Ahead of this anticipated uptick in seasonal and temporary job vacancies heading into the holiday season and the end of the year, Joseph Boll, Caribbean Employment Services Inc. CEO, is encouraging jobseekers not to turn up their noses at temporary job opportunities that may become available.

His firm, Caribbean Employment Services Inc., is a market-leading digital talent acquisition service and one of the few 100% online recruitment organizations committed solely to helping Caribbean jobseekers find gainful employment.

“There can be a bit of a stigma around temporary jobs in some Caribbean cultures,” Boll said. “Sometimes, people look down at them or consider them low-quality. They won’t apply because they’re almost embarrassed to say they have a temporary job. They don’t think it’s worthwhile or they may be waiting for the perfect opportunity.”

However, he emphasized that accepting a temporary position can have many benefits that some Caribbean jobseekers may not realize. Aside from the more immediate benefit of stable income, there are also opportunities to improve employability after working a temporary job.

Especially in a time where regional poverty rates are still elevated following the pandemic, the CEO advised that a steady paycheque can be the difference between being able to afford a decent living and having to get more in debt.

It can also lead to full-time employment, on-the-job training, exclusive networking opportunities, transferable skills development, more resume experience and a host of other benefits that may not immediately come to mind when someone thinks about a temporary, seasonal or contract position, he said.

“Around 30% of people who are hired on a short-term or contractual basis end up hired full-time,” Boll said. “Many also have their contracts extended or renegotiated in the event that it’s not possible for them to be hired full-time for whatever reason.”

Further, he added: “In many Caribbean cultures, landing a great opportunity depends on networking. The implications and downsides of that aside, having a temporary job in the Caribbean workplace can give you access to inner circles that can lead to employment opportunities that are more in line with your ideal.

“Even in the worst-case scenario, where maybe a temp job is just that, and they don’t keep you on for more than a few weeks, in that time you could have met a businessperson who was so impressed with your work that they now want to hire you. Or maybe a coworker may know someone who is hiring and wants to recommend you because they now see your skill and work ethic.”

The bottom line, according to the CEO, is simply that jobseekers should not “let the perfect job you’re looking for be right under your nose but you miss it because you don’t realize how trying out for the temp position could lead you there.”