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I wanted to ask your advice on an employment situation I find myself in. I really do not like the job I am at now, and, this summer, I did a phone interview with a company for a F/T Admin Assistant position. When I followed up with an email, the HR Manager told me that the position was “on hold.” Since then, I have kept in touch with her, letting her know that I was still interested if the job became available. Today, she called me about another position – a 9-month temp job (for one of two maternity leaves) that starts next month. The HR Manager told me it could lead to something else or that one of the people on maternity leave might not return. The pay is more than I am making now, but the timing is bad, as I would miss out on my holiday pay and the (small) Christmas bonus from my current job. I told the HR Manager I would think about it and get back to her. I am thinking about going on the interview to see what the job is about and checking out the company. It would be great to get out of my current job (which has become a real dead-end) and the new job is also much closer to my house. Do you have any advice on what I should do? Thanks, Patti S.

Question:

I wanted to ask your advice on an employment situation I find myself in. I really do not like the job I am at now, and, this summer, I did a phone interview with a company for a F/T Admin Assistant position. When I followed up with an email, the HR Manager told me that the position was “on hold.” Since then, I have kept in touch with her, letting her know that I was still interested if the job became available. Today, she called me about another position – a 9-month temp job (for one of two maternity leaves) that starts next month. The HR Manager told me it could lead to something else or that one of the people on maternity leave might not return. The pay is more than I am making now, but the timing is bad, as I would miss out on my holiday pay and the (small) Christmas bonus from my current job. I told the HR Manager I would think about it and get back to her. I am thinking about going on the interview to see what the job is about and checking out the company. It would be great to get out of my current job (which has become a real dead-end) and the new job is also much closer to my house. Do you have any advice on what I should do? Thanks, Patti S.

Answer:

Dear Patti S,

It sounds like you are definitely ready for a change.

Go on the interview. See if they can give you enough money to make up for the lack of holiday pay/bonus. If you like what you hear in the interview, go for the new opportunity. Nine months isn’t permanent, but it is a long enough assignment for you to make a good impression and be considered for any new openings (or even to find another position you’d enjoy somewhere else).

However, you also have to be realistic. As the new person, you might be the first to go if the headcount needs to be reduced. Since that is the case, you have to be prepared for that possibility and consider things like whether you could get by on unemployment insurance until the next opportunity arose.

From our experience at TPG Staffing, I can tell you that many of our clients are hiring for temporary or temp-to-perm positions these days, rather than permanent, direct hire positions. However, I can also say that a number of these temp-to-perm positions do become permanent relatively quickly, as individuals prove themselves on the job. Many companies are trying people out on a temporary basis to see if they are a good fit – and then hiring them full time if they work out. It’s a great way for you to get your foot in the door and find out if the company is the place for you as well.

I wish you the best of luck with everything!

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