To temp, or not to temp: Why becoming a temporary worker could be a sound career move

When it comes to stigmas, temporary workers are right up there. From ‘they’re obviously not good enough to have a “proper” job’, to ‘Temp work is a last resort and something that people do when they don’t actually know what they want to do,’ the perception of a temporary worker is often misleading and can see candidates missing out on a wealth of exciting career opportunities.

Over the next few minutes, we will attempt to debunk some of the myths that surround temporary working, and show you why this could and should be a consideration for your next career move:

1. “Employers are only interested in hiring people for the long term”

The events of the last few months can lay that argument to rest straight away. The coronavirus pandemic has forced employers to rethink their workforce, and many businesses are turning to temporary workers to help them during this challenging period. But their need for talent on a short-term basis won’t end there. As demand for the goods they produce and services they provide begins to rise once more, temporary workers will become even more sought after than they are now.

2. “Temporary workers get paid less than their permanent colleagues doing the same job”

Now that is a myth with bells, tinsel and flashing lights all wrapped around it. It simply isn’t true, but we understand how the myth has prevailed for so long. Employers often look to hire temporary workers to fill a short-term gap and this helps them to keep their costs to a minimum. For them, hiring the talent they need for a clearly defined period of time makes good business sense, while the employee themselves can quickly build up a portfolio of valuable experience.

3. “Being a temporary worker suggests a lack of commitment”

If we had a penny for every time we have heard this we’d, well, let’s just say the villa overlooking the sea with the yacht moored below would be where we’d be penning this article right now. The valuable experience we mentioned in the point above is precisely why employers use temporary workers in the first place because – they simply add value to the team and because they have performed similar roles before, they will likely hit the ground running. This makes temporary workers a highly desirable proposition for employers.

4. “Temporary roles never last longer than a few weeks”

Historically that was the case. However, the length of temporary assignments has increased in line with the number of roles being created and can last several months. Moreover, as we have discovered ourselves with many of the hundreds of temporary candidates who we have placed with employers, once your foot is in the door a range of new opportunities can open up for you. This could range from an extension of your existing contract to being offered a permanent role with greater responsibility (and higher pay!).

5. “Temporary workers aren’t good enough to get a proper job”

Ouch! Besides, what is a ‘proper’ job anyway? The days when a job was for life no longer exist, while the number of people working a traditional 9 to 5 is getting smaller and smaller. This is largely due to the increased demand for flexible working, with an estimated 70 per cent of millennial seeking to fit jobs that work around their lifestyles.

We’re the recruitment partner of choice for many of the Island’s premier employers. They trust us to help them find the right candidate to fill their Temporary roles.

Click here https://paragon.co.im/ to find out how we can help you with your job search.

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