<p>The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that the number of people employed in the &#8220;temporary help services industry&#8221; has increased nearly 30 percent from January 2009 to December 2012—and that&#8217;s with seasonal adjustments, too! Although temp work has provided excellent short-term employment opportunities for Americans across the country, this professional path comes with both advantages and disadvantages. Whether you&#8217;re currently temping or just considering it, stay informed with the following pros and cons of being a temp.</p>
<p><strong>PRO: Develop a Broad Experience Base</strong></p>
<p>Even though employers respect candidates who have years of training and experience in one specific field, they also appreciate a diverse professional background. Being a temp gives you the opportunity to test out multiple career paths before settling. With experience in several fields, you can gain a better understanding of the complexity of your profession while incorporating the knowledge from different environments to bring a creative edge to a new workplace.</p>
<p><strong>CON: Spend Time Finding an Agency</strong></p>
<p>The process of applying at an agency isn&#8217;t always easy, and it can be time-consuming for those trying to balance this endeavor with their current responsibilities. First, you&#8217;ll have to research temp agencies and choose a few you&#8217;re interested in. Then you&#8217;ll have to spruce up your resumé and spend a few hours at each agency registering and filling out paperwork. After getting through the logistics, you&#8217;ll need to take a few tests and then keep calling until a position opens up. Waiting around can be nerve-wracking at first, but once you get started, you&#8217;ll likely enjoy the breaks.</p>
<p><strong>PRO: Avoid a Rut</strong></p>
<p>Having a steady job can give you a sense of security, but this can quickly slip into boredom. Even at a job you love, doing the same thing every day can get a little monotonous, and it&#8217;s easy to feel like you&#8217;re not being challenged or appreciated enough when you do the same thing over and over. With temp jobs, you&#8217;re always adjusting to a new environment and a new list of responsibilities, so you never get sick of your job. Although this definitely keeps everything exciting, it can be stressful for those who have trouble adapting quickly.</p>
<p><strong>CON: Difficult to Achieve a Sense of Belonging</strong></p>
<p>When you work somewhere long enough, you start to feel like part of a big, professional family. You develop life-long friendships with co-workers and clients that can make your job more substantive and meaningful overall. As a temporary employee, you&#8217;ll likely make some friends along the way, but it&#8217;s difficult to really bond and build relationships when you&#8217;re always moving from place to place.</p>
<p>Since many temp jobs won&#8217;t offer benefits and you might have long periods between jobs, you&#8217;ll want to keep yourself covered with a short term medical insurance policy. Even though you might be experiencing tough economic times, having this insurance prevents you from being saddled with a major medical bill if something unexpected were to happen. Moreover, remember to live frugally while you&#8217;re working as a temp. You never know how long you&#8217;ll have to wait before another position opens up, so make sure you have plenty of funds to support yourself during the interim.</p>

Tempted to Temp? Read These Pros and Cons First!
