Holding Out for a “Perm” Role? Why You Should Consider Interim Opportunities

The appeal of a permanent role is understandable, and many job seekers only target these types of roles in their job search. Historically, it has been assumed that a permanent role will provide more job security, benefits and opportunities for career growth. However, limiting your job search to “permanent” roles may be limiting your accessibility to rewarding opportunities.  Employers are increasingly offering more temporary or interim opportunities that can support your career growth while also offering attractive incentives. If you are presently engaged in a job search and are solely targeting permanent roles, you may be missing out.

The definition of an interim role has changed significantly over the past few years. Interim roles are increasingly becoming roles that require subject-matter experts interested in challenging and fulfilling work. Many times, interim resources fill an important role in the organization, such as serving as an interim GC or data privacy project lead.

Ultimately, you have to determine what values are important to you in connection with your next position. Both permanent and interim roles offer different benefits that cater to various career goals and aspirations. As you explore different types of opportunities, keep these important considerations in mind:

Career Growth

What are your career goals for the next five, 10, 15 years? While permanent roles offer the opportunity to hone your skills in a particular industry or to get to know a specific organization inside and out, interim positions offer a great opportunity for you to access to a broad range of industries, sectors, and projects and to potentially build new skills. Working with different companies in various industries can allow you to gain insight and knowledge that you may not have been able to learn in a regular full-time position. Interim positions can also allow you to add experience in a certain industry or a specific reputable company, which could enhance your professional profile. Depending on where you would like to see your career go, having a resume with a mix of permanent and interim can show you are well-rounded and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to your ultimate role.

Skill Building

Do you have the requisite skills you need to take your legal career to the next level? Permanent roles can often help you develop and master a specific skill set as well as soft skills that will prove invaluable when navigating an organization. However, consulting roles often require you to hit the ground running. This kind of rapid integration into new projects or work environments really pushes you to develop problem-solving, adaptability and decision-making skills. The need to quickly understand and address unique challenges fosters continued growth.

Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance has become a top priority for most people since the pandemic. Many believe in-house counsel roles allow for a better work-life balance than law firm roles. But one of the main draws of interim roles is the flexibility. While with a traditional 9–5 role, you may have a great deal of PTO, interim roles give an even greater level of freedom, allowing you to choose projects, work schedules and location that can help you strike a better work-life balance. Most employers hiring contract attorneys will specify how much experience is needed for the role, so you can then choose roles that fit best with your skill set, level of experience and lifestyle. Consulting positions can offer work-life balance without having to sacrifice professional fulfilment. With more control over work schedules, you can allocate time to pursue passion projects or hobbies, too.

Budget

There are no guarantees with employment no matter the way a role is categorized. During tough economic times, the budget for human resources (which includes compensation for employees) is often the first budget targeted for cuts. However, the general budget, which usually includes the budget for interim employees, may not be subject to quick cuts as it contains more complete budget items requiring lengthy analysis. Interim employees may find themselves staying on an engagement while their “permanent” colleagues experience an unexpected and undesirable termination of their employment.

At Will Employment

Many people target permanent jobs because they believe that it will offer more job security, especially in uncertain economic times. However, all 50 states recognize some form of “at will” employment, meaning that subject to certain limited exceptions, virtually all employment relationships can be terminated at any time, with or without cause, as long as no laws are violated. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average tenure for employees is 4.1 years, and that tenure tends to be even shorter for younger employees. An interim role may be extended and result in a longer tenure than one you took as a permanent role.

Interim positions are no longer just stop gap solutions; they are legitimate career choices for those seeking new jobs. The flexibility, skill development, networking potential and career advancement opportunities that these roles offer make them an attractive option for anyone willing to break-away from conventional positions. By considering these positions as a steppingstone rather than deviation from the norm, you can open yourself to a whole different world of diverse career possibilities.