At some point in their career, developers face the question: what’s next? Does work in an outsourcing company fully cover my professional needs or is there something more challenging? In this article, we want to broaden the employment horizons of outsource developers and give them a picture of what it’s like to work for an overseas company directly.
This is, probably, the most important point to be taken when you choose between being an outsourcing employee and a remote contractor. Yes, in outsourcing you have more possibility to try something besides software engineering and dip your toe into management, for example. However, you will never get such a wide range of professional opportunities in engineering. Being a remote contractor allows you to work for the giants like Facebook, Google, YouTube, Amazon, or Tesla and get experience in far-reaching projects. You learn how to harness your skills in the development and connect to opinion-makers and leaders in their fields.
In outsourcing, you don’t get the chance to pick the projects you want to work on. They are assigned to you by your managers. On the one hand, if you are required to do tasks that involve the same skills, you need less time to accomplish them. On the other hand, you get easily bored. When you work in a remote company directly, there are more chances to choose the job that will help you grow professionally.
Working for an overseas company directly involves no intermediaries. Usually, it is the outsourcing company that pays developers for the work. It means, the company has its share for finding an overseas client, communicating with it, and fixing it up with developers. And it’s only fair due to the company’s expenditures such as the office rent, social payments, and benefits, etc.
Multiple layers of management (client company managers + outsourcing company managers) are discouraging. It results in ineffective and out-of-place communication. The situation can lead to a certain amount of disconnection between different levels and difficulties in understanding what is needed from you.
Working remotely for an overseas company resembles freelance work in the amount of freedom it gives you. Of course, there are zoom meetings you have to attend to make sure everyone is on the same page, but you are the one to decide how to spend your working hours. In outsourcing, you are much more controlled and have to be available within a particular time frame. In addition, direct work for an overseas employer gives you more financial security than any freelance job can offer.
Being a part of a team in an outsourcing company provides more communication with your colleagues, than working remotely with a team on the other side of the globe. However, the benefit of outsourcing is not that relevant anymore. COVID-19 with its lockdowns switched all teams to a remote mode.
An outsourcing company will guarantee you a constant flow of projects and a steady paycheck, which will not always be true with remote contractors (although the money will be better). So, if you are a Junior, outsourcing is the place to start. However, experienced Senior and Mid-Level developers are always in demand by foreign headhunters. Once you get a job as a remote contractor and prove your expertise, employers understand that you are the one who can get the job done. The reputation here is everything.
It’s harder to become a remote contractor than a developer in an outsourcing company. You will need to have a decent portfolio with complex projects. Your English level should be much higher. Plus the interview process in foreign companies includes more stages and is more complicated. On the whole, finding a remote employer takes more time. However, there are services designed especially for experienced developers to make the process quick and smooth. For example, Mitrix Connect. It monitors offers for hiring remote developers, contacts employers, sends them a resume of developers according to the requests, and organizes interviews. The service acts in the developer’s interests as the agent. A developer will be changed only after signing a contract between the developer and the employer.
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If you feel you’ve hit the ceiling in the outsourcing company and are ready to work independently in the international market, working directly for a remote world-known employer will be the right step for professional and personal growth. You get more freedom to choose companies, projects, working hours, and get more money for all that.
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