Staffing News
Posted By : Peter Learn
December 9th, 2023
Is permanent really permanent?
Everybody wants to have stability in their life, especially from their job. A permanent job allows people to make financial and lifestyle choices and create some certainty. But what does permanent really mean?
There are three types of positions that usually come across my desk: temporary, contract and permanent. Most of the people that I work with are looking for permanent positions and are very leery about temporary positions.
I was working with a candidate who had two offers to choose from. One was permanent position and the other was an 18-month contract. The environment of the company with the permanent position was not really a match. The work was also less challenging. The contract role was almost a perfect fit and the work was more interesting.
The candidate did not even want to consider the temporary job, even though they would not be comfortable or challenged in the permanent role. I had the candidate create a list of pros and cons on paper, and it became very clear that there were almost no pros to the permanent role other than it being permanent. The candidate ended up accepting the contract position. Once it was complete, it did not take them long to find a "permanent" position because they had excelled and really expanded their skill-set.
Companies will do what is best for their bottom line, the same way that employees will do what is best for themselves and their family. If a budget changes or cost cutting measures are put in place, your permanent position can become non-permanent in a hurry. Conversely, a temporary position can often become permanent if the employer sees passion and drive.
When comparing positions look at the following to help you decide:
- Does the environment fit with my personality, approach, values, etc?
- Will the work be challenging and help me to grow my skill set?
- Is the VP, Manager, Supervisor or Team Lead someone that I can work well with and use as a resource to improve?
- What are the short and long-term benefits of the experience that I will either gain or lose in the job?
Don't be scared of temporary roles. Sometimes they end up being a great avenue for growth and change.
