3 important ways that temping can move your career forward

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Temporary jobs are much more than a stop-gap. They can help you to develop your career.

There are many misconceptions about temporary work, one of them being that you can end up in dead-end jobs. The reality is that the labour market for temp workers is more diverse than ever before. Working in temporary positions can be a great way to keep up to date with your industry and add valuable experience to your CV.

Whatever your reasons for taking on a temporary position, it’s a career move that’s well worth considering, as you can gain insight into how different organisations operate within your industry. These are the most important reasons why taking a short-term position could be good for your long-term career:

1. Insider knowledge on your preferred company

Especially when you´re starting out on your career, it´s not always easy to find a position with the employer you've always wanted to work for.

It´s good to know that all big companies offer temporary positions. They are a great way to get to know a company from the inside out. You also get a taste of the organisation and the people you can expect to work with.

2. A foot in the door

If you’re interested in a permanent position, you might find that employers are more likely to hire you once they’ve got to know you, and you them.

Starting out in a temporary position is the perfect way to get your foot in the door. In fact, many employers prefer to offer a temporary contract first, to see how it works out, before offering a permanent position.

3. Learn new professional skills

If finding a permanent position is proving difficult because you don’t have enough relevant experience or you want to develop your skill set in multiple areas, temping provides the perfect setting for learning.

So, what do you need to be effective as a temp and how can you make the most of the opportunity that temping represents? Whatever the role, whatever the sector, you'll need to be:

Adaptable

This is perhaps the most obvious attribute, but it’s very important if you’re marketing yourself as a temp. You cannot work effectively as a temporary member of staff if you’re unable to settle very quickly into new surroundings or will only work set hours.

Developing greater flexibility will help you for the whole of your career, whether as a temp or as a permanent employee.

Able to work under pressure

Temps are mostly brought in when there is a deadline to meet or an increased workload that the regular team cannot cope with. So working as a temp means you will learn to thrive under pressure.

A good communicator

Communication skills are desirable in most jobs, but as a new member of the team you’ll need to be able to communicate effectively and actively listen to your new colleagues every time you join an organisation, to avoid making mistakes.

Good at project hand-overs

There may be times when your contract ends before you’ve completed the project you’ve been working on. It’s important to be proficient in handing over to a colleague and have a strategy in place that will help the work of the team continue to run smoothly after your departure. Future employers will value this skill highly, and it will give you an advantage over other job candidates.