Finding the right job is hard and sometimes it can take a while, but you’ve got to pay the bills somehow. So what do you do?
Temporary employment!
Working temporary positions will continue to build your experience and resume, enhance your skill set, provide you with new perspectives, and will give you opportunities to find that perfect permanent job you’re looking for.
It’s essential to understand that temporary positions offer a number of distinct advantages that can help your situation and your career:
- Continuous employment on your résumé: No employer wants to see blank spaces on a candidate’s résumé, and most of us will do anything to avoid them. Even if they’re not directly related to our chosen profession, temporary positions can fill in the gaps and show employers you’re motivated and willing to work.
- A psychological boost: Temporary position can give you the psychological boost you need to know you’re capable of landing a job. In addition, it can provide you with structure and a sense of meaning.
- The chance to sample various industries: Temporary work allows you to try out employment in a variety of industries, which builds your skillset in multiple lines of work.
- The opportunity to make some money: Being able to earn a salary – even for a few months – is preferable to claiming unemployment. In many cases, the salary you’ll earn will be significantly higher than your unemployment payments.
- Opportunities to gain work experience: Many companies aren’t hiring permanent employees in order to keep their overhead low but that doesn’t mean that the temporary workers they employ aren’t skilled. On the contrary, contingent workers are increasingly important assets since many highly qualified workers such as engineers and life sciences professionals prefer to work on a project-by-project basis. It’s entirely possible to find temporary employment in your professional field that can help you gain relevant work experience.
- The chance to keep your knowledge current and hone new skills: The worst thing about being unemployed is that your knowledge can quickly become outdated. Temporary work lets you flex your professional muscles to keep them strong and your mind stimulated, as well as learn new skills that can be of use in your future career.
- The ability to test the waters at a specific firm: If you’ve always dreamed of working at a specific company, accepting a temporary position will enable you to find out what it’s like to work there. In addition, it can also let you get a foot in the door when a permanent position opens up.
- Build your professional network: The contacts you make during these temporary positions can be of use to help you find out about more job opportunities, as well as function as your references for future applications.
Considering these advantages, it’s obvious that temporary work can be a good solution when a permanent contract remains out of sight.
Moreover, if you find a staffing agency that can continuously place you in positions that match your expertise, you might even get the benefits associated with a permanent contract. It’s a win-win!
