What career move would you make? FAANG Contract or steady work

[vetvso]

The running joke is that the dream is to be an ex-FAANG worker so that for the rest of your life, you can brag to everyone about how you used to work at FAANG and all the status and privileges that come with that. Lol

The freedom to work wherever you want is significant. If you move and don't like it, it would be easy to move back whenever you want.

Changing jobs is not an easy choice. It's hard to tell if you will move into a better or worse situation. 

Now all these problems will be solved if you make a million dollars being a social influencer. You never know.

I am 95% leaning towards not taking the contract, but the main reason for taking it would be to have it on my resume to make my life 'easier' for the future.

My current job is fully remote, and that freedom is of significant importance to me, it also has been difficult to find other 100% remote opportunities. Most fully remote jobs do require you to come into the office once a month, which is NOT fully remote but that is how it's advertised.

My life would be much easier if I became a social influencer, that is for sure! haha currently I have a struggling youtube channel.

I am a Sr Project manager for a top high-tech company. I have hired and fired people over my 25 years of working. I have moved around the semiconductor industry several times worldwide. 

1.  Now would I move to a project management position for a 6 mos contract? No never; because top jobs for experienced project managers are still available even in this current recession. 

2. If I currently could move anywhere; I would move to an area where I wanted to work, and then get a new job there. Also, I never stop looking for and exploring opportunities ever. 

3. Moving for money is only a good fit if it offers you the long-term needs you want. 

FAANG or no FAANG would not get you hired by me, and I would expect you to have the experience I needed for the position, and be able to be trained for the rest. Your project portfolio would matter and your time in the position would matter in regard to finishing and closing out the project. Now exceptions to any of these personal rules always apply when circumstances change. 

The bay area is full of people chasing these short-term contracts, and most of the time we never hired them. 

Most of our project managers make between 100K - 200KK+ in the USA. We have hired from the university, and from diverse backgrounds that have the skills we think can make a long-term project manager successful. I even know of an ex-admin assistant who slowly moved up in this kind of work using a PMI CERT, and graduating to higher projects over time. She only has a 2-year degree in an irrelevant field.

You need to sell yourself and be confident in your ability to do something new. FAANG maybe that choice or maybe you really want something else. Network, Educate, always keep moving forward, and make your personal dreams come true.

Good luck whatever you decide to do, and make sure that it will count longer term. I hope this helps, and the fact that you asked for information is a very good sign of your possible success. :-)