It can be difficult to accept a temporary job, since it doesn’t come with a promise to end your phase of unemployment. But it’s important to remember there are multiple benefits of temporary jobs, a fact many of the unemployed are beginning to take note of. In one year, the number of temporarily employed workers rose from 2.48 million to 2.66 million, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Here are a few reasons you should join the crowed and apply for a temporary job:

 

1. It gets you out of bed in the morning.

It’s very easy to succumb to a rut when you’re not on the move. Without work to do, our skills begin to fade and we may begin to lack motivation entirely. If for no other reason, accept a temporary job simply to keep yourself motivated and active.

 

2. It keeps your skills sharp (and teaches you new skills).

Accepting a temporary job, especially if it’s in an industry foreign to you, will teach you new things about an industry, teamwork, leadership, etc. Such a thing keeps your mind sharp and open to learning, and enhances previous skills you had by keeping them in practice.

 

 

3. It keeps your resume up.

The more jobs, the merrier. The more your skills are enhanced by various temporary jobs, the more you’ll have to add to your resume. The more jobs you take in industries foreign to you, the more respect you’ll gain from future employers, who will easily be able to assess that you are prepared to learn anything and can excel in any field.

 

4. It eliminates needing to explain long term unemployment.

It can be awkward explaining those long gaps–6 months, a year, 2 years–in which you were entirely unemployed. Stop waiting for the promise of full-time employment, and take a temporary job to keep yourself employed in the meantime. Besides, that temporary job could end up lasting longer than you thought.

 

5. Good work could lead to long term employment.

Especially in today’s culture where everyone expects everything handed to them, your hard work, dedication, self-motivation, leadership skills, and ability to go the extra mile will get you noticed. No one can promise that being an excellent worker will turn a temporary job into a full time job for you, but doing your best gives you a good shot. Truly hard working employees are too often far and few between–who would want to let someone like that go?

 

6. You’ll meet new people.

Meeting new people can set you up with connections to future long-term employment, and leave you with solid references. The more connections and positive feedback you have, the more likely you’ll end up with a long-term, full time job in the future.

 

7. You’ll make money.

The most obvious reason of all–income. Any job will help you keep yourself on your feet by offering a steady source of income, and the benefits of that are clear.

 

The path to success is so often more difficult and trying than anyone wants to admit. Most times, you’re not going to get the job you really want until you push through a few you’d prefer not to have. So push through it anyway, and prove to yourself and others that you can demonstrate your dedication and hard work even in the most basic aspects of work. Keep yourself employed and pave the road to success with the references and skills gained from accepting temporary employment.