Creativity: the new buzzword in down times. Staffing companies are looking for new ways to be flexible with clients and job seekers are finding they also must be flexible to seize opportunity. This means being open to positions they may not have considered prior – including temporary positions.
Take for example a management-level professional who approached one of our staffing company clients for work. This candidate was laid off earlier this year while living and working in Las Vegas.
Willing to explore new options outside of her core skills and stage in career, she called the owner of one of our client’s staffing companies (who she met once 10 years ago) and explained her goals.
Our client’s company found a contract position for her that was not a managerial position; however, this candidate was open to all possibilities and was even willing to relocate for anything that seemed promising.
She accepted the contract position and worked hard to demonstrate her skills and dedication to success. When the contract ended, her value was apparent and her sales skills were front and center.
This presented a unique opportunity for her in another market; the staffing company that found her the contract felt she would be an asset to the staffing company itself, and she was offered a full-time position as a business development manager in San Diego.
Because of her willingness to reinvent herself professionally, a contract aka temp position opened the doors for something more. The moral of the story for job seekers:
· Use your network
· Get in touch and reconnect with old acquaintances
· Be open to the fact that you may need to take a step back to get ahead
· Do not be afraid of contract, independent contractor, temp-to-hire or part-time work
· Be open to new fields and locations to expand your horizons
· Capitalize on transferable skills to open up the doors to more possibilities
It’s important that staffing companies are communicating these ideas to their candidates. Job seekers in these times must humble themselves in order to create a future – even though it can be a tough pill to swallow.
But the way a staffing company presents these types of positions can make all the difference. Highlighting the potential outcome of any one assignment is the key to opening minds and doors.
