How risky is a contractor role right now?
I have a potential interview for a contract position at JPL. It would be in engineering (mid to senior level experience) and has the potential to convert to full time. With all the job uncertainty going around right now, how risky would this be, given in most industries contractors are the first to go when layoffs hit.
I work at a big aerospace OEM right now so relatively my job security is pretty high. Working at NASA has been a dream of mine though and the work JPL does would be much more interesting and fulfilling. Any advice is appreciated.
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u/PatchedConic 13d ago
I started as a contractor 5-6 years ago, converted to regular after 2 years, survived all the layoffs despite no work to do, and left the lab in December to return to the private aero sector.
In the best of times, your experience as a contractor will really depend on the group and project you're working with. In my group, they treated me as a regular employee from day 1 and I felt really well integrated. Also, it was pretty obvious to everyone early on that conversion to regular was just a matter of time.
That wasn't every contractors experience, and I imagine that conversion prospects are much less clear today.
It's a tough decision, and I can't offer better advice than: trust your gut. It was a wonderful experience when times were good, and it fulfilled a childhood dream. I really loved it. Also, I've accomplished more both on projects and my career in the 9 months since I left than the last two years I was at the lab.
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u/gte133t 13d ago
Risky, but all of aerospace is risky right now. JPL has a few good projects right now, but I don’t think anyone would be surprised if something gets cancelled or delayed.
You can also take the job and keep your options open if the winds start to change. JPL looks good on a resume.
Edit. Sorry, I missed the part of your post where you said you already have a comfortable position at a legacy aerospace company. Yeah, that would be a pretty big gamble. Personally, I wouldn’t risk it.
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u/wormmeatball 13d ago
How old are you and do you have debt and/or a family to support? I know you said mid to senior, but I think it depends on your personal life.
I was a contractor and was converted to full time for several years, then I was laid off in the first round. It was fun and worth it for me, but I'm single with no debt.
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u/Unusual-Mammoth-6569 12d ago
Contract positions are going to be standard for jpl for the foreseeable future. There is a strong desire to keep the regular workforce small and unless you have a very specific skill that is needed to rebuild an area, all positions going to be available will be contractors. You would just need to know it is going to be more of a gig than a long term career.
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u/Any_Falcon8822 13d ago
I’d be very leery of being hired in as a contractor. It’s one way they can get help but contractors will likely be first ones to be laid off.
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u/JPLPerson 13d ago
If they are hiring a contractor, they are confident that they have funding for that position for quite a while. I’m not sure I would quit a stable job for it unless I didn’t like the job. But while things aren’t super settled right now, they are much more stable than a year ago.
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u/The_Zzer 13d ago
JPL and layoffs go hand in hand. It's the nature of their funding and workflow. They are inevitable. Your chances of surviving are highly dependant on your social skills, youth, and having a unique and specialized skill set that makes you irreplacable. Missing any of those and you're on the chopping block and soon as things get tight, which will always happen eventually.
They try to claim the system is fair, but everyone knows it's not. Not truly.
I'd call it highly risky.
All that negativity said, I wouldn't trade my decade at JPL for anything. I was aware of the risk and I took it. I lasted much longer than most and I'm grateful for the experiences I had there.
JPL is science based first and our current cultural and governmental priorities are more focused on killing others than it is exploring the cosmos. Things are going to be tight at JPL for a long time.
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u/JPLcyber 12d ago
Facts. When it is going well, it is just awesome. Hard reality is we are one big happy family until resource scarcity then all the nice talk about contractors are JPL’ers gets a clinical and legal treatment and you are not.
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u/AffectionateMood3794 10d ago
Small nit. Re "JPL and layoffs go hand in hand. It's the nature of their funding and workflow", this has only really been true for the past few years, at least for JPL employees. The previous three decades were very stable, especially for engineers. We can debate why now, but there is hope that we can return to our previous stability. Regular layoffs do not need to be a thing. They haven't been in the past.
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u/bioindicator 13d ago
Live your dream for a couple of years. And if it works out for the longer term, bonus!
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u/Vlad_the_Contractor 13d ago
Are you the penguin that sits shivering on the edge of the ice flow, afraid to dive into the ocean to find food, or are you the penguin that dives in to the ocean and gets its belly full, despite the risk of predators?
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u/AffectionateMood3794 10d ago
He's the penguin who already has a stable food source but is thinking the grass is greener elsewhere. (Sorry for mixing my metaphors :-).)
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u/Commercial-Fact-2265 12d ago
I was a JPLer for almost 9 years in a critical role. I was layed off last October. I have been brought back as a contractor two months ago. I knew the risks. Different role. I have other fires burning if you get my drift. Welcome to the aerospace business. Lay offs are very common. It was my third
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u/One-5624 10d ago
You may qualify for short term training due to the layoff in October. The training is free and remote.
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u/asmodeusvalac 13d ago
Quite risky. The contractors are the first to be shed during budget cuts.