Some of you might be currently working in a temporary social work job while others may be considering it. I know of several social workers who have taken a temporary position - often to cover a maternity leave. I myself have never had a temporary social work job but here are my thoughts on it based on the observations made from the experiences of my temp social work colleagues.
You may be new to the city, fresh out of school, burnt out in your current position, or recently laid off. You need a job as soon as possible and the only job you could find or were offered is a temporary one. Hmm, now the question becomes should you accept it or wait for a permanent position to come up? Here are the pros and cons to accepting a temporary social work position which might help you to make your decision:
PROS
- You are not committed to remain at the job for a long period of time so if you don't like it you can leave when the term is over
- You get to try out different types of social work areas before settling on one
- If you end up in a toxic work environment you can feel better knowing you will not be there forever
- You get the opportunity to network with different colleagues, supervisors and managers and you can use those connections in the future
- If you don't like living in one place for too long it is easier to move around with a temporary position
- You get to test out the job and if you like it and prove to be good at it, your employer is more likely to consider you should a similar full time position come up
CONS
- You don't have the security of a permanent income
- It could be hard saying goodbye to your clients and co-workers if you have good relationships with both
- It is harder to make long term plans if you don't know where you are going to be work-wise in the future
- You are concerned a lot of social work positions on your resume over a short period of time won't be attractive to future employers
- You loose out on the opportunity to move up in the organization which can only occur with time and experience
For myself, there were times I wish I had accepted temporary positions instead of permanent ones especially for some of the more stressful social work jobs I have had. It would have made it easier to move on since the decision of leaving would have been out of my hands. I wish employers would offer short listed candidates the opportunity to job shadow to see what the job is really about. I think a lot of us would have second thoughts after a close examination of the work environment and duties. However, some employers are betting on our naivete to fill high turnover high burnout positions. But whatever route you go, just be sure to listen to your heart and weigh the pros and cons carefully.
As Always,
Patti
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