Many Texans take temporary jobs to learn new skills, get a “foot in the door” with a top employer, or simply to pay the bills while planning their next long-term career move. Don’t be tempted to treat a temporary job as disposable: with the right focus on your career planning, a temp job can lead the way to more challenging, fulfilling, and permanent work.
Here are six career rules to live by during your next temporary placement:
- Work like you’re permanent. Don’t think of yourself as “just the temp,” and don’t let your work show it. Instead, do your work as if you’re a newly hired permanent employee who is already striving for an outstanding annual performance review. When you turn in your best work, your employer will be encouraged to think of you as a full-fledged and fully contributing member of the team – not just “the temp.”
- Make new friends…. A temporary job offers an unparalleled opportunity to network. At a temp job, you’re doing more than simply making connections: you have the chance to demonstrate your skills in a real-world setting and to accomplish goals that your new connections can see. Your ability to organize work, manage time, and communicate can be experienced, not just described. Seize the opportunity to build these connections every day you work.
- …but keep the old. Don’t put your networking or job search on hold for temp work. Remember to stay connected to your professional network by chatting with current contacts, updating your LinkedIn profile and other social media channels with news of your new job, and connecting new co-workers with professional contacts who can help them solve problems.
- Learn new things. A temporary position offers the chance to expand your skill set by focusing on a project or area of professional work you may not have tried before. Take every chance you can to learn new skills. Volunteer to join projects or to handle work outside the requirements of your position. Your abilities will grow, making your future job applications even stronger.
- Keep track of your accomplishments. As you complete tasks, reach goals, and receive compliments, don’t forget to keep a record so you can show future interviewers how you developed your career skills during your temporary job. When you finish a task or reach a goal, write it down. If you receive a compliment or thank you in an email, print out a physical copy. Use this evidence to update your resume with your newest accomplishments.
- Stay in touch with your recruiter. The more your recruiter knows about what does and does not work for you in a temporary position, the better he or she can match you with temporary or permanent employers in the future. Don’t forget to update your recruiter about your progress several times during your temporary job, and to mention when you’ll start looking for a new position again.
At Burnett’s Staffing, our recruiters focus on matching you with the right job today – and tomorrow. Contact us today to learn more about our great career opportunities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.