Login4 Benefits of Working with a Staffing Firm to Source Contract Work
No matter where you go in life – especially from a professional growth and development perspective – no one gets there on his or her own. Whether through existing technology, networks, friends or family, success is a team effort.
Applying this same concept to the growth of your consulting or contracting career can be highly effective. Partnering with a staffing firm that serves as your career agent will enable you to identify more targeted contract opportunities, increase your compensation, and enable you to focus on the work you enjoy vs. the hassles of corporate politics.
The excitement and flexibility associated with contract work can sometimes mask the realities of non-traditional employment and the ability of consultants to consistently land profitable engagements on their own. A staffing firm will not only provide access to a deep rolodex of clients; it can also help bridge gaps by providing perks like benefits and ongoing training often unavailable to those who search for consulting jobs on their own.
The following are some benefits of working with a staffing firm to provide consistency and longevity to contract work:
Assistance locating contract roles within your specialty
Partnering with a staffing firm that specializes in your industry or function can expand your ability to find ideal roles. A staffing professional can supplement and guide your search efforts, and in many cases, provide access to unadvertised roles, including access to senior-level and C-suite roles. This can also help ensure a consistent flow of contract work.
Experience a faster hiring cycle
Most contract roles begin right away. The immediacy of contract work enables you to get to know your coworkers if you’re working in a team capacity and allows your supervisors to see why they made the right move in hiring you. Additionally, staffing firms can help increase your ability to end one engagement and segue right into the next assignment without much lag time in between.
Locate jobs that may not be common knowledge
Online jobs boards are probably the first place you’d look for job openings, but the vast majority of contract roles aren’t listed there. This is because business owners often work with staffing agencies on their searches, to backfill a role immediately due to an expected termination, to ramp up to satisfy organizational goals quickly, or seek to avoid advertising positions that could backfire if competitors got wind of them. Essentially, staffing agencies firms know about openings that are not publicized.
Gain entry-way into a permanent role
While the flexibility and temporary nature of contract work is what’s most appealing, some look to it as a way to transition into a permanent role. Contract or consulting jobs can turn into permanent roles, because workers that fill them enable business owners to see how they perform and handle work responsibilities. Staffing agencies can be your entryway into permanent work via contract assignments, enabling you to get a sense of a company’s culture and work environment, and determine if it’s a place you could see yourself joining for the long term.
This isn’t to suggest that staffing agencies only hire for temporary purposes. Whether contract, direct hire or seasonal, staffing agencies hire for a wide range of employment scenarios. Based on your skillset, you may have a harder time finding a specific type by searching independently.
Finding a job isn’t always easy, and finding contract roles on a consistent basis can be even more challenging. A staffing firm is the key – working with one opens up unlimited possibilities that can make you wonder why anyone would think about searching alone.