Temping your way to success
Another strategy for you to consider if you are considering a move to a new career is to work with temp agencies for a short period of time. Temp agencies are essentially contracted by wide range of clients who are seeking help that may last anywhere from a few hours, to a few days, or even a few months.
As the agencies receive requests for manpower from their clients, they comb through their databases and match particular jobs with resumes that match the qualifications needed for an assignment. The candidate then goes out on their own to perform the work, and receives paychecks for work done through the agency itself. For those still in school, temping can provide opportunities similar to internships. But since not all internships are paid, temping is a surefire way to get paid, while also building up a resume - when you don’t have a full-time gig. Often times the temp gigs themselves become full-time opportunities, but this happens very rarely. At the very least however, the gig can certainly be a source of referrals. At the other end of the spectrum, citing the variety of jobs that are potentially always available, some have even made full-fledged careers out of temping.
There are drawbacks such as being mismatched for assignments, no benefits, and being treated very impersonally by agencies, especially in large cities such as New York and Chicago and making a full-time career of temping can also mean less likelihood of being hired permanently. However, for some, it can be a great way to build skills in an industry they want to break into.