Contract jobs do offer benefits from time to time. All the calls I've received recently have been from outsourced HR companies that offer benefits through them, but you work for the comany they are hiring for. It's quite interesting. If you're cool with doing a contract job then go for it. One thing to realize is that if you impress them and make yourself very useful, they will a lot of times do everything they can to keep you around when the contract ends.

I'm about to interview for a 6 mo contract doing networking, programming, management, web development/design, and DBA work. They offer full benefits and the job turns full-time when the contract ends (if I do well) and I will then have retirement benefits.

I also think you should take the Net. Admin job. You will learn a LOT more there and it will not likely be as frustrating as a Help Desk position.