Making the Case for Bridge Jobs

Job search is tricky, especially during a pandemic. Job freezes and recessions are everywhere. While the economy is struggling to come back to its former glory, job applicants should also be strategic in finding new sources of income because bills and other obligations won’t stop . Since the job aligned with your background and skills is not always available, bridge jobs will come into place. 

What are bridge jobs?
 
According to Forbes, any job that gives you the time and mental space (not to mention a paycheck) to work your way to the aspired career path is referred to as a bridge job. It is also known as a temporary job that helps you meet your financial goal in a short period while navigating the market for your dream job.
It is acceptable for a professional to have bridge jobs between their work experiences, especially when you are a student, out of the workforce for some time to care for a family member, or just waiting for a prospective position to open.
 
What is the importance of bridge jobs?
 
It may seem negative for other people to have bridge jobs because it is considered a step back in their desired career path. However, you will be surprised by the new skills, knowledge, and abilities that you will learn along the way.
 
 When I was taking my undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism, I took a temporary job as a cashier and server in a fast-food restaurant. From working in a fast-paced environment to dealing with various customers and collaborating with a team of various individuals, all of these skills are part of my work history and now I am sharing them with you.  I am listing the top three benefits of having bridge jobs as part of your career.
 
1.You can pursue your passion
 
By description, bridge jobs are simple and not time-consuming. For others, this will include tutorial services, dance classes, yoga instruction, vlogging, content writing, etc. This is the right time for you to do the things that you love while earning money. In any case, it's work you can devote 70 percent of your effort to and not feel guilty about because it comes naturally to you.
 
2.You can expand your network
 
Bridge jobs may include volunteering for organizations or online groups, this may be paid or unpaid, but you can choose those that are related to your education or prior work experience. Let’s say, you are a teacher and you want to pursue corporate training as your next career target. You may join LinkedIn or other online groups related to teaching/training and development, through this, you can meet professionals in the same niche and they can provide you with information on available job postings or referrals to their companies.
 
3.You can cultivate your soft skills
 
If you'd like to find a bridge job that is somewhat related to the career you like. Accepting a customer service role as a bridge task, for example, can help someone who wants to be an office manager. While an office manager may have certain facilities responsibilities, a major part of the position entails dealing with coworkers. A person's skills gained or sharpened in a customer service job are likely to be useful as an office manager.

 
 
How to present bridge jobs in a resume?
 
Finally, the dream job that you are waiting for a long time has opened and is available. The first thing that you want to do is to prepare your career tools to land an interview. However, how do you prepare a resume that has many unrelated and short-term jobs?
 
Well, there are two approaches to presenting this in your resume:
 

1. Functional Resume: One of the primary intentions in writing a functional resume is to expose the applicant’s work experiences. This simply relates to the fact that you want to make sure you expose the very skills and abilities that you can render to the company.
2. Hybrid Resume: In this format, you can highlight the skills you have relevant to the job you are applying for, and provide the chronological achievements that you accomplished that employers prefer.

 
Choosing the appropriate resume form s  affects the way they view your application but also influences how the system screens your profile. Hence, these different formats identify how well your application tool is analyzed within an applicant tracking system (ATS).
 
Still, confused about your bridge jobs and which resume format suits you? Don’t worry; we have career coaches and resume experts who can help you. Contact us now!

To learn more about how to apply for Bridge Jobs,  schedule a call today to speak with one of our career experts. 
 
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