Just want to say Thank You Aona for all your contents! I recently became a UX researcher contractor (which is also my first full-time position), your videos really helped me to build a more concrete perspective on the UXR role!! I’ve been quite lost ever since I started this job, it certainly has its own pros and cons and things I need to get used to, I accepted this job precisely because of all the practical reasons you mentioned (being an international, need visa/income..), so I’m super glad to see you understand and went thought the same struggle. This gives me a bit strength thinking maybe I can also push through and discover my own path one day
Hi Aona, I honestly love every video in this channel. Your sharing is insightful, honest and strategic for people with different goals. It’s sad not seeing new videos for now but I’ll still come back and watch your old videos again and again ❤
I really appreciate this video, Aona! Very cathartic and made me feel less alone knowing you had to go through those similar struggles and concerns being an international student on a visa with a limited time frame. Thanks again for being transparent and sharing this with us :)
Love the video, thanks for diving into the nuances of it. Currently a contractor at the same company you work at and even work on the same product :) As much as I love the team, can’t turn a blind eye to the ‘second class classist behaviour’ 😔
Completely agree - especially with cons 2 & 3. I’m a contractor right now and there was a miscommunication between the recruiter and the company (or he was just overselling) about the duration of the contract and it was only 3 months when he told me it was 6… huge anxiety spike. Seeing as I got hired during COVID I’ve had a few chances to meet the team in person. My first time was a few weeks in and it was the first time our branch had come in person since covid (they had planned a social). There were t shirts made and food ordered, but myself and the other contractor were given back handed invites and definitely didn’t get the shirts. My boss made me feel more welcome and apologized but it definitely spoke to feeling like a ‘second class citizen’.
Hi Aona, First thing is a big thank you for this video and all other content you are creating. Its incredibly valuable and useful for me as an aspiring UXR. One thing that i would wish to hear from are you is maybe to the top tips you have for anyone taking on a UXR contract. I myself will be starting soon a contract with Google, and would love to hear how did you cope with the difficulties you mentioned in the video. Thanks! You're awesome ☺
I literally had a call from a staffing agency last week. And was on the fence. Again, this video has excellent timing. I am the second case you mentioned, PhD with 5 years of experience. Thank you for helping me make a decision. You are right, I will probably get bored real fast.
Used to contract for Autodesk as a UX writer. At the very end of contract, I've heard there will be no manager's feedback. Because that's the rule. I also had stripped-down access to any learning ressources, and missed out on any in-person meetings or lab visits. And the dread of not being there for long was very, very tangible. Especially when I learned my results did not matter. And that most things I could put into my portfolio are still internal only. I did learn a lot though and got interesting tasks to do.
Thanks for this insightful video. I was nervous about UXR contractor roles because I thought UXR contractor roles were for more experienced UXR’s. I am seeking my first UXR role so I will be open to UXR contractor roles going forward. Thanks‼️
I just found out about contact work and am mad that I didn't know about it before. They help you with practicing interviewing, check on you monthly while you are working at your job, and make the process less stressful. I wanted to add that there are many scam companies out there to watch out for.
This was super insightful, thank you for posting this! I literally had no idea what to expect from contractor jobs before watching this. Btw, is the salary pretty similar between a full time UXR and a contract UXR?
Not quite :/ It usually matches the base salary standard in my UX Salary Report video (ua-cam.com/video/1uDz9e8qF_A/v-deo.html) but doesn't include stock/benefits. I remember when I was a TVC my annual salary ends up being in the 100K range, which is at the same range as an entry level full time UXR base salary (as mentioned in my video).
it depends on the contract role. I just started contracting at Google and my hourly wage translates to a much lower annual salary than Aona cites in her video.
Also note that this calculation is assuming you work all 52 weeks with 40hours a week - of course you need to take time off for vacation and stuff, and those days won't get paid (but national holiday breaks like Christmas break will be paid).
My first job was also a research intern of a large media company with no guarantee of switching to a full time position. I can't agree more with the cons! The company excluded me from all free giveaways for full timers. (My nice manager and colleagues sneaked out some for me)
It is hard to keep your visa as an international students. I think I will not say no to any opportunity whether it is a contractor role or not because I don't have many options. Thanks for your video, it helps a lot of clarifying questions I had for contractor roles!
Hi Aona. Such a resourceful video that you've made for us thanks a lot first of all! I really empathized with you, from the fact that you were an international student, looking to establish her new life in a new country because I was also in your shoes(though I didn't end up moving to North America.) I found out about your video through the algorithm suggestion, and I watched it until the very last second because this seems like exactly what I needed now. I have been offered a role to apply for the Technical Support Representative position through Adecco with Google here in Korea. Though I am not going through this in the US, it seems not really different from how Google employs contractors in Korea. I am also offered a contractor position for initial 6 months with a possibility to be extended to 2 years at maximum. Here in Korea, a company can legally hire a contractor for up to 2 years, otherwise, he or she has to be employed full-time if the company wants him or her around longer. (I believe that this was to prevent companies from hiring someone on contract too extensively, but it rather became a device for them to hire someone for 2 years and renew him or her cyclically upon his or her contract expiration. I am currently working as an engineer in the semiconductor sector, which is totally different, but I have always wanted to step myself into a real software IT world represented by FAANG. I felt let down when you told us that it may not be for the ones who are looking to change their career with a few years of experience in the other sectors. However, I really am moved by one of the pros that you mentioned that you can work with some of the most brilliant people in the industry. I was excited to come into the field of semiconductors as I had studied electrical engineering, but soon frustrated by how people undermine the values of software and think that it is something that can be created overnight without any difficulties. A lot of old managers in this field do not understand how important software is, and blame it for all of the problems that the system gets. There is almost no code review thus the quality of the software is depreciated over time, as it gets messier and messier, making it hard to maintain for new developers. I've always felt like a scapegoat in this business for all of the problems that the products get that I was involved in the development. Though the benefits and pay are pretty good, I don't feel that I learn and grow a lot here, as people still stick to old-fashioned ways of doing business and developing products. The software world is ever-changing which is not always easy to pace, but I really do want improve, which is the reason why I am considering this opportunity positively even if it means that I'm risking my current full-time job. Would you still not recommend it for someone like me? Who really wants to go beyond rather than being static at the moment, and someone who wants to environ himself with a group of brilliant people whom he can learn a lot from? I do not expect that this opportunity would turn into a full-time, so I am prepared to look for new jobs afterward of my contract expiration. Most importantly, I do not think that such an opportunity would come along in my life any sooner, now that I am moving towards my mid-30s. So before it's too late, I want to take my chance and grow as much as I can before I won't be able to catch any more buses that I can hop on. I checked your Linkedin and it seems you are a full-time employee at Google now, which is very interesting and inspiring. In fact, I think your experience as a contractor may have driven you to work harder to come back to the company capable of doing the full-time role. So the anxiety and need for the full-time job may have actually been significant fuel for you to go above and beyond yourself during your contract period, and even afterward when you found a new full-time role with the other company. So after all, your experience as a contractor was rather a great opportunity for self-improvement and maybe was an essential trigger that had made you end up getting the full-time job at Google now. (Though it is a purely optimistic view:) I apologize for the long piece of writing. I thought I had to explain to you enough why I am still motivated to take this opportunity even though it seems to be risky according to the cons that you mentioned. But I still would like to hear from you what you think about my perspective on this opportunity based on the long explanation that I provided? I would really look forward to your reply. Thanks!
Hello! I love your vids and, as to be expected, this was very informative. I am interviewing for research positions now as a recent grad and I got my second interview ever yesterday. They told me that they do a 3 month contract period then evaluate you for a permanent position. They also said this was customary in the industry. Have you ever heard of this and can you tell me how common this is?
I have heard of it but I am not sure of how common this practice is. Are you able to have them written that down in your contract? How comfortable do you feel about this? In this job market with lots of uncertainties, I would feel uncomfortable with this arrangement as it puts us candidates in a passive position.
Thanks a lot for this video! I also think salary is a big part when it comes to contract. Since there are little to no benefits, asking for a high salary /hr is expected. I underquoted myself and they held me to my number even though they themselves mentioned a higher number in the JD 🥲 so always be aware of this folks.
Thank you so much for sharing all the insightful information with us! I am actually in the middle of interviewing for a UXR contractor position. Can anyone share what the interviewing process looks like? How many rounds of interviews to expect and what the topics are for each round? Thank you in advance!
depends on the team - some teams designed it almost as a full cycle of interviews, with tech screen and on site presentation, but it is much more common to do just the hiring manager interview.
Tnx Aona for this great informative video. For the section of is it for u? U mentioned it can be good for international students. My question is contract role employers ( tomato companies) apply for ) H1B?
I just started as a contractor (technically a "Vendor", but it is basically the model you describe ) at Google and the job description said " 6 - 12 month + Possible Extension". Do you have any advice when I should start looking for a new job or what timeline to expect for assessments how long my services are needed?
How long your services are needed really depend on so many factors (not just how well you work). So no one would have a definite answer until the end of your contract tbh. So always be prepared. Speaking from my past experience, never stop looking for a full time role! (I hope im not making your situation more stressful...)
Hello Aona, I was wondering if you know about consulting vs. contracting? I have been interviewing for a few companies, and one is a staffing-type company. My recruiter has a UXR consulting role for me. She says this won't be like contracting because once I finish a project, I won't lose my paycheck; I will just be on an "office standby." During this time, her company pays me and I do professional development things while I wait for a new project. Is this just a way to make the role more appealing, or is this a common difference between consulting vs. contracting? Are they actually the same thing?
I have heard about it but I am not entirely sure of the differences so can't really put my fingers on it.. :/ Hope someone else can answer this question though!
@@AonaTalks Thank you! I hope so! I have seen that some articles online say they are virtually the same thing/very different... still other articles say it doesn't matter as most states allow employers to terminate at will unless for non-EEOC things. All of the work jargon is still very new to me! Thank you for the great vid as always!
I'm getting my degree in digital marketing.. I self teach all the time.. I analyze and connect at frightening speed.. This might fit my needs. Thank you UA-cam algorithm and thank you ma'am for making this. How can I learn more about how this role may fit my needs?
Woohoo! If you learn faster from videos, I recommend this video "UX Research For Dummies" on my channel: ua-cam.com/video/MnDvcJMcEug/v-deo.html If you are a reader, I recommend these 2 books: www.amazon.com/UX-Research-Practical-Techniques-Designing/dp/B08WHNT9GC/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=ux+research&qid=1627520806&s=books&sr=1-5 www.amazon.com/Validating-Product-Ideas-Through-Research/dp/1933820292/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=validating+product+ideas&qid=1627520790&s=books&sr=1-1
Contractors are treated as "3rd world citizen" in some big companies, they don't get any of the benefits, or even are blocked from attending certain events / meetings, basically being excluded from a lot of the things that make Google so "cool". On the other hand, being a contract at other not so well known companies make no difference with FTEs cause the overall benefit for FTEs are minimal or non existent.
Just want to say Thank You Aona for all your contents! I recently became a UX researcher contractor (which is also my first full-time position), your videos really helped me to build a more concrete perspective on the UXR role!! I’ve been quite lost ever since I started this job, it certainly has its own pros and cons and things I need to get used to, I accepted this job precisely because of all the practical reasons you mentioned (being an international, need visa/income..), so I’m super glad to see you understand and went thought the same struggle. This gives me a bit strength thinking maybe I can also push through and discover my own path one day
Hi Aona, I honestly love every video in this channel. Your sharing is insightful, honest and strategic for people with different goals. It’s sad not seeing new videos for now but I’ll still come back and watch your old videos again and again ❤
I really appreciate this video, Aona! Very cathartic and made me feel less alone knowing you had to go through those similar struggles and concerns being an international student on a visa with a limited time frame. Thanks again for being transparent and sharing this with us :)
Love the video, thanks for diving into the nuances of it. Currently a contractor at the same company you work at and even work on the same product :) As much as I love the team, can’t turn a blind eye to the ‘second class classist behaviour’ 😔
so sorry you feel this way... I hope at least you get to work with kind and supportive folks that make your time easier and more productive. :)
Completely agree - especially with cons 2 & 3. I’m a contractor right now and there was a miscommunication between the recruiter and the company (or he was just overselling) about the duration of the contract and it was only 3 months when he told me it was 6… huge anxiety spike.
Seeing as I got hired during COVID I’ve had a few chances to meet the team in person. My first time was a few weeks in and it was the first time our branch had come in person since covid (they had planned a social). There were t shirts made and food ordered, but myself and the other contractor were given back handed invites and definitely didn’t get the shirts. My boss made me feel more welcome and apologized but it definitely spoke to feeling like a ‘second class citizen’.
ahh all the feels... :/
Hi Aona, First thing is a big thank you for this video and all other content you are creating. Its incredibly valuable and useful for me as an aspiring UXR. One thing that i would wish to hear from are you is maybe to the top tips you have for anyone taking on a UXR contract. I myself will be starting soon a contract with Google, and would love to hear how did you cope with the difficulties you mentioned in the video. Thanks! You're awesome ☺
I literally had a call from a staffing agency last week. And was on the fence. Again, this video has excellent timing. I am the second case you mentioned, PhD with 5 years of experience. Thank you for helping me make a decision. You are right, I will probably get bored real fast.
Used to contract for Autodesk as a UX writer. At the very end of contract, I've heard there will be no manager's feedback. Because that's the rule.
I also had stripped-down access to any learning ressources, and missed out on any in-person meetings or lab visits. And the dread of not being there for long was very, very tangible. Especially when I learned my results did not matter. And that most things I could put into my portfolio are still internal only.
I did learn a lot though and got interesting tasks to do.
I felt the cons, it is too real. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience!
Thanks for this insightful video. I was nervous about UXR contractor roles because I thought UXR contractor roles were for more experienced UXR’s. I am seeking my first UXR role so I will be open to UXR contractor roles going forward. Thanks‼️
It’s a feeling of exclusivity, which no one likes if you are on the outside :(. I contract with apple so I really feel this.
太希望你是uxd了 哈哈哈哈 就能学到更多 不过现在每次看视频都觉得讲的好透彻！！赞！
接下来会出design相关主题！！
@@AonaTalks yayyy!!
@@AonaTalks 太棒啦！坐等！
This is crisp and very informative. Thank you so much for making such videos.
Not gonna lie, a contract from the FAAMG group would be really nice on your CV though.
Can’t agree anymore!!!!! Though all the cons are brutal 😣, it’s definitely worth it for anyone who are transitioning career or getting started!
You've provided some really valuable information here and it's really interesting to know your perspective. Awesome video, Aona!
This is super valuable information! The thumbnail made me lol 😆
Great video, your content is class!
I just found out about contact work and am mad that I didn't know about it before. They help you with practicing interviewing, check on you monthly while you are working at your job, and make the process less stressful. I wanted to add that there are many scam companies out there to watch out for.
This video is really helpful! Thank you
This was super insightful, thank you for posting this! I literally had no idea what to expect from contractor jobs before watching this. Btw, is the salary pretty similar between a full time UXR and a contract UXR?
Not quite :/ It usually matches the base salary standard in my UX Salary Report video (ua-cam.com/video/1uDz9e8qF_A/v-deo.html) but doesn't include stock/benefits. I remember when I was a TVC my annual salary ends up being in the 100K range, which is at the same range as an entry level full time UXR base salary (as mentioned in my video).
gotcha, that makes sense!
it depends on the contract role. I just started contracting at Google and my hourly wage translates to a much lower annual salary than Aona cites in her video.
Also note that this calculation is assuming you work all 52 weeks with 40hours a week - of course you need to take time off for vacation and stuff, and those days won't get paid (but national holiday breaks like Christmas break will be paid).
Ohhh I see! This is all really good info. Thanks, y’all :)
My first job was also a research intern of a large media company with no guarantee of switching to a full time position. I can't agree more with the cons! The company excluded me from all free giveaways for full timers. (My nice manager and colleagues sneaked out some for me)
SO ACCURATE!!
Hi, can u do the live show someday, that would helps a lot of people too.
Are there any agencys to avoid or those that are highly regarded to look out for, thanks!
It is hard to keep your visa as an international students. I think I will not say no to any opportunity whether it is a contractor role or not because I don't have many options. Thanks for your video, it helps a lot of clarifying questions I had for contractor roles!
I agree completely!
Hi Aona.
Such a resourceful video that you've made for us thanks a lot first of all!
I really empathized with you, from the fact that you were an international student, looking to establish her new life in a new country because I was also in your shoes(though I didn't end up moving to North America.)
I found out about your video through the algorithm suggestion, and I watched it until the very last second because this seems like exactly what I needed now.
I have been offered a role to apply for the Technical Support Representative position through Adecco with Google here in Korea.
Though I am not going through this in the US, it seems not really different from how Google employs contractors in Korea.
I am also offered a contractor position for initial 6 months with a possibility to be extended to 2 years at maximum.
Here in Korea, a company can legally hire a contractor for up to 2 years, otherwise, he or she has to be employed full-time if the company wants him or her around longer. (I believe that this was to prevent companies from hiring someone on contract too extensively, but it rather became a device for them to hire someone for 2 years and renew him or her cyclically upon his or her contract expiration.
I am currently working as an engineer in the semiconductor sector, which is totally different, but I have always wanted to step myself into a real software IT world represented by FAANG.
I felt let down when you told us that it may not be for the ones who are looking to change their career with a few years of experience in the other sectors.
However, I really am moved by one of the pros that you mentioned that you can work with some of the most brilliant people in the industry.
I was excited to come into the field of semiconductors as I had studied electrical engineering, but soon frustrated by how people undermine the values of software and think that it is something that can be created overnight without any difficulties. A lot of old managers in this field do not understand how important software is, and blame it for all of the problems that the system gets. There is almost no code review thus the quality of the software is depreciated over time, as it gets messier and messier, making it hard to maintain for new developers. I've always felt like a scapegoat in this business for all of the problems that the products get that I was involved in the development.
Though the benefits and pay are pretty good, I don't feel that I learn and grow a lot here, as people still stick to old-fashioned ways of doing business and developing products. The software world is ever-changing which is not always easy to pace, but I really do want improve, which is the reason why I am considering this opportunity positively even if it means that I'm risking my current full-time job.
Would you still not recommend it for someone like me? Who really wants to go beyond rather than being static at the moment, and someone who wants to environ himself with a group of brilliant people whom he can learn a lot from? I do not expect that this opportunity would turn into a full-time, so I am prepared to look for new jobs afterward of my contract expiration. Most importantly, I do not think that such an opportunity would come along in my life any sooner, now that I am moving towards my mid-30s. So before it's too late, I want to take my chance and grow as much as I can before I won't be able to catch any more buses that I can hop on.
I checked your Linkedin and it seems you are a full-time employee at Google now, which is very interesting and inspiring. In fact, I think your experience as a contractor may have driven you to work harder to come back to the company capable of doing the full-time role. So the anxiety and need for the full-time job may have actually been significant fuel for you to go above and beyond yourself during your contract period, and even afterward when you found a new full-time role with the other company. So after all, your experience as a contractor was rather a great opportunity for self-improvement and maybe was an essential trigger that had made you end up getting the full-time job at Google now. (Though it is a purely optimistic view:)
I apologize for the long piece of writing. I thought I had to explain to you enough why I am still motivated to take this opportunity even though it seems to be risky according to the cons that you mentioned. But I still would like to hear from you what you think about my perspective on this opportunity based on the long explanation that I provided? I would really look forward to your reply.
Thanks!
Hello! I love your vids and, as to be expected, this was very informative. I am interviewing for research positions now as a recent grad and I got my second interview ever yesterday. They told me that they do a 3 month contract period then evaluate you for a permanent position. They also said this was customary in the industry.
Have you ever heard of this and can you tell me how common this is?
I have heard of it but I am not sure of how common this practice is. Are you able to have them written that down in your contract? How comfortable do you feel about this? In this job market with lots of uncertainties, I would feel uncomfortable with this arrangement as it puts us candidates in a passive position.
期待🙌
Thanks a lot for this video! I also think salary is a big part when it comes to contract. Since there are little to no benefits, asking for a high salary /hr is expected. I underquoted myself and they held me to my number even though they themselves mentioned a higher number in the JD 🥲 so always be aware of this folks.
Thank you so much for sharing all the insightful information with us! I am actually in the middle of interviewing for a UXR contractor position. Can anyone share what the interviewing process looks like? How many rounds of interviews to expect and what the topics are for each round? Thank you in advance!
It’s usually very straight forward and quick. No more than 3-4 conversations I believe (that’s what I’ve been hearing
@@AonaTalks Thank you so much for the information!
depends on the team - some teams designed it almost as a full cycle of interviews, with tech screen and on site presentation, but it is much more common to do just the hiring manager interview.
@@nhingo9197 Thanks for sharing the information
Tnx Aona for this great informative video. For the section of is it for u? U mentioned it can be good for international students.
My question is contract role employers ( tomato companies) apply for ) H1B?
I responded below - it’s possible, but it depends on whether banana company has the budget for it
I just started as a contractor (technically a "Vendor", but it is basically the model you describe ) at Google and the job description said " 6 - 12 month + Possible Extension". Do you have any advice when I should start looking for a new job or what timeline to expect for assessments how long my services are needed?
How long your services are needed really depend on so many factors (not just how well you work). So no one would have a definite answer until the end of your contract tbh. So always be prepared. Speaking from my past experience, never stop looking for a full time role! (I hope im not making your situation more stressful...)
Hello Aona, I was wondering if you know about consulting vs. contracting? I have been interviewing for a few companies, and one is a staffing-type company. My recruiter has a UXR consulting role for me. She says this won't be like contracting because once I finish a project, I won't lose my paycheck; I will just be on an "office standby." During this time, her company pays me and I do professional development things while I wait for a new project. Is this just a way to make the role more appealing, or is this a common difference between consulting vs. contracting? Are they actually the same thing?
I have heard about it but I am not entirely sure of the differences so can't really put my fingers on it.. :/ Hope someone else can answer this question though!
@@AonaTalks Thank you! I hope so! I have seen that some articles online say they are virtually the same thing/very different... still other articles say it doesn't matter as most states allow employers to terminate at will unless for non-EEOC things. All of the work jargon is still very new to me! Thank you for the great vid as always!
I'm getting my degree in digital marketing.. I self teach all the time.. I analyze and connect at frightening speed.. This might fit my needs.
Thank you UA-cam algorithm and thank you ma'am for making this. How can I learn more about how this role may fit my needs?
Woohoo! If you learn faster from videos, I recommend this video "UX Research For Dummies" on my channel: ua-cam.com/video/MnDvcJMcEug/v-deo.html
If you are a reader, I recommend these 2 books:
www.amazon.com/UX-Research-Practical-Techniques-Designing/dp/B08WHNT9GC/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=ux+research&qid=1627520806&s=books&sr=1-5
www.amazon.com/Validating-Product-Ideas-Through-Research/dp/1933820292/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=validating+product+ideas&qid=1627520790&s=books&sr=1-1
Contractors are treated as "3rd world citizen" in some big companies, they don't get any of the benefits, or even are blocked from attending certain events / meetings, basically being excluded from a lot of the things that make Google so "cool". On the other hand, being a contract at other not so well known companies make no difference with FTEs cause the overall benefit for FTEs are minimal or non existent.
Would staffing agencies usually sponsor H1B for UX researchers?
Yes they will - as long as the requester company has the budget for it