As anyone who’s been looking for work these days can tell you, it’s a really tough job market! What if, like so many of us, you really need an income, ASAP?
Enter the stopgap job!
You can also think of these as just-for-now jobs or, as one friend calls them, serving-their-purpose jobs. The main thing is to know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a job like this. It doesn’t represent a backwards step in your career path, it won’t hurt your resume, and you shouldn’t feel any shame about taking on a job like this!
I always say this, but there is an enormous nobility to doing what needs to be done, in order to make ends meet.
So if you need one, how can you go about finding a stopgap job? The first thing to do is make a list of things that seem okay to do. Not great—we don’t want you to get stuck in the role—but manageable for the short-term. If you hate the smell of coffee, for instance, a barista job isn’t going to be a good for-now job for you. So really think through what you would be okay doing for a year or so, and write those ideas down. Don’t forget to consider gig work as you think through these ideas.
Next, consider your resume. Will you immediately get ruled out for being “overqualified”? (A term I loathe, incidentally.) Do your skills and accomplishments align with your professional path? We might need to pare the document down and show how your skills translate to a broader range of things. Focus on skills that are necessary for pretty much any role: customer service, the ability to prioritize tasks, clear communication, a good work ethic. Refine these as you look up the things you’ve decided are acceptable.
Do a little light networking. Do you know anyone who works at the places you’re considering? Were you a customer before your last job ended? This doesn’t need to be as in-depth as it might be for a job you’re more excited about, but it can definitely help smooth your path.
Then start applying! You’ll want to focus on a couple of things you feel genuinely interested in as you get this process underway, since hiring for lots of these roles can happen much more quickly than other roles. Knowing what feels better about these jobs will also help you put together a more effective application, so you’ll be that much more likely to land the job quickly.
Once you’ve got something temporary going, be sure to remind yourself to keep looking. It’s easy to get stuck in something you don’t love or that doesn’t pay you sufficiently, so make a plan that you’ll stick to and keep looking for what’s next. If you find you do better with physical reminders, write notes to yourself and put them in places like the pocket of your winter coat, or taped to an unopened box of bandages. If you do well with electronic reminders, put notes or tasks to yourself in your online calendar. If you need human interaction, task several friends or family members with checking in on your search progress at specific times.
At the end of the serving-its-purpose job, you’ll likely have gained some unexpected skills, and you’ll be able to look back and feel proud of having gotten through a tough time.
