My problem is that I have been temping since graduating with roles from a few weeks to period of 6-7 months. I am really worried that when I try to go for permanent jobs they will not take me seriously as I have been temping for such a long time.

Please help!
Jigna R

The Career Guru says:

Back in the time when temping was the reserve of gap-year students and seasonal workers, there was a definite split between those who ‘temped’ and those who didn’t. Nowadays there is much less of a distinction which has come about for a couple of reasons.

As we now work in an increasingly global marketplace, any financial crises across the world has a knock on effect for countless businesses. In recent years, the collapse of the ‘Dot Com Bubble’, the September 11th attacks and the subprime mortgage financial crisis are just some of the more high profile occurrences.

When companies have financial issues, one of the short-term fixes often used to retain profits is to reduce the number of employees. When cutting a workforce, the easiest (and cheapest) place to begin is with temporary workers so many companies are taking on a higher percentage of employees on temporary contracts to guard against the tough times.

Secondly, with so many specialist roles around and with competition for the best candidates high, it’s a ‘candidates market’ so people can take on short-term projects for big rewards and then move onto the next high paying role. If you are able to suggest to other employers with your CV that you were working for companies in more of a consultancy type role rather than as a regular temp, you’re sure to turn a few heads.

In short, companies are well aware of why people temp and don’t see perennial tempers as unemployable on a permanent basis.

In your question you don’t say which industry or position you are working in, but I’d suggest taking a look at your CV before approaching companies about permanent roles to ensure you’re marketing your skills effectively.

Rather than listing every job you’ve had and your achievements within each, you may wish to group positions together into either similar roles or industries so the reader can see what you’ve done and what you’ve learnt over more significant time periods.

Don’t forget that your CV is just a document that will get you the interview. Leave out long explanations as to why you were temping for such a long time and why you now want to go permanent. Focus on the wide range of skills and experiences you will have learnt across your various positions.