When Dr Who actor Peter Capaldi hands over his sonic screwdriver later this year, the monsters of the universe will be another Time Lord’s problem. Or possibly Time Lady.
Daily duels with Daleks and Zygons aren’t the reason for Peter quitting the iconic role but rather the belief three years is the maximum time anyone should stay in a job.
He’s not alone. Changing a job is becoming the norm with on average a UK worker finding a new employer every five years.
Keen to avoid career flatlining or even worse that ‘lifer’ tag, it seems many employees like moves to climb the promotion ladder or keep their job interesting.
In the field of HR there’s a supercharged way to job hop. Interim roles – aka short-term contracts – are temporary jobs with turbo power.
They’re not for the fainthearted or anyone who likes the security of a regular salary but they do offer the chance to learn new skills very quickly in different kinds of businesses settings.
Those starting out in HR at assistant or advisor level may find these short-term or temporary roles a good way to learn HR from the ground up. As the vacancies on s1jobs show, it’s a great way of trying out different areas of the sector without making a long-term commitment.
At a senior level, they can be a more strategic choice, offering fresh challenges every few months and greater career flexibility.
A bit like a crack team of special forces, interim HR managers are senior level executives parachuted into an organisation to do a job quickly and effectively. Bringing specialist skills, they’re expected to hit the ground running and make a difference straight away.
Many businesses turn to senior HR interims at times of change such as restructuring, downsizing, industrial issues, merger or acquisitions. It could be a 4-6 month role, addressing a specific issue; some may cover a period of secondment or maternity leave for anything from a few months to a year.
For many the attraction is working at a top level – being answerable to a management team, offering a fresh perspective, even influencing the direction of a business.
Many interims, instead of looking at the same four walls, enjoy a variety of workplaces and the company of different colleagues.
You’ll need bags of self-reliance, be pragmatic, confident and have good communication skills: but, if it’s a varied working day you want with the opportunity to pick ’n’ mix assignments, there’s nothing to beat it. Not even a Tardis.
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