In the beginning, you were curious about the prospect of taking a temporary job because it allowed you to bring home a paycheck while learning a new job — and the lack of long-term commitment felt like a good idea. What if you didn’t like the job or your coworkers?
But now you’ve spent time there and everything is great. You love the work, you get along great with your coworkers and you can see yourself spending a long time in this position. 

So how do you go about making this temp job a permanent one? 

It starts by demonstrating the right attitude — being willing to pitch in and help, showcasing an eagerness to learn and be a valuable, contributing member to the team, and showing up, every day and in all ways possible, for the people you work with. Being present and on time every day shows you’re committed to doing your part and not letting people down. It also means doing everything in your power to complete your tasks correctly and on time to help keep everyone else on your team moving in the right direction, on pace to complete all projects on time and without any setbacks. 

This can be phrased another way: Humble, hungry and smart. Let’s take a closer look. 

Humble means owning the work and not looking for glory.

This doesn’t mean you wouldn’t like or wouldn’t respond to praise, but it does mean you’re doing your job because it’s your job; it means doing the job well because you want to do your part to help your team and company be successful. A temporary employee knows they’re not fully a part of the group but they work with the same commitment and sense of ownership and responsibility as their colleagues who have been hired on by the company full-time. They don’t hold back or shrug off responsibility because this isn’t their “real” job; they don’t ignore requests for help or opportunities to contribute because they might be gone in a week. Humble means there’s no ego or unwarranted arrogance to your work; it means you’re invested and want to do what’s best for everyone. 

Hungry means you want to do more, to grow, to learn.

Hungry employees are the ones who want to take on more responsibilities, who want to help at every opportunity. The desire to do more, to learn more, to contribute more, is insatiable and makes that person stand out as a go-to colleague when someone needs a little assistance. As a temp employee, being hungry shows an eagerness to become an invaluable member of a team — whether you’re there another week, another month or another year (or if you can become a permanent member!), you want to make sure you’re doing all you can to be helpful, useful and to work with a clear purpose. 

Smart isn’t just about intelligence, it’s about efficiency and interpersonal skills.

Smart employees know better than to gossip or use someone else’s bad day to their personal benefit. Smart employees know there’s always a chance to learn and improve. But this also takes emotional intelligence into consideration: How well do you work with and read people? How well do you work with others, especially if there are big personalities that might be in conflict or wanting different things? It also addresses communication skills: the ability to listen well, ask good questions that move a conversation or project forward and help clarify issues or uncertainties other people might also have had in mind. Temp employees might not want to speak up or get involved in conversations too much for fear of looking unprepared or unqualified; those who want to do a good job and join the team permanently ask for clarification to show commitment to doing the best job possible for the length of their contract. 

Companies and employees alike benefit from temporary positions: It gives the company a chance to try new employees on for size and see whether they’d be a good fit for the team before bringing someone in permanently, and it gives the employee a chance to see whether the position works for them and their interests before making a commitment. When a position that started as a temp job can become a permanent one, it’s a strong moment of respect and commitment on both sides of the equation: The company and the employee are freely making the decision to stick together. 

How Can We Help?

If you’re interested in considering a temporary job, or if you’re ready to make any kind of employment change, take a look at what Davis Staffing has to offer. We work with clients to find the right candidate for their positions, whether permanent, temporary or temp-to-hire, and we want to make sure our job candidates find a job that’s just right for their needs, skills and interests. When you’re ready to make a move, call Davis Staffing and let’s see how we can help!