There’s never a bad time to think about your career goals, your professional path, and whether those two things align. A regular assessment of your current role, projects, and potential opportunities isn’t just appropriate – it’s the key to opening new doors and maintaining forward momentum in your career. This is especially true as we approach the accounting busy season, when many employers require supplemental and temporary labor to meet their seasonal needs, and when an array of opportunities present themselves to contractors seeking a new challenge or a firm foothold for their next step.

Not sure if you’re ready for it just yet? If nothing else, think of the upcoming accounting busy season as a chance for you to test the waters. In addition to potentially increasing your level of income, a short-term contract role could be used to help you achieve – or begin reaching for – those long-term goals.

Contracting for Busy Season

Ask yourself: Could a contract role help you transition from one function or competency to another? Are you a public accountant with an interest in investment banking – a notoriously competitive space? Maybe your current role is confined to external auditing but you have an interest in exploring work on internal audits. A contract role could jump-start your transition.

Have you had trouble getting a foot in the door with a desirable employer? During the busy season, many high-profile firms suddenly have a need for contract workers who can capitalize on that experience and exposure to make an impression. A contract role may be precisely the opening you need.

Make a Move

It could be that you have other reasons for considering a move. For instance, as the public potentially faces a new wave of the pandemic, you have significant concerns about returning to the office, which your employer has deemed mandatory. A short-term contract allows for a quick transition to a more flexible employer, a continuation of remote work, and a chance to test the waters in a new role.

Level Up

Perhaps there’s a particular skill or credential that you’d like to add to your profile? Your options may be more limited in fulfilling those goals throughout much of the year, but employers’ needs during the busy season offer unique opportunities to stock your professional toolbox. A contract assignment could be the way.

Beyond career development, there’s the practical side of gig work to consider. Are there busy season opportunities that could lead to meaningful annual assignments, preventing you from having to constantly scramble to find new clients? As an independent contractor, it’s always wise to think about clients interested in making use of your services on a recurring basis. 

Whether you’re content in your current role or searching for a new one at this moment, consider bookmarking the accounting busy season for an annual professional inventory. It’s typically the best time to try grabbing that next rung on the ladder – or to simply make a change that is right for you.

Looking for contract work? Join PeopleCaddie’s talent cloud to start finding assignments today.