For IT professionals looking to make a job switch now, it’s important to consider all employment options that are available in the market. Namely, contract to hire jobs give you the opportunity to test out different aspects of the company to ensure a longer-term commitment is in your best interest.

John Carey, a Senior Technical Recruiter on The Execu|Search Group’s Information Technology division in NYC, increasingly runs into IT professionals that don’t fully understand the benefits of contract to hire roles. “There are a variety of advantages that contract to hire jobs afford IT professionals, however, there is a misconception that these opportunities offer less stability than full-time roles,” says John. As a result, many are hesitant to explore this type of employment as a career option.

To ensure you weigh all of your employment options, consider the following benefits to look forward to:

Time to decide if the role is the best long-term fit

A contract to hire role affords you is the opportunity to get accustomed to the work and culture of the company before making a longer-term commitment. You can truly get a feel for what it would be like to work within your team environment. “It’s common for tech teams to be highly collaborative, so contract to hire jobs allow you to assess how well you gel with your teammates before accepting a full-time offer,” says John.

You also get the opportunity to evaluate if other aspects, outside of the team, makes this company the right fit for you. Factors such as your commute time and the work-life balance can help you get a broader sense of what it would be like to work for the organization.

Get past red tape/extensive interview process

Today’s historically low unemployment rate has led to increased pressure on companies to identify the best talent as quickly as possible. As a result, contract to hire jobs typically get filled faster than full-time roles. “To ensure employers don’t miss out on top talent, employers are leveraging contract to hire jobs as a faster way to get strong candidates in the door,” says John.

In contrast, the interview and onboarding process for full-time positions can be quite lengthy. For example, some organizations may start with a full day of interviewing, followed by personality or technical tests, and end with separate interviews to meet the entire team. “Instead of going through a lengthy HR process, contract to hire candidates go through 1-2 rounds before a decision is made,” says John. “Afterwards, it’s up to the candidate to prove themselves on the job.”

Get on the job training for skills you need to develop

One of the best reasons to pursue a contract to hire role is that you can be hired for the job even if you don’t possess all of the skills required. For full-time roles, employers are typically looking to hire candidates that have an exact match to the job description. However, contract to hire needs are more urgent and are therefore more flexible on the skills they need in new hires. “An increasing number of employers are utilizing contract to hire jobs to hire candidates that demonstrate the potential to thrive in the position with the right amount of training,” says John. “Even if you don’t possess all of the technical skills required, employers will give new hires the tools to learn on the job.” Whether you have a designated team member you may shadow or mentor, or the company pays for sponsored training with Cisco or SAP, employers are willing to invest in a contract to hire employee that shows the potential to be a strong addition to the team down the line.