Maximizing Your Personal Gain From A Temporary Position

May 22, 2019

Temporary employment is at once an internship, an interview, an occupation, and a downsizing. To ignore any one of these facets in your temporary position would result in missing out on some invaluable benefits of short-term work. Below are some keys to prioritize to best benefit from temping, and not feel like you’re treading water with every new start. These are a few ways to maximize your personal gain from a temporary position:

Learn New Skills

The expiration date of short-term employment can be viewed as a detriment, or as motivation. Every work environment has a vast amount of resources that are being put to use, every single day. Those resources are invaluable tools that, once learned, can bolster your resume, sharpen your skills, and make you available for even more covetable positions down the road. While this is sometimes in addition to the tasks you’ve been formally assigned, it is likely that once your workload has been determined you will be able to detect an additional avenue that will both help with productivity and simultaneously benefit you. Remember the educational aspect of short term work, and feel the benefits of ‘graduating’ at the conclusion of your time there.

Know Your Limitations

To volunteer for every additional opportunity that comes your way in a temp position would be unfruitful and unproductive — for both you and the company you work for. Define your areas of interest and expertise. This not only helps you hone in on the most beneficial projects, but it will also allows to be effective at your job. Volunteering blindly for a task you might not be equipped to carry out can actually work against you. Overeagerness projects that you don’t understand your own limitations. Being specific with what you take on demonstrates responsibility. It also gives your employer a much clearer understanding of your career path. Focus ultimately makes that evasive long-term position in your field all the more easily offered if the fit is there.

Get To Know Everyone

Remember that the person who offers you your next career break may not be the one who you directly report to now. Understand who everyone around you is, what they do, and how your skills match with theirs. Creating and maintaining lasting connections will help you in your future pursuits. A temporary position could even serve as a warm lead for your next opportunity. Moving forward, you’ll have a reference in your field to act in advocacy of you.

Do Complete Work

By design, most temporary work is set out to fulfill an assignment. Because of this design, temporary employees are not afforded the same metered working pace as a full-time worker. While some expectations are the same — punctuality, productivity, positive attitude. The fundamental difference between the positions is that once the job is over, it’s over. The idea of prospecting for another position sooner than you have to may seem counter-intuitive. Exemplary temporary workers work efficiently and effectively to complete the task at hand. You may complete your objective slightly sooner than you expected. However, exceeding your expectations will lead to a stronger recommendation for future, even full-time, work.

Be Okay With Moving On

Even after exceeding all expectations in your temporary position, it is highly likely that, upon your job’s completion, your time there will be over (at least until they need you for their next short-term duration). Expecting full-time offers from a temporary position can be a pitfall that temp-workers can fall into: one that can lead to over-assertiveness and unnecessary resentment should that offer not come as anticipated. You might be right. The company you work for may be wise to hire you on a more permanent basis. However, that is not the inherent design of temporary work. There is likely a myriad of reasons that offer you’re wishing for doesn’t come. The best thing you can do is express your interest and keep the door open for future compatibility. Then, leave having made the best impression that you can while acquiring more skills to help you in the future.