Turn Your Holiday Job into Permanent Employment

Wish your holiday temp job didn’t have to end? Here’s some advice from Kelly Spors of CareerJournal.com. Her article, How to Parlay a Holiday Job into Permanent Employment, is reprinted here in an abridged version with permission from The Career News, an e-newsletter.

Turn Your Holiday Job into Permanent Employment

PRINCETON, NJ -- Once you prove your competency and dedication during your temp job, let your boss know you would like to be hired permanently. The employer might naturally assume you intend to leave after the holidays if you don't say otherwise.

"You don't ask, you don't get," says Ian Grundy, senior vice president of marketing and communications for staffing agency Adecco. "Make it perfectly clear this is something you want to do." But don't wait until the last minute to make your intentions known to your employer. You want to make sure the employer has enough time before your stint ends to get approval to hire you.

If you can't get hired right away, you should try to stay in touch to take advantage of opportunities down the road. Writing your temp boss a thank-you note and checking in occasionally might pay off. Some retailers, for instance, lay off workers in January since it's a slow shopping month. But they rehire in February, ahead of Valentine's Day.

Job Lounger, do you have a question? Email it to me and I’ll post your question and my answer here in The Job Lounge.

Or make a comment about this post by clicking the Comments link right below this post.