Part-time jobs can pave the way to attractive career opportunities if you play your cards right. They add valuable work experience to your CV which could put you on the fast-track to achieving your career goals. It could also help you get your foot in the door by introducing you to key industry people with the power to launch your career in the right direction. 

The share of part-time jobs has been growing around the world thanks to factors like economic volatility and automation. Once predominant among students looking for extra income and homemakers with some free time on their hands, ‘temping’ now attracts a cross-section of people from all walks of life—from skilled accounting professionals to full-time technical employees working secondary jobs in a bid to boost their income. 

Irrespective of which category of the workforce you belong to, temping could be your passport to a successful career in a chosen field provided it is backed by a smart strategy. Below we outline six scenarios where employees can use temping to get ahead in their professional life and realise their career ambitions. 

• Getting a Permanent Job

Many companies work on a temp-to-hire model where temporary workers are employed with a view to hiring them on a permanent basis. This is a win-win situation for both the employer and employee as all stand to benefit in the end. 

Even jobs with no explicit temp-to-hire arrangement come with the potential of being converted into permanent opportunities. But remember that you have to prove your worth by doing valuable work in the organisation before you are considered for a permanent role. Temping can also be an attractive option for workers who are currently out of a job. Apart from bringing some earnings, it can help them fill the employment gap on their CV and remain viable in the job market. 

• Facilitating Career Change

Carrying out a successful career change needs a robust strategy. A career change done right is often the result of considerable thought and reflection, planning, strategising, networking, and of course, gathering job experience. 

A part-time job can help you get this last bit in order by helping you gain job experience. Career changers find it particularly difficult to gather experience because few employers are willing to trust an industry newcomer. Part-time jobs can play an important bridge role in this situation by enabling you to gather valuable experience in the target industry. Since employment laws now enable full-timers to simultaneously work secondary part-time jobs in the UAE, you may choose to temp alongside your permanent job thus ensuring that you do not have to sacrifice your income.  

• Staying Current with Your Skills

The thing about specialised job skills is that they need to be honed through constant practice. Part-time jobs are an excellent option for skilled specialists who are on a career break, to stay in touch with their profession. This includes doctors, engineers, programmers, accountants, and others. Whether you are on a study break, raising a child, or on a plain and simple sabbatical, temping for a few hours each week can help you stay current with your skills and keep abreast of new industry developments.

• Kick-Starting Your Graduate Career 

Temping is common among students where many of them take up low-skilled jobs such as dog-walking, baby-sitting and waiting tables to finance their pocket money. Yet such jobs don’t really help you to get ahead in your career. A better option is to choose a job that is in line with your career aspirations. For example, if you want to take up a career in academics, home tutoring or online tutoring could be a sensible part-time option. Many job opportunities are available both in the UAE and outside which could embellish your CV while also bringing additional income. Some examples are:  

• Freelance writer/designer
• Web/mobile developer
• Event planner
• Transcriptionist
• Social media marketer

Students should look out for opportunities that are in line with their career goals instead of taking up the first available part-time job. The right decision could give you a big head start in terms of your career!