Why You Should Consider Interim Employment

In today’s New World of Work, many companies are navigating different ways of approaching how they structure their workforce. Key to this challenge is the contingent workforce, which has pivoted into the limelight during the pandemic as these workers take on a growing number of important jobs. For people who have been displaced from their jobs, it also has decided benefits, not only to fill the gap until they secure their next permanent position, but also in many cases, to put them on a new career path.

Many companies have discovered that they need to bring different strengths to their leadership teams as factors like remote working and economic/labor market changes shift their priorities. “Often, the right interim employees can help forge solutions to these unprecedented challenges,” say Tim Ozier, Sr. Director at MRI. “This presents opportunities for interim employees to bring fresh ideas to the table while helping existing teams to become more adaptable and innovative.”

Whether you’ve worked as an interim employee before or if you’re new to the idea, this is a great time to explore new environments. “You can showcase your problem-solving skills by assessing what needs to be done and coming up with a plan for accomplishing it,” observes Ozier. “Companies are looking for answers, and you can take this chance to leap-frog your career to a new level.”

Particularly, if you find that your industry niche has shrunk and that it may not become robust again for a long time, taking an interim position allows you to check out new companies and determine the best fit for you. “That’s a real advantage,” says Ozier. “You can determine if the leadership style and the culture of the company are compatible with your goals and comfort level without making a permanent commitment.”

Ozier points out that there are other tangible advantages in becoming an interim employee:

A boost in pay. Temporary assignments can give contractors exposure to an array of responsibilities and companies, often while earning more competitive salaries than they would in permanent positions. “Also, contractors typically get paid for every hour they work, unlike their salaried counterparts,” says Ozier. “They don’t find themselves working 60 hours a week and only getting paid for 40.”

Broadening skills. “If you bore easily or fear growing stagnant or getting pigeonholed, going from contract to contract offers the perfect solution,” says Ozier. “Most importantly, it helps you build your skill set. Exposure to a wider variety of projects, technology tools, and work environments accelerates how quickly you build those skills. Meeting a wider variety of people also allows you to build your professional network. Both lead to future opportunities.”

Finding security. In the interim world, you quickly learn how to stay relevant, nimble, and employable. “People who still believe that job security is synonymous with full-time employment may be missing out on one of the best-kept secrets of contracting: once you are established with a good staffing firm or you become adept at drumming up new work on your own, you stop worrying about layoffs,” says Ozier. “Instead, you cultivate industry contacts and keep a constant ear to the ground for fresh opportunities.

Making a living as a contract professional isn’t suitable for everyone. It requires planning and self-motivation. But the independence and the ability to build skills at a fast rate can be financially and personally rewarding.

Healthcare Industry Clients looking for leaders with organizational excellence?

Healthcare candidates searching for the right role to advance their career.

Four Ways to Strengthen Your Personal Brand

Your personal brand has a significant impact on your career. However, many people overlook how they represent themselves online. While there are millions of professionals “on” platforms like LinkedIn, many neglect to proactively build their reputation and leverage it to boost and support their careers. So, how can you actively develop your brand and use social media to create meaningful dialogues between you and the people you want to influence? Here is some sound advice from Patrick Convery, Senior Marketing Manager for MRI.

• Be real. Creating and attempting to maintain a false persona is exhausting— and your audience will see right through it. Branding is not about positioning yourself as something that you are not. ”It’s all about strategically showcasing your skills and your expertise in a way that brings value to your audience,” says Convery. “They key is to deliver this content to your followers in a way which nobody else can: by being yourself. It’s sustainable and leads to quality engagement.” He advises that you start by identifying your goals and taking inventory of your skills and credentials, your interests and areas of specialization, and your core values and beliefs.
• Define your target audience. You’re not out to attract everyone— just those you want to work with in some way. Craft your messaging and content strategy to attract those specific people. Think carefully about the segments you want to reach. What are their needs and concerns? What can you offer them? How do they consume content? “Don’t use resources on content creation and distribution until you have clearly identified your social media audience,” warns Convery. “If you’re just throwing stuff at a wall to see what sticks, your current audience will literally get mixed messages from you— leading to confusion, a lack of credibility, and ultimately, a damaged brand that’s not reaching its full potential.”
• Adapt a demand generation philosophy. Distributing free content is one of the most effective ways to build your reputation as a subject matter expert in your field and earn the trust of your target audience. “People are sick of being pitched and sold to. Stop telling your audience how great your widget and widget services are— show them why your widgets are amazing,” says Convery. “Stop telling everyone how you can help them and start actually helping them. If you consistently share your expertise and give without asking, you will position yourself as an authority in your industry— and business will come to you.”
• Grow your network. Next, build relationships with other subject matter experts within your niche by frequently engaging on their posts. This can open new opportunities and help you grow your social following. When you have a personal brand that clearly articulates who you are, what you do well, and how you help others, it makes it easier for individuals to see value in connecting and collaborating with you. “Your digital network is your distribution channel. Your goal should be to deliver quality content to as many relevant individuals as possible,” Convery adds. “Amazing content is worthless if it doesn’t reach anybody.

Finally, Convery emphasizes the importance of consistency. “Your personal brand is your reputation and it will fizzle out quickly if you don’t nurture it. To grow a strong brand, you should post regularly and constantly interact with others,” he says. “But don’t post just to meet a quota. Delivering information which your audience finds value in is critical. Like everything else, however, your messaging needs to evolve or your brand and its relevance will become stale, and perhaps, obsolete.”

Healthcare Industry Clients looking for leaders with organizational excellence?

Healthcare candidates searching for the right role to advance their career.