Temping Your Way To a Better Career
Building expertise and expanding on skill sets is a key source of job satisfaction for many - but the potential for this is hard to gauge when we commit to a new job. Is it going to be a life-affirming career path - or a soul-destroying dead end?
It’s a pertinent question, because training and career development are important to at least 44% of us, making this some discouraging news: a 2023 study by LHH found that more than half of workers are dissatisfied with their current employer’s training/upskilling and career prospects.
How about developing a broad and relevant set of skills before you embark on a committed vocation – by temping?
Working for a number of different companies will teach you to be nimble in pivoting from role to role – and also give you exposure to a wide range of different methods, platforms and systems. Every contract assignment you have, whether it’s for six months or just a few weeks, offers up the opportunity to learn and grow. Each assignment concluded is an extra tool in your career backpack.
Another perk is the chance to build your network. Personal connections have launched many a successful career, and social media has only amplified this trend. Temping for different employers will massively boost your LinkedIn - and real life - connections, meaning you’re more likely to be in the loop when a job comes up that you may want to keep.
After making the most of every opportunity during your contract, aim to get a departing debrief with your manager. An exchange about your experiences with the firm and how you performed for them – what worked well and where might you improve – is highly valuable. A manager might even offer some tips on where to go next to further build your skills and polish your employability.
And how about giving yourself a debrief at the end? What have you learned about the skills most valued in that workplace? What training might help you to progress further in your next role? Where can you find the resources?
You’re not ‘merely’ a temp. You’re a worker who means business.
