It has been announced this week that we are officially in a recession and naturally this is having an effect on employment.  There have been huge numbers of people already made redundant and probably there will be a lot more to come.  For many searching for a job means strictly considering full time, permanent positions.  Yet taking a temporary job can offer many benefits – both short and long term.  Many jobs seekers have a bias against temporary work and often express common concerns, including boring jobs, low pay, colleagues being unfriendly and the fact that it can limit their ability to look for a permanent role.

At the moment if you are looking for a job you should really consider temporary work and change your mindset.  Focus on the benefits it could provide.  For instance:

It’s a quick way of getting a permanent job

When an employer has a temporary worker its often because they need to fill a position urgently.  This could be to your advantage.  In some cases candidates who wouldn’t be considered for the permanent role because they don’t fit the required experience can land the role because they started as a temp.  Because employers are often looking to employ someone straight away and don’t have time for an exhaustive search they may be a little more flexible in their requirements.

You could be in the right place at the right time

A temporary position can be a matter of being in right place at the right time to obtain a permanent position in a new sector or get your foot in the door with a coveted Company.  Even a temporary position that doesn’t lead to a permanent role could open doors to other opportunities with the employer.

It could help you change career direction

A temporary position can take your career in a new direction. Maybe you’ve had enough of what you have been doing, or the industry you have been working in is at a complete standstill ie: the travel industry.  It could be that you’re looking to work locally after working in Central London and trying a temp job in the first instance to see if you like working close to home is a good idea.

Temporary work is flexible

Temporary work typically offers more flexibility than a permanent position.  There will be times that you are working and times that you will be free.  Employers who have temporary workers are also very aware that most people doing temporary work are looking for a permanent job and are usually okay with workers attending interviews.

Why not make temporary work a career choice

For many people temporary work is a career choice.  Whilst this is more common in some work sectors than others its not unusual.  There are huge benefits to making temporary work a career as long as it fits in with your lifestyle choices.  For instance, you could take the summer off and just work during the winter months, or alternatively you could take long breaks between your assignments to suit you.

You can fill in a gap in your CV

Temporary positions can help fill holes in your CV when you are between jobs.  Rightly or not, employers are wary of employing people who have long periods of unemployment in their CV.  For all an employer knows you have not been looking for a job during the last six months but have been sat on your sofa binge-watching Netflix.  Temporary work can give you a job to put on your CV.  It also shows an employer that you take your career seriously and you are keeping your skills and experience up to date.

The bottom line is that there are many, many benefits to temporary work.  Be prepared though assignments can range from a few days to a year or so.  Regardless of the length of the assignment or the type of work you’ll be doing, you need to position yourself as a hard worker and make yourself an invaluable member of staff, you never know this could land you the job of your dreams.

Don’t knock it till you try it!!!!