Temporary workers are on the rise in popularity. A sector of employment that was once looked down upon as ‘not as good’ as full-time or permanent work, temporary or contract work is becoming more and more commonplace. A whopping 15 million workers in the U.S. were considered to be contract or temporary in 2017, and that number is on the steady incline. Another study showed that most jobs created in the last ten years in the U.S. were of the contract, alternative nature, while a poll taken by NPR indicated that 1 in 5 jobs held in the U.S. were under contract. With all of these stats indicating that the temporary workforce is on the rise, there must be some huge benefits to taking a less traditional career approach.

At LPC Personnel, we take pride in helping job seekers find their next position, and with the current state of the contract-heavy job market, this often this means recruiting for temporary positions. So whether you are looking for some temporary work in between full-time positions or looking to make the switch to ‘full-time temporary’, here are our top 10 advantages to temporary or contract work.

1. Enjoy Flexibility

By definition, temporary work is exactly that: temporary. Less commitment is required from its workers, it often does not abide by the typical 9-5 work week, and is more accommodating to individual availability. This allows more wiggle room with start dates, end dates and unexpected changes in availability, all which serve to suit you better. It also allows you to put more time into searching for a more permanent role.

2. Free to Take Time Off

Typically, permanent jobs require weeks of notice before scheduling time off, and sometimes those requests can be rejected if more than one employee wants the same block of time off. In contrast, getting time off from temporary employment is as simple as not re-signing a contract. The flexibility of having a healthy work-play balance is very appealing to a lot of job seekers, and is definitely a huge draw to contract work.

3. Multiple Profit Streams

In addition to temporary work being flexible, it also opens up the doors to a new type of income that is increasingly popular in today’s workforce: multiple profit streams. The traditional 9-5 isn’t for everybody and it is very common for people to have multiple sources of income, and having the flexibility of temporary work allows for more time to pursue different ventures. In fact, some people turn multiple contract or part-time positions into their long-term career structure.

4. Filling Resume Gaps

It’s no secret that large gaps of time on resumes don’t exactly look good to employers. Regardless of the reason, it does invite some questions that could easily be avoided with temporary work. Even if the temp work is not in keeping with the field of rest of your resume, it shows that you made a choice to not take a large amount of time off from working in between jobs, showing hard-work and dedication – key characteristics to almost every employer.

5. Work Towards Full-Time Work

Doing contract work can also help turn those temporary resume gap-fillers into full time positions. A temporary job may not necessarily lead to a full-time position with the same company, but a series of contracts in a similar field will eventually build a body of work that could make you qualified for a permanent job in that industry. Remember, temporary work no longer has the same stigma it once had – it is legitimate, necessary and important work.

6. Find Your Career Calling

Sometimes, temporary work isn’t necessarily aligned with your career aspirations. But other times, it can help steer you in directions that you had never considered before! Whether it helps you decide that this is definitely something you want to pursue, or definitely something you do not want to pursue, the commitment-light nature of temp work can allow you to test-drive a few different options and help you pin-point what your true career calling might be.

7. Learn New Skills

Sometimes temp work will be in a very particular industry, but the job doesn’t necessarily require past experience in that field. This means you can learn a new set of skills that you probably would not be exposed to under different circumstances. Even if you don’t use them in your next career move, there is virtually no downside to learning a new skill. You never know when it may come in handy!

8. Enjoy a Variety of Work

Doing the same job for years can be ideal for some people, but to others, it can quickly become mundane and boring. Contract work allows you to try out a variety of different types of work without committing to a full-time employment. Perhaps you have a background in retail sales, but want to get your hands dirty with some manual labour, or maybe you want to experience office culture – the variety of temporary work knows no limits!

9. Expand Your Network

If you’re taking a temporary position to supplement your income or keep you busy while looking for a more permanent role, use it as a chance to network with others who may be in the same situation. Be sure to connect with your managers, too – even if you move on from a temporary job, you can at least lock in a good reference for your next interview.

10. Good Money

If you are bridging the gap between permanent positions, temporary work is certainly a good way to ensure a paycheck is coming in every week. And due to the often urgent nature in which temp workers are needed, it can be really good, and sometimes better, compensation overall than a permanent placement.

Think you’re ready to take on the world of contract work? Feel free to reach out to a recruiter at LPC Personnel to find your next temporary position.