Should You Accept A Temp-To-Hire Job?

You want a full-time job. You’re hoping to score a permanent position as quickly as possible. While you’re looking, you get offered a temp assignment, with the potential for a staff position in the future. Should you take it?

Your instinct might be to turn it down. You don’t want to get stuck in a career cul-de-sac, wasting time in a job you might not be able to keep for the long term. However, don’t walk away too quickly. There are plenty of strategic reasons why a temp-to-hire position might represent the best play for you.

Here are some of the benefits of accepting a temp-to-hire position:

Get Hired Faster

Companies can be reluctant to make full-time hires. For them, it’s a big commitment. In many circumstances, these firms feel much more comfortable bringing in temporary help. They can use this to supplement their current staff or complete short-term projects.

The good news for you is that the hiring process for these shorter-term assignments is more streamlined. Because of the lowered risk for the employer, you don’t have to jump through the same hoops to get hired.

Try Out the Position

Temporary positions lower the risk for companies. They provide the same benefit for workers as well. Just like the employer, you don’t have to make a long-term commitment when you start an assignment. This gives you a chance to try out the company before you have to make a serious commitment.

Think of a traditional full-time hire like an arranged marriage. You’re stuck with someone before you get to know them. Temp-to-hire positions are more like regular dating. You have an opportunity to learn about the company before you tie the knot, so to speak.

Broaden Your Horizons

It’s hard to break into new industries. Once you start piling up experiences on your resume, you can quickly become typecast in certain roles. It can be difficult to break out.

Temp-to-hire situations let you step out of your comfort zone. Because employers are less stringent about their hiring qualifications, you have the opportunity to get started in new areas.

More Flexibility

Permanent positions often come with a traditional eight-hour day, working something approximating 9 to 5. However, that type of schedule might not work for you. Or you might not be able to commit to a long-term situation right now.

Temp-to-hire roles allow you to split the difference. You gain the flexibility of temporary employment. However, you leave the door open for more traditional arrangements down the road. It gives you options as you plan your work/life balance going forward.

Build Your Resume While You Look

Collecting a diverse work history on your resume allows you to get better opportunities down the road. Temp-to-hire situations help you add these important experiences.

Along the way, you learn new skills and develop a knowledge of your chosen industry. At the same time, you set yourself up for a potential full-time gig in the future. But even if that long-term assignment doesn’t materialize, you earn some money and gained valuable experience along the way.

Whatever your career goals – temporary work, permanent hires, or temp-to-hire situations – a strong recruiting partner, like TriStarr, can steer you in the right direction.

Contact TriStarr today to find out how they can put you in the perfect position to maximize your long-term potential.