Many Americans have spent their whole lives hearing that college would prepare them for full-time work, a steady career, and eventually retirement.
Unfortunately, the dream for many recent graduates seems to be a bit unrealistic as more and more of them are forced to accept temporary jobs that usually pay by the hour and rarely include health or retirement benefits.
“A survey of companies with more than 1,000 employees by Staffing Industry Analysts found they expect 18% of their workforces to be made up of temps, freelancers or contract workers this year, up from 16% in 2012.” – USA Today
And unfortunately, that’s not the most damming of the data. Now, around 12% of those employed in the United States are temporary workers, but of the jobs created in 2013, almost 25% were staffed by temporary employment.
Something is Better Than Nothing Though, Right?
Definitely. There’s no question that the millions of temporary workers here in the United States are better off than they would be if they were completely unemployed, but it’s not exactly a treat for them either. Temporary employment may pay a decent hourly wage, but when you’re covering your own healthcare and trying to save a bit as well, you might lose 30% to 50% of that income off the top.
Still, for young, recent graduates, this trend towards temporary work might not be such a bad thing.
First, your healthcare is likely covered under your parents’ policy (assuming they have it). Second, it really might be a good thing for you to spend just a few months in a variety of jobs early in your career. You don’t necessarily need the stability, and jumping around between industries or locations might give you a better idea who you really are.
Remember, You Don’t Want Temporary Employment Forever
Unless your plan is to hop around at entry-level temp jobs for the rest of your life, you will want to work on settling down a little bit within the first decade of your career. There’s nothing wrong with taking your 20′s to soak up some experience, but as you age and your life goals change, you’ll want to make a transition into something more stable.
And that’s where the news about increasing temporary employment is a bit scary.
People working in temporary jobs are often paid less because their work leans towards the entry-level end of the spectrum. If you spend too much time in temporary employment, you run the risk of hitting an age where you’re practically unemployable, and that can be a scary thing. In order to make the transition out of temporary work and into your own permanent desk, here are a few tips from people with more experience in the temp world:
“Large companies expect and encourage you to be active in managing your career. It is very likely that a Fortune 500 company will have an intranet site and it will probably have a vacancies board, so get on that site and look for internal vacancies that you’re suitable for.” -Tatiana Estévez, CEO and Co-Founder of Skullopener
“Make it known that you want to stay with the company, ask if there are any positions that may be available and ask how you can apply for it. If you don’t ask for it then it will never be a possibility.” - Julie Kind, Senior Marketing Specialist at Revl
“Be clear about your interest to the company and be productive. Hope for conversion but don’t stop interviewing at backup companies.” - Charles Jo, Recruiter
As with most jobs, if you do it well and find a way to make yourself indispensable to the company, it’s hard for them to kick you to the curb. Still, you must be assertive and confident.
Have your own tips for transitioning from temporary to full-time employment? Have you made the switch yourself? I’d love to hear your comments below.