Benefits to becoming a contractor

A contractor is someone who agrees to provide his or her expertise to a company to complete a specific project, often within a fixed period of time. Contract roles can offer greater flexibility, work/life balance and the opportunity to increase hourly earnings.

Many professionals consider themselves to be career contractors. As well as being specialists in their field, their strengths lie in quickly fitting into an organisation, delivering for a new team and expertly managing key projects. We explore the benefits of contract roles in Malaysia.

An opportunity to grow your skills

The variety that comes with contracting enhances your skills, industry knowledge, and exposure to dynamic workplaces. It allows professionals to test their capabilities in different environments, helping them make informed career decisions. In Malaysia, contracting is gaining traction across industries, particularly in IT, finance, and engineering, where specialised skills are in high demand.

Benefits of contracting 

There are a number of benefits to taking on a contract role, such as:

• More flexibility to work when you want (although you will not always get holiday pay)
• More flexibility to change jobs
• The opportunity to broaden your contact base and grow a network list
• The opportunity to broaden your sector experience or specialise in a certain industry
• The chance to broaden your skill set or specialise in a niche area
• The opportunity to gain experience working for a variety of organisations with different cultures, structures and management styles
• Greater earning potential - particularly if you’re paid on an hourly basis and receive extra for overtime

Case study: The contractor's point of view

We spoke to an experienced contractor about their journey in the contracting space.

What do you enjoy about contracting?

The main benefits of being a contractor are higher income and greater flexibility. If you work an eight or nine-month contract at a high level of pay, you can decide if you then want to take some time off,  perhaps to upskill or focus on personal projects, without financial concerns.

How important is the variety in your career?  

Even if you enter another contract in the same type of role, you're still changing your environment. You're dealing with different cultures, different sizes of companies and different people, so you can keep renewing yourself. The biggest frustration on the other hand, is that you're often viewed as an outsider, or as someone who has taken a job from an existing employee. This is understandable, because you might have come in to do something that is not necessarily part of the company's culture.

How can you make sure you’re effective in your role?

In terms of making contract workers effective from day one, I'd say that where clients have told staff about your role as a contractor and have given them the opportunity to ask questions - you are accepted much more quickly and can get on with the task you have been set. In addition, I would advise employers to make the best of all the skills their contractors possess.

Advice for employers

Hiring contractors provides access to highly skilled professionals without long-term commitments. To maximise their impact:

• Clearly communicate the contractor’s role to the team to ensure a smooth transition.
• Leverage their expertise beyond the immediate project scope where relevant.
• Offer a structured onboarding process to enhance productivity from day one.

As contracting becomes a more strategic workforce solution in Malaysia, both professionals and employers can benefit from its flexibility and specialised expertise. If you are looking to hire contractors within your organisation, ensure that you get the best value from these professionals and utilise their skills and specialist expertise.

Looking for a contractor role? Explore the latest job opportunities.