If you’re making a career change and need some time and space to plan your next move, a bridge job may be the answer.
A bridge job is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a job that takes you from one side of an employment gap to the other. It’s a temporary position, often with low pay and minimum stress, that buys you time to figure out your next career move.
When should you consider a bridge job?
There are lots of situations in which a bridge job can make sense. For example, you might be:
- Considering your next move after a layoff.
- Experiencing burnout or needing to escape a toxic workplace.
- Returning to the workforce after a parental leave or extended absence.
- Switching careers and looking to support yourself while you update your skills or start a new business.
- Waiting for just the right opening to come up to move your career forward.
A bridge job can also be a stepping stone between stages of life. Maybe you have just graduated. You might want to get some work experience and take your time finding the right fit for the longer term. Or maybe you’re nearing the end of your career. You’re not quite ready to retire, but you want a change of pace, fewer hours, or less responsibility at work.
What makes a good bridge job?
A bridge job can be any kind of temporary work—part-time, full-time, freelance, seasonal, or gig work. Here are some examples:
- Retail or customer service jobs, like a salesperson, a restaurant server, or a barista, offer flexible hours and immediate income.
- Administrative assistant positions have regular hours and predictable income.
- Gig work like working as a courier, Uber, or taxi driver, gives you maximum control over your schedule.
- Freelancing or consulting in your established field can offer flexibility with less stress and higher pay than other options.
Finding the bridge job that’s right for you
Your perfect bridge job will depend on your lifestyle, goals, and preferences. In general, these are the main things to consider:
- The job should offer fair pay for the work.
- It should leave you with the time and energy you need to move toward where you want to be.
- It should be easy work and somewhat enjoyable. Look for something that comes naturally to you.
- The work environment should be positive.
A bridge job has its benefits
A bridge job can be a practical way to meet your short-term needs:
- This kind of job doesn’t usually require much related work experience so it’s easy to get hired on.
- It can pay the bills while you prepare for your longer-term goals.
- It can give you time to recharge and refocus.
- A bridge job usually involves straightforward tasks and expectations. Success can help you build confidence.
- Choosing this kind of temporary work for the right reasons can give you a sense of control.
- It can provide structure and a sense of purpose while you’re between jobs.
It’s temporary work that could influence your future
A bridge job could inform your overall career path by:
- Helping you build transferable skills. The ideal bridge job would align in some way with what you eventually want to do. For example, if your long-term goal is to get a job as a park warden, you might take a seasonal job as a tree planter. If you want to be marketing manager, you could get a part-time position as a social media specialist.
- Introducing you to a completely different industry.
- Expanding your network through new contacts and references.
- Taking a bridge job can be motivating. A leap of any kind is a move forward!
It can also have its drawbacks
Before you decide to take a bridge job, it’s a good idea to consider the possible downsides and how you will deal with them. For example:
- Leaving an existing career or changing jobs can be scary.
- Moving to a lower-status job can feel awkward or embarrassing. If your professional life is a big part of your identity, you may find the shift difficult.
- Other people in your life may not understand or approve of what you’re doing.
- The bridge might become a rut. Keep your long-term goals in sight and follow through with your training, work search, or other career activities. Set a limit for how long you’ll stay in this temporary job—whether it’s a few weeks, a few months, a year or more—and stick to it.
Should you put a bridge job on your resumé?
When you’re ready to make the next step in your career, you’ll have to decide whether or not to include your bridge job on your resumé.
If you gained skills that are relevant to your future career path, or if you plan to use people from the job as references, then it makes good sense to include the work experience.
On the other hand, if the bridge job was not related to your chosen field in any way, you probably don’t need to mention it. If your resumé reveals an extended gap in your employment history, focus on your other career-related activities at the time, like upskilling or volunteering.