New Year, New You: 5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Temp Work in 2016

As a temp worker, odds are good that you have the opportunity to do diverse types of work, whether you’re in the business, administration, or medical industry or something else entirely. No matter your situation as a temp worker, it’s important to take some time to think about how you can make the most of your work in 2016. You can use the following tips to guide your thoughts:

1. Become more self-sufficient.
When you’re more self-sufficient, you’re more confident, and people notice your skills. To develop this ability, take notes from day one at every new position, and don’t hesitate to look back at them when necessary. Ask questions to check your understanding of material and to double check that you know the right person to go to if you need help. When you run into a problem, think about ways you can find information or assistance on your own.

2. Add adaptability to your list of soft skills.
It’s important for today’s workers to be flexible and open-minded. Unfortunate situations arise all the time, such as clients failing to pay, and co-workers exceeding their deadlines, calling in sick, or losing key documents. Make a conscious effort to think positively and to be adaptable instead of frustrated. You could become one of the most capable temps out there.

3. Expand your network.
A great way to maximize your success in the workforce this year is to spend time meeting co-workers and growing your network. Push yourself out of your comfort zone a bit by asking your co-workers to lunch.

4. Further your education.
Make yourself even more of an asset by mastering a software program or taking a class or two. For example, if you’re a receptionist, a class in Microsoft Excel could potentially open even more doors for you. Education looks good on a resume, so don’t forget to update that important document.

5. Keep your temp agency in the loop.
Staying in touch with your staffing service is not only courteous and immensely helpful to the agency, it also puts you in the forefront of staffers’ minds. When they need to send someone out to a good opportunity, they’ll think of you.