When many candidates start looking for work, they immediately rule themselves out of a great number of opportunities. ‘How so?’, I hear you cry, ‘Why would anyone do such a thing?’, you bellow at me, and more importantly ‘How can I avoid making the same mistake?’ you plead. Well, just calm down a minute and I’ll explain.

It’s the utterance of a simple phrase by the candidate that cuts their job prospects quite dramatically, and it’s this. “I’m only looking for permanent work”. Now, some of you might have said this very phrase yourself or you might now be thinking that it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to say. But, there are a great number of reasons as to why a temporary job could be the perfect solution for you if you’re looking for work. And here’s why.

Some money is better than no money

Let’s cut to the chase. We all need money to live on and having a temporary job that pays a decent wage is better than having no income at all. Stability is often quoted as the reason for selecting a permanent role over a temporary position but history is dotted with examples of big companies that have gone bust so maybe this argument no longer holds true.

Either way, it’s far better to have money in your pocket than being afraid to open your next bank statement.

A route into a different industry

Temporary jobs often give candidates an opportunity to explore new industries and career paths. If you’re coming out of university or finding yourself on the job market after years in the same industry, then a temporary job could be just what you need.

How many people truly know what they want to do with their life, not many I would bet, but one way of finding your calling is to take up a challenge in as many different industries as you can. Consider it ‘life-research’ or ‘industry-prospecting’, but regardless of what you call it, never be afraid to try something new. Variety is the spice of life remember.

A great way to ease yourself back into work

For those who have taken a career break, for whatever reason, a temporary job is a great way of easing yourself back into the workplace. Depending on where your skills lie, the industry you’re used to may have changed and it’s more than likely that you’ve changed too.

Your priorities will have probably shifted or you may have fallen into a certain routine – I don’t want to say ‘institutionalised’ – by being at home all day looking after the children and a temp job is a fantastic way of getting back into the culture of working for an employer again.

Shorter recruitment times

Recruitment lead-in times tend to be longer for permanent positions, so if you’re keen to avoid countless rounds of interviews, then a temporary job is what you’re looking for. Recruiters often know what they need and the skills they’re looking for and if you match up, then the hiring process can be much quicker.

Finding a job can be a stressful process, after all, selling yourself is one thing that most people struggle with so anything that can be done to reduce the timeline should be considered.

Can lead to a permanent position

Even if a permanent position is what you have your heart set on, then a temp job could still be the way to get into your dream company. It’s not uncommon for a temporary job to lead onto a permanent job offer and once you’ve demonstrated how great you are, the firm would be crazy to let you go.

Even if you choose not to accept the permanent offer, it’s always nice to feel wanted and appreciated and you can take that confidence into your next role. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want you to become a ‘job tease’ but a little bit of confidence boosting never did anyone any harm.

Fills a gap in your CV

One thing that screams ‘watch out’ to prospective employers are gaps in your CV. Sometimes these are for genuine reasons and you should never lie about jobs you have or haven’t done but filling your time between jobs with temp work can increase your chances of landing a permanent position.

It shows that you’re willing to go out there and work, to take initiative for your career and try new things. These are attributes that a lot of employers are looking for because all jobs, no matter how repetitive they may seem, require you to be proactive in some way. Taking on a number of temporary positions between permanent roles demonstrates how proactive you can be.

Added flexibility

We’d all like to be on holiday more and a temporary contract can allow you to do that, as long as your circumstances permit it. Just think of it. Work hard for 6 months and then take a month’s holiday. That’s the reality for a good number of people that undertake temporary employment.

Of course, you need to make sure all your financial commitments can still be met, but temporary work allows you to be more flexible in how, when and why you work. Gaining back control of your work-life balance can be deeply empowering and does have knock-on benefits for other parts of your life.

Learn new skills

A temporary contract can allow you to learn new skills such as how to use certain software or build upon an existing personal ability, like delegation. Exposing yourself to as many of these opportunities as possible will enrich your CV and allow you to stand out from the crowd when the time comes to apply for other positions.

Anything that takes us outside of our comfort zone should be looked upon as a way to learn something new and gaining knowledge is a great way of keeping the mind active.

Networking

There’s no getting away from it, who you know can still play an important part in landing your next job. That means you need to increase the reach of your network and a temporary position allows you to build new contacts and reinforce strong working relationships.

You never know who will go on to become a CEO of a multi-national corporation so maintaining professional contacts and building your network are crucial in landing your dream job. Don’t get carried away with spamming everyone in the company with a LinkedIn request but do connect with those people who you’ve worked closely with and would be happy to endorse your skills.

Hopefully, it’s become clear that a temporary job could be the perfect solution for a number of candidates depending on your individual circumstances. If you would like further advice on finding a temporary position, please get in contact with us  or register direclty and we’ll be glad to help you out.

This post was written by Eva Andreskova, Prague Branch Operations Manager.

Eva joined the Group in 2013 as a Recruitment Consultant, and has been successfully working her way up to her current position. Becoming responsible for the entire branch business operations in Prague and extending her responsibilities outside the Czech Republic. Working closely with managers at all levels in the clients’ portfolio ensuring recruitment quality delivery and client satisfaction is always at the highest standards.

Connect with Eva on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter  or Subscribe to receive our newsletter packed with news, tips and articles with bleeding edge content