Many professionals still hold onto the misconception that temporary/contract work can be detrimental to a long-term career. We need to cut the ties to this stigma. I believe, and our placement history shows, that there are many situations where it can enhance the employability of a person on a permanent basis and even fast-track their careers. Temporary work has many, many benefits.
Opportunities to learn new skills and experience new industries
Contrary to the belief that temporary work may look unstable and have a negative impact when it comes to your career history, there is an argument it could add to your experience. Often temporary work will gain you exposure to new processes, systems and industries which can make you more marketable in the permanent market. You get the opportunity to meet and learn from people of all different backgrounds.
Adaptability
Working in temporary assignments teaches you to become adaptable very quickly. You cannot work effectively as a temporary member of staff if you are unable to settle very quickly into new surroundings. In the world of work where we are seeing regular change across all types of work (perm, temp etc.), learning the art of adaptability/flexibility will be of great benefit to you.
Improved communication skills
Communication skills are essential in most jobs [in our core sectors]. Temporary members of staff must be able to communicate effectively and demonstrate an ability to listen as they need to build relationships with colleagues quickly to hit the ground running and avoid making mistakes. The ability to quickly build rapport with other professionals, even under potentially strained circumstances, will hold you in strong stead for the rest of your career.
The skill of being able to work under pressure
Often you will go into an organisation that has an issue that needs to be fixed, a back log of work or a project. There will be deadlines to meet or an increased workload that the regular team cannot cope with. You will have been brought on-board to help with the lack of resource and in return, you will learn to thrive under pressure.
Project work
Temporary work could give you exposure to project work which will enhance several skills which we have already mentioned above i.e. great communication. There may be times when your contract ends before you’ve completed the project you’ve been working on. It will be essential that you are able to hand over to a colleague effectively and have strategies in place that will help the team continue to run smoothly after you move on. Your future employers will value these skills highly, and it will give you an advantage over other professionals.
Enhancing your network:
You never know where a temporary role might lead you. Working on a temporary basis will lead to you interacting with more people than you might in a permanent role. This network can be hugely important to tap into when you decide to look for permanent work. If you have left a positive impression, then those you have worked with will have no hesitation in recommending you to other friends or colleagues.
It can lead to permanent roles internally
Looking back over the past few years, around 20% of the temps we have placed have ended up going permanent within the organisation. This is not even always in the role we found them to start off with, but working on a temporary basis is often the best interview you could have to join an organisation.
If you'd like to have a conversation about temporary work, please feel free to reach out to one of the team - https://www.wademacdonald.com/consultants
.png)
.png)
