4 Ways Temporary Work Can Skyrocket Your Career

02 Mar 4 Ways Temporary Work Can Skyrocket Your Career

If you’re between jobs, aren’t sure what you want to do next, or are just starting in the working world, a temporary job might be just the ticket. 

Temporary work is anything that isn’t, by default and definition, a permanent full-time job. It could be a position that lasts a set amount of time, such as covering for someone who’s out on leave for a few months or a short-term job to help a company during a busy stretch. 

There are some clear advantages to temporary work, including: 

1. Learn new skills.  

When you work a permanent job, you do the same thing every day for years. But picking up a temporary job means you’ll learn how to do just what’s needed for your position. It also means if you have a string of temp jobs in a row, you might learn new things or different ways of doing the same things in a number of environments for a few companies within a relatively short amount of time. This makes you a great asset to a new team and shows that you can learn and adjust to new situations quickly — and you can bring in what you just learned to your new job, possibly sharing tips with your new colleagues! 

2. Expand your network.

Each new company you join is another chance to make a good first impression. You can impress your temporary managers and bosses, make some friends, learn about other job opportunities and maybe even find people who would be willing to serve as mentors or references throughout your career. These are people who can also put in good words for you when you apply for jobs or talk you up to their friends and maybe let you know when something opens up in the future. You can never have too many connections! 

3. Use it as a bridge.

If you’ve been working for a number of years and have become bored, or feel like your skills are growing stale, temporary work is a great way to keep earning a paycheck without committing to anything right away. It’s an opportunity to try something new — either an altogether different kind of job or a position that’s similar to what you know but for another company or industry. And you know, from the start, that this isn’t something you have to keep doing for years; you’re just trying it on for size, like a live-action and long-term interview without the same stress. 

4. Build your resume.

If you’re young and just out of school, working temporary jobs is a way for you to learn a number of working practices, office environments, job types, and what skills are required to do them. It’s a great way to try on several different kinds of work for size, see what you like, what you don’t, what kind of industry you want to learn more about, and what you never want to do again. All of this will help you figure out what kind of permanent job is right for you — without having to spend a ton of time in college or classes that won’t teach you what you need for the “real world.” 

Trying temporary work might help ease the burnout of a stressful job; it might also open the doors to a permanent position doing something you never considered before. If this sounds appealing to you, give it a try! 

Start Your Temporary Position Today

LeadingEdge Personnel works with companies who are looking for temporary work. We know the kinds of skills and experience they need, and we can help you find a placement that will get you to work right away. Call LeadingEdge today, and let’s get going!