Six Reasons to Explore Temp Work
Picture this: you are scouring through job boards when, bam, you see a position that ticks all the boxes. Comfy hourly pay figure ✓ immediate start ✓ flexible hours ✓ — there’s just one problem, it's a three-month temporary assignment.
The situation is all too familiar, with many people on the hunt for a new role avoiding the term ‘temporary contract’ like the plague. This might be because it doesn’t have the ongoing financial security of a permanent position, or that the benefits can be hard to recognise — especially if you have never taken on a temporary contract before.
But taking on temporary contracts can be a strategy, and it’s one that I have personally implemented during a major career change during a rock period of my life — and it paid off.
As a young career woman, taking on temporary work helped me transition between industries and find my path before I realised where it was headed. It also gave me the confidence to try new things, be open to opportunities, and to make connections which helped build my professional network.
I want us all to stop being hesitant about taking on temporary contracts — so here are six reasons why this strategy is a good idea, based on my own experience.
Try before you buy
How scary is the idea of jumping from one toxic workplace to another? Or the thought of hopping into a new career, then realising the grass is not always greener? This is one of the biggest pieces of resistance when it comes to career change and trying something new. The best part of temporary work is that there are no strings attached to stay beyond your temporary tenure. While most view this as risky for the employee, it works to their benefit – it keeps the door open to the next opportunity, without the guilt of leaving your new employer in the lurch.
Learn a new skill
There are so many benefits to trying temporary contract work, but this one has got to take the cake. Learning a new skill and immersing yourself in a new industry can be your ticket to finding your work purpose. So often we are caught up in looking for clarity on what we want to do in our working life, that we forget to take any action. Clarity is found through trying new things and learning new skills – this is where we figure out where our strengths lie. In my case, I knew I wanted to work in education settings – and I thought that schools were the only option. When a chance popped up at the local TAFE, I didn’t think it would become anything – until I realised that higher education and VET sectors were of great interest to me.
Easier to get the job
When I secured a four-week temporary position at the local TAFE, I was surprised to attend an interview where they asked me some basic questions and ticked boxes as I answered. It was a ten-minute interview – one that I came to learn was simply a formality. The fact that I had experience in customer service and could start on Monday (it was Friday afternoon!) meant that I had the job. By registering through a recruitment agency, they were able to take the recruitment agent’s word for my ability to perform in an interview, and I was able to step in as soon as the opportunity arose. Although some due diligence was done by the agent, the workplace was able to make swift decisions – low risk for them as it was a 4-week assignment. From their perspective, if I was that bad, they could let me go after the contract ended.
Can turn into your next career
Now, a four-week assignment cleaning up filing systems doesn’t sound glamourous, but once I was in the door at TAFE, they continued to extend my contract month after month. I was trained to work in student services, enrolments and answering the switchboard – giving me a great start in the education industry, that soon become my next career. Within 6 years I was working as a Team Leader at a major University, with an employment package nudging six figures and great benefits in a job that I loved. Without that initial four-week assignment at TAFE, I don’t think I would have found that career path.
Stay motivated in your job search
One of the biggest impacts on the job search – especially when you’re not working – is momentum. Keeping that routine of getting up and going somewhere is a vital piece of the motivational puzzle that many drop when they are made redundant or taking time out of the workforce to figure out their next move. Whilst a break is recommended and can be the best move, don’t stay there too long – it makes it harder to pull yourself out of it. Taking a temporary job can give you that routine, without the pressure of a permanent position. Using this time to figure out what is next can be a good thing.
Keep your resume full
The stigma around having multiple positions on your resume is fading away, as recruiters and hiring managers see the benefits of a broad experience history. If you are involuntarily made redundant, or you have decided to resign from your job before starting a new one, you can use temporary work as a stop-gap between jobs, keeping you busy, relevant and filling that increasing gap on your career timeline.
Taking a leap to temporary work is scary, especially when you can’t see what will happen beyond that contract. My advice is to take a chance. When it doesn’t pay off, you would have gained experience (and a salary!) during that time – which you can use to get your next contract or next permanent role. When it does pay off, it can be the foot in the door to a state government position (like mine was), the path to your future career, and great use of the time between your last role and the next.