In today’s competitive job market, many employers want to take the time to find the ideal employee for each job. One way they do this is by offering temp-to-hire positions, also known as contract-to-hire positions. A temp-to-hire position is one in which an individual is hired for a temporary period (often about 3 – 6 months). At the end of this period, the employee is eligible for a full-time position.

A temp-to-hire job serves as an extended job interview; the employer can observe the employee and decide whether she is a good fit for the company, and the employee can also assess whether she would want to work at the company permanently.

If you’ve been job hunting for a long period of time, you know how it can wear you down.  You’re getting rejection letters (or e-mails), and the experience may have been a disappointing one.  Taking the temp-to-hire job will remind you how good you are at what you do, and will help to rejuvenate your job search.

Also, temp-to-hire is an opportunity to help you build up your rèsumè.  As a temporary, you may get a chance to work in a new area and acquire new skills that you can then include on your rèsumè.  You may be able to strengthen your rèsumè where it’s less than stellar, learn a new technology or a new business method.