As a job seeker, you may be conflicted by which employment model to choose: a temporary or a permanent position? The path you choose to follow may have a serious impact on your lifestyle, interests, and plans for the future, so it’s better to weigh the potential pros and cons of both career options before you commit. In this blog post, BUSY explores the positive and negative aspects of permanent and temp jobs to empower your employment decision.
The Key Difference between Temporary and Permanent Engagement
Temporary recruitment is a position under which you are hired by an employer for a designated, often short-term, period. A temporary job can last anywhere from hourly work to a few days, weeks, or as long as a specific project goes on.
Essentially, the length of a temporary occupation depends on how long your employer needs your services. In the days of economic uncertainty, many companies offer short-term on-demand employment as this helps them to effectively scale up and down their teams to better adapt to the changed market situation. Freelance and contract-based roles also refer to short-term work, (the freelance form of employment means that a worker is actually on the employer’s payroll, yet for a designated period).
Workers also have their reasons to look for a temporary role. For instance, a person needs to gain experience in a specific niche by performing a series of temporary jobs. Or, an individual wishes to maintain the lifestyle they are accustomed to, so the temp engagement better suits their schedule. The third needs temporary roles to earn a living after an extended period of unemployment.
Comparatively, a permanent job is a long-term salaried position, either full-time or part-time, that doesn’t establish a determined ending of the labor contract. A permanent employee can work for the given organization for as long as they wish, or until they are dismissed for whatever reason. The permanent job agreement specifies the precise number of hours the permanent employee must work each week.
The common motives that drive people to pursue permanent occupation generally include the desire to build a career in a certain industry segment or take advantage of healthcare and retirement benefits offered by a particular employer.
Benefits And Drawbacks Of Temporary Employment
Whereas a permanent role ties you to one company (unless your company terminates the labor relationship), temp engagement grants you greater flexibility. As you are obliged to work for the company for a definite amount of time, after completing your tasks, you are free as a bird with a pocket full of money. Yes, short-term on-demand work usually allows you to earn quickly, which can help cover some of your expenses. As a rule, temporary jobs pay more than nine-to-five roles, yet only during a defined period.
With a temporary role, you can work at hours that are most convenient for you. It means temporary employment can easily fit your schedule, no matter how busy it is.
Since you provide your services for the company for a short period, you can not bother yourself with digging into office politics and concentrate on fulfilling your work duties.
If you hesitate about which sphere you want to build a career in, you can try your hands in different business spheres and take on various professions before choosing the right path.
On the flip side, a temporary job does not guarantee a stable source of income for an extended period. There is no certainty that your employer will offer you a permanent job once a temporary contract is over.
Also, on-demand workers are usually not offered the same benefits as the permanent staff. A temp employee is often not qualified for paid time off or sick leave. It means a temporary member cannot take a break or recover from illness without worrying about missing a salary or being kicked off.
Discover the top on-demand job options in the USA.
Benefits And Drawbacks Of Permanent Employment
There are many perks behind a permanent job, including health insurance, paid vacations, and knowing how much you will get at the end of the month. If you opt for a permanent path, you will obtain financial security and be able to plan your budget in accordance with the stipulated salary.
Moreover, with a permanent job, an employee can lay the foundation for a brilliant career in one company. If a worker proves their worthiness in a permanent role, they can quickly move up the career ladder and end up with a huge salary to facilitate a lavish lifestyle.
A stable financial position ensured by a permanent job is still tarnished by a few pitfalls. For example, your work-personal life balance can be compromised as you have to spend the whole day in the office, not to mention the possibility of working unsociable hours. Overload can take a toll on your family’s happiness and diminish social engagements.
Apart from that, permanent employment often requires performing monotonous tasks, which may eventually translate into continuous mental distress and burnout. There is also a risk of developing occupational diseases if you occupy a position for long.
Frequently, a permanent job will come with a termination notice period that firmly binds you to your contract before you can quit. If you have not read the fine print before, you may be shocked to discover that your employer establishes a notice period of 6 months!
How to make up your mind?
Your safest course of action is to determine what matters most to you and weigh this against the merits and limitations mentioned above.
Temporary work presents you with leading a life of freedom and flexibility, although with a higher degree of uncertainty.
Still, if financial security matters and you desire to follow a particular career route, a permanent position might be a wiser choice for you.
