High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Job Search Lessons from Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show Debut

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

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• 5 Job Search Lessons from Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show Debut: "Recently Jimmy Fallon made the leap to 'The Tonight Show.' For the job seeker on a quest for their own new gig, here are some gems from Fallon’s first day on the job."


• What HR Won’t Tell You: "Human resource professionals are doing the best they can to find and hire the best candidates. What should you know when you’re looking for a job?"


• Break Into IT with Temporary Work: "The business world may be looking for technology pros, but you're not a pro (yet) if you have a new certification and no experience. How do you gain that experience?"


• 5 Tips for Preventing Age Bias in Your Executive Resume & LinkedIn Profile: "Consider these 5 ways to get a better reception from employers – and create an “age-proof” executive resume and LinkedIn Profile-–if you believe age is working against you."


• The Era of Creative Resumes: "For a resume to be effective, it needs much more than just enlisting your details, qualifications, and achievements. This should always be kept in mind when you write modern and creative resumes."

5 Strategies to Turn Your Temporary Holiday Job into Permanent Employment

I have seen more help wanted signs around in the last few weeks than ever before. For a job seeker, this is the perfect time to land a position, get your foot in the door, and attempt to turn that temp job into something more long-term. According to the American Staffing Association, as many as 18% of temp jobs annually are converted to permanent positions. Work hard, communicate assertively and be resourceful and you may just have this same success.

More companies than ever are using the "try before you buy" approach to hiring. They use staffing agencies to evaluate their workforce before offering them full-time, permanent positions. Take advantage of your first few days on the job to create positive impressions with your employer. Use this temporary opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, competence and ability to be a productive member of the team. Here are some other key strategies you should employ.

• Make sure you are not another of the temporary employee masses. Establish clear expectations of your performance and know your priorities by meeting with your boss. Build rapport with your coworkers, try to fit into the team, learn their names and roles, and try to find some common ground with them. Learn as much as you can about the company culture.
• Don't think of yourself or act like "just a temp", treat this job the same way you would a permanent position. Find ways that you can contribute to the organization. Approach every task and assignment with a positive attitude. Find a way to exceed expectations and stand out from the crowd.
• If you finish your assigned tasks, ask what else you can do to help. Communicate your willingness and ability to take on extra responsibilities and ask to be cross-trained in other areas. Your goal is to make sure they can't stand the thought of losing you when your assignment is over. 
• Take time to understand why and how things are done. Ask questions, gain knowledge, and understand the organizations structure and policy. This way you can look for ways to add value and make suggestions that increase efficiency or cut costs.
• Clearly communicate your desire to become a permanent employee. Your employer may assume you are satisfied with being a temporary employee. Ensure your supervisors and the human resources team know your goals by conveying your wish to join their organization permanently.

Four Strategies to Turn a Temporary Job into a Permanent Position

When faced with a difficult job market, many job seekers turn to alternative options such as internships or temporary positions. Some companies are well-known for only hiring workers through temp agencies during a specified trial period. Instead of viewing these positions as “just a job,” think of them as an opportunity to work your way into a company. Use these strategies to make a lasting impression.

CONFIDENCE
No matter the situation, one of your most important tools is confidence in your ability to make a difference and add benefit to your employer. As someone who once hired seasonal temp workers and often decided to hire a few after the holidays, I can tell you that the employees who believed in themselves and their ability to do the job were the ones that stood out from the crowd.

No matter how nervous you may be, do your best to remain calm and in control of those nerves. I truly believe that confidence can be faked. However, when you are faking confidence – often without even realizing – you begin to actually have that confidence in yourself.

COMPETENCE
In order to truly be of benefit to your employer, you must learn the job in order to add value as quickly as possible. Pay special attention in training classes, make that extra effort and find yourself a mentor. Get to know an experienced employee who knows the ropes and is willing to teach you what they know. If you gain enough knowledge, you can easily demonstrate your value because you don’t need training as they would if they hired someone new.

ATTITUDE
The attitude with which you approach your temporary job responsibilities is essential to the impression you will form with your boss. If you are unpleasant and impatient with customers or co-workers, your boss will assume that is the way you will interact if hired permanently. Put your best foot – and attitude – forward every day of your job, no matter how busy it gets or how grumpy the customers may be.

In order to gain a full-time, permanent position you may have to be willing to take a part-time job with few hours and work your way up. I once worked for a director who began her career with the company as seasonal holiday help 15 years prior. Patience and a positive attitude go a long way.

COMMUNICATION
Does your boss know that you are interested in a permanent position? Don’t assume they know your intentions. If you are truly interested in a permanent position, then make sure you clearly communicate your interests right from the start. You may not be hired at the end of the season, but before you leave the job be sure to tell the manager you want to work with them again and ask them to keep you in mind if something opens up in the future. Keep those lines of communication open so they don’t forget you when they need to hire again.