You might not like the idea of a temporary job. It might offend your sense of career value under the notion that a “temp” job is something of a black mark on your record. You might also think that a temp position is just that: temporary, not permanent, a dead end that only people who don’t really fit into the “regular” job market should pursue.
Well I’m here to tell you that you’re almost right. A temp job can be those things…if you insist on seeing it that way. By changing your mindset just a little bit, you can start seeing temp jobs as springboards for long-term progress. Here’s why:
- Temp jobs can expand your skill set: We all know that that the more you learn, the more you can do and that has a positive effect on your bottom line.
- Temp jobs pay, internships don’t: Sure, you can get experience and new knowledge as an intern, but it’s better to get paid to learn.
- Temp jobs expand your professional network: Even if you only work for two weeks at the position, you have the opportunity to add a few or even several dozen contacts to your network. And if you’re afraid that they’ll see you as “Just another temp,” you have an easy way to disabuse them of that notion: the quality of your work.
- Temp jobs can help you avoid burnout: Searching for a job can be a tiresome, even depressing process. Getting hired for a month can give you a much-needed boost of income, confidence and energy as you get back into a productive groove.
- It’s easier to find a job when you have a job: Like getting a loan is easier when you have money, so it is with getting a job. Use the temp job to power-up finding your next job.
- Temp jobs let you “test the waters”: You might be interested in a new industry or company, but don’t know it well enough to commit long-term. You know the answer by now: use a temp job to “scope out the horizon.”
- Temp jobs can often become permanent: You grit your teeth, took on a 30-day temp job… and loved it. You even went after another opening in the same company so you could stick around. It’s been known to happen and you might be surprised when it happens to you.
Temp jobs are not for everybody, that’s for sure, but they can be the best and most accessible way to find the right job for you. A short-term investment of your time and talents can have a big-time payoff sooner than you think.
By Gil C. Schmidt, Sharpline Contributor
