You got it right. I’ve already been asked this question when first hired by this 100 Fortune company as a contractor. I think I answered well (since I could honestly say what I said). I’m including my answer here, since it could be useful for someone in the same situation…

I only opened a small consulting firm in my native country because this was the only way I found to work in the field I wanted. The market for what I do practically does not exist in my native country, people are hired only occasionally for specific assigments rather than becoming full time employees. Since in the US the hiring market is booming in my field, I don’t think of starting a company because I love staying focused in the technical aspects of what I do, which is simply not possible when you have your own firm.

Thanks a lot for your prompt answer – it came right on time for my round of internal interviews next week! I really appreciate your input.

About resigning after such a short period, I don’t think this will be a problem. Before coming to the US, I worked for the same company for 8 years, and left to build my own small consulting firm, where I worked for 5 years.

For the past 2 years I’ve had only short-term consulting assignments (between 4 and 6 months), but always for clients of the consulting company of which I’m an employee (they are the ones processing my greencard).

Therefore, I was in this 100 Fortune company as a contractor. The idea was that became a full time employee when I got the greencard – my current employer is OK with that.

If I continue with the same client company, it will still be as a contractor position at least for now.

Perhaps this changes what I can say to another potential client, instead of having to explain the real reason I left? (I will have finished the process reengineering they needed, and all the analytical work that was supposed to be done until the end of the year, so perhaps I could just say that I consider my job done and am looking for the next challenge?).

Iĺl let you know what happens next – thanks for the good wishes!

You’ve been tagged over at http://www.ere.net/blogs/SittingXlegged/DEFAULT.ASP?LISTINGID={A42796C7-E593-4E84-ADF5-783B0F2BEC84}.

Thanks,

Simon