對于以前的用人單位而言,簡歷上出現臨時工的字樣就像是發出了一個危險信號。位于曼哈頓的獵頭公司Ducci & Associates的首席執行官杰基·杜奇說:“看到‘臨時工’這個詞,人們往往會覺得‘失敗者才會做這種工作’或‘無法找到一個真正工作的人才會做這種工作’。”杜奇還著有《差點被聘用:你和心儀的工作之間差了點什么》(Almost Hired: What’s Really Standing Between You and the Job You Want)。 今時不同往日。“我經常推薦人們做做臨時工,尤其是那些還不太確定自己到底想干什么的應屆畢業生。”杜奇說,“對于那些想試試新崗位的人而言,這也是個好辦法。在感興趣的領域做做臨時工,讓你能有機會‘先試后買’。” 與此同時,招聘者在苦苦尋找對口人才的過程中,如今也更愿意考慮聘用臨時工或以前曾經做過臨時工的求職者來填補長期崗位的空缺。幾個月前,金融人力資源公司Accountemps對多個行業近3000名高級經理進行了調查,其中近四分之三(71%)的受訪者表示,現在他們發現,即便求職者長期從事臨時工作,他們的能力與長期從事全職工作的競爭對手也不相上下。 不僅如此,該報告還指出,愿意用臨時雇員暫時填補特定項目職位空缺或者在合適的全職候選人出現之前臨時填補職位空缺的雇主比兩年前增加了53%。 這個合適的全職候選人可能就是你。假設你正在頂替一位正在休產假的員工,而她決定不回來上班了。如果你在這個崗位上表現出色,那么這份工作可能就是你的了。“我知道有很多公司,他們之前從沒有想過要通過臨時工服務中介招聘,最后卻對招到的臨時雇員十分滿意,進而提供了一份長期工作。”杜奇說,“如果有一個完全能夠勝任、熟悉這份工作而且想要這份工作的人已經坐在這個位置上了,何必還要去苦苦尋覓其他人呢?” 杜奇在《差點被聘用》一書中指出,臨時工更容易脫穎而出。“與獵頭和招聘人員不同的是,臨時工中介機構往往會代理幾乎所有有資格提交簡歷的人。他們每周都要工作很長時間,仍然難以找到足夠可靠的求職者。”她補充道,如果你不僅可靠,而且“得體、專業、有能夠拿上臺面的技能”,很可能會成為炙手可熱的人選,能夠穩定獲得工作機會。 對于應屆畢業生和尚未選定職業道路的晚熟者來說,在這待上幾個月,在那待上幾周,再在其他地方待上幾天,是一個了解不同行業、不同人群和企業文化的機會。杜奇說:“每一次經歷都能幫助你理清你理想中的工作和雇主是什么樣的。” 這樣做可以避免犯一些代價高昂的錯誤。比如說,假設你剛剛本科畢業,在去法學院深造之前,你選擇和一家專門為律師事務所提供臨時工的中介機構簽約。還有什么更好的方法能像這樣近距離地了解律師們日常工作生活的真相呢?你可能會喜歡,對加入這個你已經置身其中的行業感到更加激動。然而,你也可能會意識到當律師會讓你覺得很痛苦。如果是后者,這樣你就已經省下了三年相當艱辛的讀書生活(也可能還有一筆新的學生貸款),還省下了日后找一份和專業完全不同的工作的麻煩。 長期打臨時工唯一真正存在的風險是,有一天你可能會遇到這樣一些招聘經理——Accountemps的調查顯示,29%的招聘經理仍然對不斷跳槽的求職者持有懷疑態度。“如果面試官問你為什么還沒有在一個地方‘安定下來’,你可以誠實地說你已經安定下來了,因為你已經為同一家臨時工招聘中介機構工作了很長時間。”杜奇指出,“你的真正雇主是(或者曾經是)這家臨時工中介機構,而不是它的短期客戶。” 她建議,你可以接著解釋一下你為什么喜歡為這家中介機構工作(如果你真喜歡的話),并談談“你積累的經驗如何幫助你決定下一步的職業發展,以及如何讓你成為現在正在面試的這份工作的合適人選。”(財富中文網) 譯者:Agatha |
A spell of temping on a resume used to be a red flag to prospective employers. “When the word ‘temp’ came up, people would react with ‘That’s for losers,’ or ‘That’s for people who can’t get a real job’,” notes Jackie Ducci, CEO of Manhattan-based recruiters Ducci & Associates and author of an insightful new book, Almost Hired: What’s Really Standing Between You and the Job You Want. Those days are gone. “I often recommend temping, especially for new grads who haven’t quite figured out yet what they want to do,” Ducci says. “It can also be a great idea for people who want to explore new careers. Working as a temp in a field that interests you gives you a chance to ‘try before you buy.’” Meanwhile, employers struggling to find enough available talent are more willing these days to consider hiring current or former temps for permanent full-time openings. A few months ago, when finance staffing company Accountemps surveyed almost 3,000 senior managers across a wide range of industries, nearly three-quarters (71%) said they now see even candidates with long histories of temporary work as comparable to those who worked in full-time jobs. Not only that, but the same report says 53% more employers than two years ago are using temps to fill in for a while on specific projects, or as stopgaps until the right full-time candidate comes along. The right full-time candidate just might be you. Let’s say you’re filling in for a new mom who’s out on maternity leave, and she decides not to come back. If you’ve done a great job standing in for her, that permanent job might be yours for the asking. “I’ve seen plenty of companies who never really planned on hiring through a temp agency wind up so pleased with their interim hire that they offer that person a job,” says Ducci. “Why go conduct a full search if they have a perfectly capable person, who knows the job and wants to be there, already sitting in the seat?” It’s relatively easy to stand out as a star when you’re temping, Ducci notes in Almost Hired. “Unlike headhunters and recruiters, temp agencies will tend to represent pretty much anyone remotely qualified who submits a resume. They have tons of hours they need to cover each week, and it’s hard to find enough reliable people.” Assuming you’re not only dependable but “presentable and professional, with skills to bring to the table,” she adds, you’ll probably be in demand and working steadily. For new grads and late bloomers who haven’t yet chosen a career path, spending a few months here, a few weeks there, and a few days somewhere else is a chance to get to know lots of different businesses, people, and workplace cultures. “Every experience will help you figure out what you want in your ideal position and employer,” Ducci says. That can prevent some costly mistakes. Suppose, for instance, you’ve just earned a four-year degree and , before heading off to law school, you opt to sign on with an agency that specializes in providing temps to law firms. What better way to get a close-up look at the nitty-gritty of how attorneys actually spend their days? You may love it, and get even more charged up about joining the profession than you already were. Then again, you may realize that practicing law would make you miserable. In that case, you’ve just saved yourself three fairly grueling years of school (and possibly a fresh pile of student debt), and the hassle of looking for a whole different line of work later on. The only real risk of temping for more than a few months is that you might someday run into one of those hiring managers —29%, according to the Accountemps poll— who still look askance at job candidates who’ve hopped around from one company to another. “If an interviewer asks you why you haven’t ‘settled down’ in one place, you can honestly say that you did, by working for the same temp agency for however long it was,” Ducci points out. “The agency is, or was, your actual employer —not its short-term clients.” Then, she suggests, explain why you liked working for that agency (if in fact you did), and talk a bit about “how the overall experience helped you figure out your next career move —and how it made you a great fit for this job that you’re interviewing for right now.” Sweet. |