Contractors: The Rise of a New Breed

"Seven or eight years ago, you still had to teach [companies] what a contract employee was. Today in the San Francisco Bay Area, sometimes the only way you can get people to come in and do a particular job is to hire a contractor."

Paul Vormbaum, president of the Los Altos, CA consulting firm The Trattner Network says that his industry is the fastest growing business in the U.S. today. Indeed, high-tech jobs are at an all-time premium: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer and database specialists are projected to be the number one growth occupation moving into the next decade. A recent study by Kelly Services seems to confirm that many such specialists would consider contract employment as a career choice.

Vormbaum characterizes this group as "a new breed of people who realize that their skill sets, knowledge and abilities are all that's required for a lifelong income." But what distinguishes this "new breed" from the millions of temporary workers who use Microsoft Office every day? What are the skill sets and abilities needed to be a successful contract employee?

First, a bit of terminology: Unlike many traditional consultants who are technically self-employed and subject to special tax requirements, consultants with firms like Trattner are hired the day their contract begins; the firm, not the consultant, is responsible for paying all federal and state taxes. Many such firms also offer health benefits, 401(k) plans, and other perks not usually associated with temping.

But like temps, the contractor's relationship with the firm is only guaranteed through their current placement. So how are contract consultants different from other temporary employees?

Successful contractors, according to Vormbaum, are "those who gravitate toward a specific product or discipline and learn absolutely everything about it." He cites a "tremendous demand" for knowledge of multimedia development tools, as well as Java, SAP A.G.'s client-server enterprise information management system R/3, and BAAN business management software.

Cutting edge stuff, to be sure. But, Vormbaum laughs, "we've seen a real crazy shift. With the Year 2000 problem, the hot skill today is COBOL!"

In fact, says Vormbaum, almost any knowledge base is in demand. "There just aren't enough high-tech people available to the marketplace right now," he observes.

But as far as predicting the next wave of hot skills, Vormbaum admits that his industry isn't much of an early indicator. "There's so much demand for everything that, by the time we're aware of a particular trend, it's already front-page news."

Given so broad a field--and so few clear indications--how does an aspiring technical contractor know which skills to acquire? In some ways it seems as much a state of mind as a vocation: dedicate yourself to learning the leading products, and simply make yourself available. Vormbaum suggests community college for those who need to learn the basic skill sets, and to make sure that information technology is a field that will hold their interest. But he envisions a rosy future for all who make the leap to contract employment.

"Right now there's a demand for people who assemble PCs, for people who run the cables that connect PCs, for people who write the software that runs on PCs. At every level, there's a need."

Sean G. Thomas, Sean Thomas, Sean Garrett Thomas