If you are considering finding a job as a temporary employee, here are a few things to consider before you start your search that can help you get a better understanding of what you can do to find the right job quickly.
Determine your interests
Although a temporary position is not permanent, it doesn’t hurt to work in a field that challenges you to do your best every day. If you choose a job at a company that is into something you would love to do, you will be able to enjoy your work and become a star performer. This can lead to a full-time opportunity, or even if it is a stop-gap arrangement, such as working for a few months before returning to college, your co-workers will remember you as the person who did a great job. This can be helpful later when looking for full-time employment – they could recommend you to their employers or be happy to act as your referees.
Be open about the hours you are free to work
It is always recommended that you be honest about this. A temp vacancy that you come across might be exciting, but you also need to see if the hours they want you to work matches with what you can spare. If you have other commitments, it is only a matter of time before you leave your job to attend to them. And that doesn’t look good on your resume.
Update your skills to get the job
After you have determined your areas of interest and the hours you can work, you need to ask yourself if you have the right skills to land a temporary position. You might be qualified and even have prior experience in project management, but if you are not familiar with the latest software, that might be a disadvantage. You don’t have to go to college and get a specialized degree for that dream temp job, but you can always sign up for a few classes to get you up to speed with what is happening at the workplace.
Choose the right agency
There are more than 20,000 temp staffing agency offices across the country. You can visit their websites to find out which industry sectors they specialize in. This can also be determined from the jobs they list on their site or on job portals. You need to find one that serves companies in the industry sector of your choice, that is also reliable and has a good track record — this is can be tricky, but online reviews reveal a lot. It also helps if the names they work with are reputed leaders in their respective segment.
Be realistic about your salary expectations
Don’t settle for anything which is unacceptable, just so you can get a job. You will end up leaving as soon as you realize you can’t do with the meager pay that is offered.
Re-work your resume to fit the position
A lot of people have just one resume they use to apply for all jobs. This doesn’t help your job search from an employer point of view – they don’t quite see why they should hire you. You need to highlight skills and/or experience that is directly relevant to the job. If you are over-qualified, tell them why you would be a great fit, how your skills, education and experience can contribute to the company’s bottom line in a significant way.
Those are our top tips on finding the ideal temp job to match your interests and skills. Got any more to add? Share them in the comments. For those of you who are ready to get out there and find work, good hunting!
With the right approach, you could land that temp job faster than you expected!
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