focus is on honing the skills that will prepare me for strategic and managerial positions. I’m particularly interested in roles that allow me to:
• Shape product visions and long-term strategies.
• Mentor and lead design teams to deliver exceptional results.
• Drive cultural and organisational change, bridging the gap between user needs and business goals.
Ultimately, my journey is about leveraging my past experiences—both as a contractor and a permanent employee—to contribute meaningfully to organisations and their users. I’m excited about what lies ahead and look forward to continuing to evolve as a designer, strategist, and leader.
Final Thoughts
The perception of contracting versus permanent employment is slowly shifting as the design industry evolves. What matters most is not the type of role but the impact you’ve had, the skills you bring, and the value you can offer. By embracing both contracting and permanent opportunities, I’ve built a unique career path that has prepared me to meet challenges from multiple perspectives.
If you’re navigating similar decisions in your career, I’d encourage you to focus not on the labels but on how each role aligns with your goals. For me, transitioning to permanent employment has been a step forward in achieving my ambitions, and I’m excited to see where it leads next.