Youngsters pick temp jobs over fixed ones

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Job security is a thing of the past it seems. With a slew of opportunities available today, the core focus of looking for a job isn’t financial security anymore. Many Indians are quitting permanent jobs for attractive temporary roles. As many as 15 per cent new recruits of temp staffing firm Teamlease are permanent employees switching to temp jobs, company officials say. Adecco India also says the trend is catching on.
Nitin Kodwani, who recently gave up his job in Dubai, tells us, “The 9 to 7 pm routine was monotonous. I was dealing in electronics and food divisions, but realised I needed to move out for more experience. I started with part-time jobs with a number of food divisions to analyse the market trends. I earned commission from all of them and it was double the salary I was earning initially.”
For others, temporary jobs give them creative freedom. Prithvi was quite content with his job when he decided to quit and explore his creative best. “I took up theatre and music recently after working as a PR executive for six months. I realised that although it gave me ample money and resources, it wasn’t what I wanted to do. Also, temporary jobs give you the space to grow. You’re not stuck at the same place doing the same thing for weeks and months,” he says.
More interesting is the fact that temporary jobs are a boon for many youngsters who aren’t sure what they want to do. “A temporary job allows you to try out a new career direction, especially for people like me, who aren’t sure about their professional choices. Once you know you’re not meant for that field, you can easily walk out and choose something else,” says Rhea Malhotra, who works with a media school.
For those who have been in temporary jobs for quite some time now, say it has its pros and cons. Having worked with a leading publishing company, when Neha Kapuria (name changed on request) decided to apply as a freelance consultant, she didn’t like the experience. “Some companies don’t value you much just because they know you’re hired on a temporary basis. And if things don’t go too well, you’re just as easily told to leave,” she says.
After completing MBA, when Himanshu Arya decided to work with an insurance company, he wasn’t satisfied. What followed was a series of temporary jobs over a period of two years. Now working with a database company he shares, “I didn’t want to take up a survey job at first, but the pay was good for the work in question and I was only needed part-time. Finally, since the job offer arrived without requiring any more effort on my part, I took it up.”