4 Reasons Why a Temporary Job Opportunity is Worth Accepting
After my LinkedIn announcement that I was leaving my employment at Checkmarx to pursue my career in another company, many people approached me to ask why (current Checkmarx’s employees, friends and followers). The reason is pretty simple: my contract was temporary from the beginning.
Back then, I didn’t publish this information because this is something that only matters to the employee and the employer. When I decided to join, I also decided that I was going to give it my best, as if my position was a permanent one. Why? Mainly because I was looking to develop myself, add value to the company and, consequently, be hired as a permanent employee.
Since my contract was temporary (initially for 6 months, then extended until the end of 2021), I recently decided to share this in a group of friends. I thought: “Who knows? Maybe they know someone looking for a professional with my skills”. And one did. A friend connected me to a VP HR she knows, and boom: the hiring process took place during the chaguim (holiday season in Israel, usually during September). The offer was better than the current one, so I decided to take a leap.
After 7.5 months of work as a Talent Marketing Specialist at Checkmarx, I feel that some of my goals were achieved. This feeling became constant during my entire employment period, due to the team’s feedback. Then, this became really clear to me after many calls, e-mails, and LinkedIn messages from employees (my internal customers).
Being a temporary employee has its disadvantages, such as less benefits, swags and no performance reviews, for instance. But, as I’m a person who loves to see the positive side of things and to understand my learnt lessons, I decided to share the reasons why I think it is worth accepting a temporary job opportunity.
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Following a quick search for “temporary jobs” in Israel, I found 103 open positions at LinkedIn and 114 at Glassdoor, as of today (October 10th, 2021). Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve perceived an increase in temporary position offers (not only for maternity leave replacement – you know, there was a huge baby boom during the pandemic, at least in Israel).
I’ve discussed this phenomenon (increase of temporary jobs in a time of ‘war for talents’) with some friends, but we didn’t reach any conclusion. Any reader who wants to contribute his or her thoughts would be appreciated. But, this is a fact: there are plenty of opportunities to join a good company as a temporary employee.
Below are what I consider reasonable reasons on why having a temporary job is worth your time and effort.
1- You can learn new skills
2- You expand your network
3- You have the opportunity to join a high-tech company
4- It’s easier to find a job when you’re employed
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You can learn new skills
When I joined Checkmarx, I had some previous experience using some tools, such as Canva (a very user-friendly graphic design platform) and managing a LinkedIn Business page, for instance.
But, during the first month working at Checkmarx, I had the challenge to edit a homemade video recorded by an employee and make it look professional to use on a paid campaign on LinkedIn. I used Canva to edit it and the result was good enough. This was my first paid campaign on LinkedIn ever! I had a short training with a specialist and also took some time to study and improve the use of this great tool with time.
In the second month, I identified the need to have a new LinkedIn showcase page exclusively for HR content, so the page Life@Checkmarx was planned and launched by me (with the support of the Internal Communication team, who took the responsibility of the page afterwards).
For each post I created for the Life@Checkmarx LinkedIn page, I had to read and learn about the best strategies on being a top-notch business page user. For example, learn which kind of posts usually receive more impressions/reactions. Then, I used Canva to create a variety of types of posts (image, video, document, etc). So, I was able to hone 2 great skills that are very in demand in the current era (social media).
The examples could go on, but I think I gave a very clear picture of the advantages I see in being a temporary employee and learning and developing new skills. And having that kind of experience was something unique in my next professional challenge!
You expand your network
The first set of people I met during my short stay at Checkmarx was the HR team. During the first weeks I was working there, I was invited to join a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activity with the Israeli team. We met on a beach to help clean it after an ecological disaster that polluted most of Israel’s coastline. This was the first time I met the team face to face, as the office was closed when I joined Checkmarx due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I really felt very welcomed by everybody, but especially by the VP HR, who started chatting with me and mentioned that she loves Brazil! (Remember, Israelis usually love to meet Olim Chadashim and to learn about their stories. So, take advantage of that!).
The second group of people I met comprised the hiring managers, and part of my responsibilities was for them to share our open positions with their network. Then, there are the people I met casually during a coffee break in the cafeteria (every company in Israel has at least one cafeteria!). Add to that list, suppliers or potential suppliers that I talked to for a specific project I was leading, not to mention the employees I first met only virtually on LinkedIn (engaging with my posts on Life@Checkmarx) and then face to face (some of the employees I still had to meet virtually because they’re located in different countries).
The opportunities of meeting new people are there, and it’s up to you to build a trusted relationship. I’m pretty sure I have a much stronger network in the high-tech industry than I had before joining Checkmarx, which brings me to the next advantage of accepting a temporary job.
You have the opportunity to join a high-tech company
If you took a look at the link I shared of companies that have temporary positions open today, you’ll see that 80% of those positions are in high-tech companies. Companies like Taboola and Outbrain (AdTech), PayPal and Payoneer (FinTech), Cognyte and Imperva (Cybersecurity) have temporary positions open at this moment.
When my former manager, Shay Dorfman, decided to hire me at Checkmarx, he told me this was a 6-month temporary position. Honestly, I was afraid to take this opportunity because I had just finished another temporary contract, where I wasn’t hired in the end. But I decided it was better to take the chance and work for a unicorn global cybersecurity company. And it paid off. I had my personal and professional story shared in 2 local media: La Isha and Israel Hayom.
By taking your chances and accepting a temporary position, you’re opening that door you’re looking for to break into tech in a no coding or programming position.
It’s easier to find a job when you’re employed
Well, let’s be honest! We all know it’s much easier to find a job when you’re employed. It’s a sad truth, but it’s the reality. My main advice here is: work as if this is a permanent position! Plan your future in the company together with your manager and work to reach the position’s goals. Deliver your best job ever! This way, I’m sure you’ll make an impact and people will probably want to keep you on the team.
In my specific case, my 6-month contract was extended until the end of the year, but with low chances of obtaining a permanent position that would fit my skills and aspirations. Even though they couldn’t offer me a permanent position, I’m sure I made an impact!
I wasn’t looking for a job when my friend connected me with the VP HR at the new company I’m joining today. But they offered me a better opportunity to develop myself and to move forward in my career. And I accepted it and am looking forward to it!
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Did you find an interesting temporary position that matches your profile? Don’t forget to find someone to refer you internally before you apply through the career website or LinkedIn Jobs. I shared my tips on how the Referral Program works, who to look for and where to find them and how it’s the best approach here.
I hope you enjoyed and learned something new with this blog post! If you did, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a comment!