According to a recent Rasmussen Reports survey, 27% of employed adults are currently looking for a new job. When you add that to the number of unemployed people also looking, that’s a lot of pent-up demand for today’s limited pool of available jobs.

Many of us have had jobs (or are currently in jobs) that make us empathize with JetBlue flight attendant Steve Slater’s recent “deplaning” from his airline career. But, the reality is that it is still a tough job market out there today, and the competition for open positions is fierce. That’s why I would counsel all of the currently employed job seekers out there to think through all of their options – and make sure they have a good place to “land” before leaving their current positions.

However, if you do find yourself in need of a new position, this “look before you leap” philosophy works both ways. Jumping on the first available permanent position may not be the best thing for you in the long term. In fact, this can be a great opportunity for you to find a new position (perhaps even in a different field altogether) that is a “better fit” for you for the future.

An excellent way to try a company or a position “on for size” before committing for the long term is to take on a temporary or temp-to-perm assignment. It can give you a chance to get a feel for different career options and find the one that works best for you. In other words, it lets you “look before you leap” into a new career.