I'm currently working on a 6 month contract-to-hire that is slated to end mid-October. There has been absolutely no talk of the 'hire' part of that contract yet, but I routinely get good feedback. However, I am looking at their long term project plans and they all seem to rap up right about when my contract ends, so I'm doubtful they have the work for a full time hire. Even if they did, I'm not sure I'd take it. It's not a terribly challenging job and I don't see a lot of career growth; it's more or less a job where I get paid to push the red button all day. But it pays well and if hired, the benefits are top notch.
I received an offer today from a previous employer that I enjoyed working for, but was laid off from. They're still not stable and they've guaranteed that my job will change over time as they dig out of hole, but I have a chance to mold my job description and the job is a promotion in pay and responsibilities. Plus, I'll get training that will make it easier to get jobs down the road and I'll be working with people I genuinely like working with. As a bonus bit of confusing, this company has stated clearly that they're still figuring things out and there may be more layoffs coming down the pipeline.
So, do I break my contract to hire and take a 'permanent' job that may or may not be permanent, or stay at a contract to hire that may or may not actually hire me. (There's two months left in the contract, so there's no way I can finish out the contract and take the permanent job)
*edit, Or option 3. Don't take the job offer and ramp up job search efforts to get a job with a start date in November.