Catch a "Taxi" Job for the Holiday Season and Beyond

In this recession it could take many months for you to get a dream job. During that time you may run low on cash and need to find a job – any job — just to make ends meet. This type of work is called a "taxi" job, intended to carry you over until you get a job that furthers your career. The holiday season is a good time to look for such a temporary job.

Here's an example of how a taxi job worked for one job seeker:

Mark was a Vice President in a major high-tech firm until he got laid off unexpectedly near the beginning the recession. He wanted to stay in the high-tech industry but jobs were scarce, and he wasn't able to find a new job quickly.

To make ends meet, he took a "taxi" job as a sales associate at a high-end men's clothing store. After several months of job searching (while working his taxi job), he finally landed a VP position in a high-tech company.

Taxi jobs come in various flavors.

- Full- or part-time job.
- Contractual position with or without a specified ending date.
- Temporary job gained through a temporary employment agency.
- Seasonal job, such as a retail sales position during the holiday season.

Your resume for a taxi job will likely look nothing like the resume you use for your career goal. It should focus on skills for the taxi job and highlight experience that's related to that type of work. You may even delete information that makes you look over-qualified or that's not relevant to your taxi job.

More on short-term jobs:
10 Companies Hiring for the Holidays
Turn Holiday Job into Permanent Employment
Current Job Not Relevant to Job Objective