Are you considering taking on temporary work but don’t know whether to take the leap? There are varying opinions when it comes to temporary employment. Some people may see it as an interim whilst searching for their next permanent role, whilst some prefer working on long-term temporary contracts altogether!

At the end of the day, the most important thing to decide is: is temporary work the right thing for you?

In this blog, we explore the key pros and cons of temporary contract work to help to make your decision a little bit easier.

 

Pros of temporary employment:

 

Skill Development

The temporary job that you have taken on may be slightly, or even totally different to the role you were in previously. With a keen interest and a will to develop, you can be sure that you will learn new skills that you have not yet come across.

With this in mind, there is a potential to receive highly beneficial training on the job providing you with valuable experience that you may have previously lacked.

Having brand new skills under your belt, instantly increases your value to potential future employers, becoming highly desirable as an employee with multiple skill sets.

Temping can be a fantastic way for you to gain the knowledge and experience to help you progress towards a long-term career.

 

Independence and Flexibility

Temporary roles can provide you with much more flexibility than permanent positions. Whilst permanent employees are bound by terms and conditions, you will have a lot more freedom. Some of the time employers will be happy to negotiate your working hours, allowing flexibility for your current schedule. This can come in really handy if you have priorities to attend to outside of work OR if you are actively working on a venture on the side.

It is important to note, however, that some employers will need your contract to consist of certain hours which are non-negotiable. Make sure that you are clear on this before starting so that you can ensure that these conditions suit you. 

 

Get your foot in the door

A huge benefit of working for a company on a temporary contract is that it allows you to get your foot in the door! During your time there, you will be learning relevant skills and meeting/networking with senior members of the business. 

Whilst temping, you can prove yourself to be a reliable worker who is committed and hardworking. Due to this, when positions become available, hiring managers may consider and favour you for the role considering you have already established yourself as a valuable member of the team.

Temp work gives you the opportunity to build your network and relationships with managers, who may also be happy to refer you for positions outside of their company too.

 

Fill employment gaps

Paid work is better than no work at all right?

If you have recently left your job, this could mean that you are struggling to find a means of bringing in income. We all know that jumping into a new permanent role isn’t easy and can take time.

Temp work can be a great way of filling the gap, ultimately providing you with financial stability whilst avoiding any noticeable CV gaps!

 

 

Cons of temporary employment:

 

Short Term Jobs

Temporary jobs tend to exist in order to support companies with short-term needs. As an example, for the Construction industry, this could be temporary cover for a worker who has taken some time off or work for a developer that has an end date attached. 

As discussed above, there is always a possibility that these can go on longer than expected, however, if you are looking for instant stability and security, temping may not be the way to go.

You can always consider temping long-term, however, it would be advisable to be one step ahead ensuring that you know where your next contract is going to be when the current one ends.

 

Lack of benefits

As a worker on a temporary contact you do not always access employee perks and advantages. This can include, no paid holidays, sick pay, pensions plans and more. 

This wouldn’t stop you from going ahead with some of these perks on your own, but important to note that it would be your responsibility to organise and fund. 

 

Requires Adaptability

Whilst working in your temp position, you may find that you are given jobs to complete that do not fall into your typical job description. Since you are an extra set of hands, you will need to be open to this, showing flexibility and adaptability to ensure success in these scenarios.

If you are someone who prefers comfort and to stay well within your typical job scope then temp work may not be for you. Though, we would encourage you to stay open to these situations, remember what we said about broadening your skillset above…

 

 

All in all there are both advantages and disadvantages of temporary employment. If you are in need of a quick solution to fill income gaps, broaden your skillset and enjoy working in ever-changing environments, then temp work could be the perfect direction for you to take. 

And whilst it initially may be a short-term fix for your needs, there is always a possibility for it to lead to bigger, better and more permanent work down the line.

If you would like to explore temporary work options in the Construction Industry, we suggest seeking assistance from a recruitment agency. Vision Personnel have an in-house team of experts ready to help you, with multiple temporary positions available. They will be able to find you a position that suits your needs and guide you from start to finish. You can register with them today and be well on your way to your next temporary contract!