Frustrated as there are limited job postings in your career area?
Challenged that you are missing out on job opportunities because hiring managers keep hiring internal candidates?
When your ideal job isn’t opening up quickly enough, or there are limited full-time job opportunities in your sector, consider contracting as a stepping stone to getting your foot in the door of the companies you want to work for.
Contracting your services is a key strategy for landing your next full-time job. Temporary contracts allow hiring managers to bring talent into their organizations without always needing to work through HR and go through full recruiting cycles. Savvy employers then use their contract pools to source talent for their permanent job opportunities.
Optimize your temporary contract gig by putting these 10 strategies in play to turn your contract into a full-time job:
Devise a Game Plan for Success – The first 90 days of your contract are key to your success. Focus on building relationships with key decision makers, gaining credibility through delivering results, and connecting with your team.
Outperform – Raise your profile by developing a reputation for getting the job done. A key strategy is to ask for feedback on your performance to ensure you are on track and exceeding your manager’s objectives. Click for more strategies for career success.
Know Your Value-Added Proposition – Create a compelling Elevator Pitch that describes the skills and experience you bring that can solve key problems or issues the organization is currently facing, or may face in the future. Provide concrete examples of how you have solved similar issues in the past and outline your track record of success.
Network, Network, Network – Working with your head down doesn’t lend itself to job offers. Get to know your team and other teams. Plan to book at least one coffee or lunch per week with someone within your division or another stakeholder group.
Share Your Knowledge – Be seen as an invaluable resource for strategies, tactics and tools. Be seen as the go-to person to source new ideas and solutions for getting the job done.
Get in the Pipeline – Get to know the key decision makers. Ask for information meetings to explore future needs within their divisions, including initiatives that they haven’t had time to implement, untapped market opportunities, and other operational challenges. Then, present solutions to meet these needs, and market yourself to take on that challenge once your current contract wraps up.
Be a Team Player – Get involved! Participate on work team projects, but also join in after hours. Get involved with their hockey team or volunteer at organization-sponsored community events. These activities offer great opportunities to build your network and position yourself as someone people want to work with.
Let People Know Your Career Goals – People may not assume you are looking for a permanent, full-time job. Tell them you are interested in permanently joining their organization and ask them about upcoming opportunities. Explore what tactics they used to land their job.
Make Proposals – See an opportunity for you to add value to an organization by addressing a specific need or resolving a key problem? Create a proposal outlining what you can do, including your experience and key accomplishments that address these issues. Pitch your proposal to your manager or the key decision maker who would most benefit from your expertise.
Lastly, Make the Ask – Your assignment is coming to an end: 1. Proactively ask your manager and others about next steps; 2. Position yourself as someone who can continue to add value to the organization; 3. Remind these decision makers of the projects you’ve been working on and your key accomplishments. “Well looks like I will wrap up (name of project) and (insert your accomplishment). I’m interested in continuing on with (name of organization) on a full-time basis, and I’m hopeful you’ll agree I would be a good fit. Do you know of anything coming up?”
Author: Joanne Loberg of JL Careers Inc. is a Certified Executive Coach, Internationally Certified Career Management Professional and highly skilled workshop facilitator. She specializes in coaching professional and executive clients to provide job search strategies and tools to support their career advancement. Copyright JL Careers Inc. All rights reserved.
Wishing you much career success!
Joanne
Looking for insightful, tailored career coaching or retirement planning? Contact us today to learn how you can fast-track your career and create a life you’ll love.
Wishing you much career success!
Joanne Loberg
Certified Executive Coach & Internationally Certified Career Management Professional
JL Careers Inc
