Use temp position to your advantage

With the holiday season in full swing, there are plenty of temporary positions available to workers looking for a few extra bucks. In fact, according to the Employment Security Department, Washington retailers will add 14,600 workers during November and December to meet seasonal demands.

Companies that expand their workforce for the holidays (this includes tourism or hospitality businesses, in addition to retailers) usually offer flexible hours and employee discounts. However, if you are a career-minded professional, you may be more interested in the hidden benefit of seasonal employment: The chance to get your foot in the door with a company that you love and use the opportunity to land a permanent position.

It’s important to remember that seasonal businesses hire personnel to meet a temporary need, and they will say goodbye to holiday staff when that need goes away. Surely, you talked about this matter in your interview. But the good news is that you can make a great impression and prove that you will add value to the company over time, positioning yourself as a top contender for a future opening.

Maybe a full-time employee will give notice and plan to leave immediately after the holidays, suddenly creating a new job. Or perhaps the company will establish a new branch in early spring, and a new staff will be required.

Companies constantly grow and change. You never know what might happen, which is why you should present yourself as a serious job candidate from the get-go. Here are a few ideas that may help:

Be absolutely reliable. If you want to position yourself for a permanent role, arrive early, work efficiently and stay for your entire shift. This is the busiest time of year, and retailers and other seasonally oriented companies count on hardworking, dependable personnel. Be one of them.

Put in some extra effort. Some seasonal personnel arrive on the job, punch the clock, do the least amount of work that is possible during their assigned hours and then head home. If you genuinely care about the quality of your performance and you are willing to put in a little bit of extra time or energy to meet the company’s goals, you will surely stand out.

Introduce yourself to the boss. Instead of completing your job anonymously and then disappearing at the end of the day, introduce yourself. When you make a positive impact with customers and boost sales in your department (which you plan on doing, right?), your boss should know who did it.

Express your interest. Unless you say otherwise, your manager will assume that you look forward to leaving the company after the busy season ends. Express your interest in landing a permanent position, and tell your supervisor that you’d love to talk about opportunities as they arise.

If no jobs become available right away, don’t give up. Present your resume before your last day, and follow up in a few weeks to see if anything changed. If you keep the lines of communication open, you’ll be the person they think of when a new position comes along.

Send your job search questions to Eve.GetAJob@gmail.com.