Career Advice

Why It’s Crucial for Interims To Invest in Their Own Career Development

15 Feb, 20241-2 minutes

By Richard Shorrock & John Shorrock

In this blog:: Working as an Interim

Why It’s Crucial for Interims To Invest in Their Own Career Development

In this blog, you will learn:

What an interim role is.
Why it’s crucial for interim workers to invest in their own career development.
How interim workers can invest in their own career development.
Where the latest interim jobs are and how to apply for them.

What is an interim role?

An interim role is a short term position within an organisation, that usually takes place over a 3 –12 month period.

Interim positions are often required when a gap needs filling within a team or additional help is required to support a team with an important project or challenge to resolve.

Interim roles may also be advertised when specialised expertise is required for a limited duration, and therefore professionals who work on an interim basis are expected to join an organisation and hit the ground running, without requiring training or a long onboarding process.

Interim positions are often found within local authorities, thanks to their requirements for project management, temporary staffing gaps and temporary peaks in demand.

Why it’s crucial for interim workers to invest in their own career development

Due to the fast-paced nature of the interim market and the requirement for interim workers to join an organisation and hit the ground running, employers don’t tend to spend money and time training interim workers.

Interim recruitment specialist, John Shorrock says, “For this reason, many interim workers are paid a higher salary than other employees. Because organisations, usually local authorities, do not invest time or money into an interim’s career development, it is crucial the professionals who work on this basis do so for themselves.”

John continues “For a lot of the roles I work with, evidence of Continuous Professional Development is an essential requirement. That’s why it’s so important to take the time to further your learning and understanding of your craft – it goes further than you might think!”

Here’s why interim workers should invest in their own career development:

To maintain relevance within the market.
To enhance skills and expertise.
To adapt to changing work environments.
To enhance job satisfaction.
To fulfil professional goals.
To navigate career changes.

To maintain relevance within the market

The dynamic nature of the interim job market means it is continuously evolving. In order to stay up to date with trends, policy changes and therefore be a desirable candidate to hiring managers, it’s important to invest in your career development.

Whether it’s keeping up with technological advancements, or changes in best practice, staying up to date with market changes is key for employability.

To enhance skills and expertise

It’s important for all professionals to continuously enhance their skills and expertise, in order to stay relevant within their industry.

Career development activities such as training, workshops and online courses are a great way to improve current professional performance and position interim workers as specialists within specific areas.

To adapt to changing work environments

Continuous career development stands interim workers in good stead for being able to adapt to changing work environments.

Interim recruitment specialist, Richard Shorrock, says “Adaptability is an important skill within the agile interim market, where individuals are expected to quickly integrate into new teams, industries or projects, with minimal disturbance to an existing team.”

By investing in their own career development, interim workers are able to enhance the skills that will help them adapt quickly, such as time management, strong communication and organisational skills.

To enhance job satisfaction

Job satisfaction is vital in any industry in order to feel fulfilled at the end of each working day and feel proud of professional achievements.

Investing in career development can contribute to personal and professional growth, which can result in increased confidence and positive feelings about work.

A positive mindset in the workplace can have a direct impact on performance and increase the chance of excelling in an interim position.

To fulfil professional goals

Aligning skills and expertise with professional goals is key for getting maximum job satisfaction from an interim position.

Investing in career development is a great way to achieve this. By doing this, an interim worker is able to actively work towards their career goals, whether this be using an online course to gain additional qualifications or investing time into building a LinkedIn profile that will set them apart from other candidates within the interim market.

To navigate career changes

Not only do interim workers need the agility to successfully move from role to role, sometimes they are also required to navigate between industries.

We advise investing in career development to ensure a smooth transition if this is the case.

Career development will also equip interim workers with soft skills which can be applied from industry to industry, such as team work, problem-solving, emotional intelligence and decision-making.

How can interim workers invest in their own career development?

There are a number of fun and creative ways that interim workers can invest in their own career development to enhance their employability and prepare them for future opportunities. These include:

Networking.
Building a personal brand.
Enrolling in online courses.
Completing self assessments.
Reading up on the industry.

Networking

Networking is a fantastic way to build professional relationships and open doors to new opportunities.

Attending industry events, joining professional associations and using online platforms such as LinkedIn, to connect with industry professionals is a recommended way to discover job leads and exciting interim opportunities.

Building a solid network of people within the same industry is a great way to gain industry insights and learn from them, whether this be online or in person.

Building a personal brand

Building a credible personal brand is a great way to invest in career development. A professional online presence which showcases an interim worker's skills, achievements, experience and expertise, is a must for developing a career and marketing yourself as a trustworthy and hirable candidate.

Richard added, “A well maintained LinkedIn presence can serve as a powerful tool to showcase who you are and what you can offer an employer, which in turn might lead to exciting career opportunities and personal development.”

Enrolling in online courses

Depending on the industry, there are hundreds of online courses that serve as fantastic learning tools for professionals.

Whether there is an official qualification to be obtained at the end of the course, or it’s purely a source of additional industry knowledge, enrolling is the first step an interim worker can take to investing in their career development.

Online courses are a popular method of learning for busy professionals as they allow the flexibility to take part at a time that suits.

We advise setting aside an hour or two every week to invest in career development by enrolling in a relevant online course.

Completing self assessments

In order to invest in career development, it is essential for an interim worker to understand their professional strengths and weaknesses.

Completing regular self assessments to evaluate skills, career goals and industry knowledge is a great way to guide professional development and devote time to any areas that might need improvement.

Self assessments are also a useful tool for making informed decisions about the direction of a person’s career.

Reading up on the industry

Even if you think you know everything there is to know about your industry, you probably don’t!

Reading is a fantastic way to enhance industry knowledge and stay informed with constantly evolving industries, market trends and regulatory changes.

We advise interim workers to read industry publications, news and reports in order to stay up to date within their field.

Where the latest interim jobs are and how to apply for them

Searching for your next interim job? Look no further! We have a team of consultants who are currently working alongside hundreds of local authorities across the UK.

To find out more, get in touch with Divisional Manager, Richard Shorrock, or Lead Consultant, John Shorrock, today!

Alternatively, simply upload your CV and one of our expert consultants will be in touch with any job roles that match your skills and experience!