So You Think a Short-Term Role Will Hurt Your Career?

One of the biggest misconceptions in the job search game is that a short-term or temporary or contract position will hurt your career.

I couldn’t disagree more.

 It’s tough out there. It feels more competitive than ever. And it is as the average corporate job receives 250 applications.  

One of the things I wish job seekers would consider is that there is more than one route to land your dream job. Yes, you can absolutely do the work to stand out and land your dream, full-time, permanent job but I want to encourage you to consider that there is another path to that dream job. That path is to enter your dream company in a short-term role.

Here are 3 big reasons you should consider a short-term role as your next career move:

1.     A short-term role is the perfect way to showcase what you can do. Typically, short-term roles last anywhere from 3 to 12 months. That is a substantial amount of time to prove what you are capable of.

2.     A short-term role is a great opportunity to build relationships within the company so when a full-time, permanent position opens up, you are in a great place to go after it. How many times has an ‘internal’ candidate been the lead candidate and ended up being the one who gets hired? More times than I can count. That could be you.

3.     In a short-term role, you have the opportunity to try out the company and see if it’s a good fit for you. Sometimes people forget that the decision for a longer-term hire works both ways. What is right for you matters as much as what is right for the company.

Many of my most successful students and clients got their big break into their dream company by starting in a short-term position and then turning that into a full-time role.

Want more ideas on how to land your dream job search? Check my book (it’s on sale on Amazon!) or my my online course (it’s 50% off until 10/16!)