We've been posting survey questions on our homepage for as long as we can remember. If we were to pick one to feature again for track back purposes or public demand, or whatever, we'd definitely go for "would you consider contract jobs?" Unpopularity hasn't been an issue to our survey pursuits so far; our past questions -- all of them -- had garnered good public attention, in fact. But this one had been the most opinion provoking in our opinion -- it had caused quite a stir on Linkedin when we'd featured it there and had given this blog more than the expected number of hits at that time. There, we hope we've been able to explain our reasons perfectly. Did you also find the above mentioned survey question relevant at the time of its posting back @ www.jobsdb.com.sg/Singapore?
We're pretty sure you did. Why did we ask in the first place? Was it to offer you contract jobs? Partly yes. Contract positions are never out on our database. But our main reason was to open your eyes to the benefits of contract employment. Contract jobs are often put as synonymous to instability and lack of good career advancement, when in fact accepting such offers is a great way to increase credentials and employee worthiness.
There's a silver lining to these "seemingly unstable" deals. After a lay-off for instance, accepting a contract assignment makes for a smart move. Not only will it take care of your finances while you’re seeking for a rebound job, but also be a great addition to your skills pool. This rivals joining skills training and seminar opportunities when it comes to enhancing your employ-ability, really. What are our references for this? We're speaking from our personal experiences and also those of the working professionals we've talked to in the past. This is also what Ms Niharika Chaturvedi, Senior Consultant (IT Banking Contract division) at Robert Walters, have established as a point in an article she has shared to JobsDB.com Singapore recently.
"Contracting is here to stay, regardless if it is a challenging or booming market. There are definitely more options out there in the job market when one keeps an open mind to consider contract work", to quote Ms Niharika. Ms Niharika has focused her article on IT contract jobs, but her reasons why one should say yes to contracting are also applicable to applicants from other fields. Upon reading her reasons, we're pretty sure you'll have contracting added to your vocabulary in no time. In a nut shell, these are what Ms Niharika thinks as the biggest benefits of contracting. We've listed them down in keywords for your convenience.
- extra/bonus income
- stopgap arrangement in between jobs
- practice for a long term positions
- exposure to new technologies
- add value to your CV
- opportunity to prove yourself in MNC
- lower risk of losing your job
- opportunity for salary increments
- more freedom
Want to learn more about temping and contract hiring in Singapore? Career Advice is loaded with articles on the topic. Sam Haggag, General Manager of Manpower Staffing Services Pte Ltd has also shared an insightful FAQ-type article on temping with us. You can read it here: www.jobsdb.com.sg/SG/EN/Resources/JobSeekerArticle/about-temp-staff.htm?ID=315. These articles are also a great read: Benefit of Temping, Temping to your future career. The post that started it all is here:
Would you consider contract jobs?
So, did Ms Niharika's reasons appeal to you? Would you accept contract jobs now? Tell us. Feel free to drop a comment.
Since we're already talking about surveys here, allow us to promote our newest one. Would you prefer to work in the Public or Private sector? Cast your votes. We'll be publishing an accompaniment post within this week.
The day has finally come. We're wishing Singapore a Happy Birthday! Hope you guys enjoy your holiday.
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For career tips, we recommend Career Advice. From job hunting tips to career development guidelines, get advice from experts @ www.jobsdb.com.sg/SG/en/Resources/JobSeekerIndex.
