Could an interim financial role be the next best step for you?

The pandemic has changed, well, everything. People have spent the last couple of years rethinking their working lives and reimagining the possibilities that may be available to them.

As public sector and not-for-profit organisations look for new, creative and innovative approaches to business, many will be looking to source talent with a breadth of experience who can give them the edge they need.

This may come in the form of an interim candidate, who is able to help an organisation continue whilst, for example, a prominent staff member is on maternity leave, or to fulfil a particular need such as a year-end audit. Sourcing the right person who is able to make an immediate impact will be key to not only surviving but thriving, in this challenging period.

An interim role can also offer benefits and opportunities to a finance professional and presents a great career choice for those looking to gain more varied experiences.

Flexibility and freedom

Gone are the days of being pigeon-holed into one role for the rest of your career. Candidates are becoming increasingly empowered and well-equipped not only in demanding more from their workplaces, but also in making career decisions based on their wellbeing. Prompting them to choose a new role based on its remote-working policies or its mission to help others, for example.

Interim roles provide a plethora of options to choose from, as well as the opportunity to try different working practices on a more temporary basis. Maybe you want to see whether a four-day week or working part-time suits you. Temporary roles grant the freedom to sample different environments and positions without a long-term commitment.

In this same vein, interim roles offer opportunities for pauses in your working life. The pandemic brought into focus the notion that your work should fit around your life, not the other way around. Perhaps you want to travel for a few months or take a break from work to be at home with your family. Interim roles deliver flexibility and allow you the freedom to decide when and for long to work somewhere. It puts the ball back in your court and opens up different career possibilities.

Building out your experience

Interim roles also allow room for challenging your abilities and refining the expertise you have built from previous experience. Perhaps you have worked with end of year budgets for years but have never completed them on your own, or you have managed a team of two previously but feel ready to take on a role where you will be managing four instead. Every organisation has individual processes, getting to grips with these and adapting your approach accordingly will also test your problem-solving.

Testing your abilities

An interim role will also be an opportunity to work on and improve both your technical and ‘soft skills’. Often, interim candidates are brought in at a time when a safe pair of hands is needed from someone who ‘knows their stuff’ and is expected to hit the ground running. Sometimes the reason you may have been brought in is due to the urgency of a matter, such as impending audits which can mean that there isn’t time for a handover or training.

This will require an ability to think on your feet and get involved as quickly as possible. There is also often an attitude that something needs fixing, and you are expected to fix it, making prioritisation essential.

You’ll find that your soft skills will assist you in your role immensely as much of the work, especially initially, will rely on gleaning as much information as possible and finding solutions, which will depend on your technical knowledge but also people skills. This may be the difference in acclimatising quickly.

An outside advantage

Having an outside perspective will allow you to take a holistic view of operations that is not influenced by inter-organisational relationships or past experiences. You can evaluate processes simply based on facts; seeing how departments intersect, analysing the data and pinning down the best solution.

The theory of an ‘outsider advantage’ is not new, numerous studies have found that there is something to be said for the edge that being less ‘tethered’ can give. The freedom to speak candidly and being less concerned about pleasing current leadership by telling them what they want to hear, will mean that others view you as direct, apolitical, and objective. This can earn you respect and trust quickly.

You cannot rely on the goodwill built from previous activity. You are instead reliant on proving your worth through your actions which, if done well, will often be given greater weight.

As someone coming in from the outside, presenting the information clearly is crucial, helping to demonstrate your value and giving credence to your abilities. Being able to communicate technical issues to non-financial team members and influence business decisions are vastly underrated skills which will be of great use to you.

Interim roles present opportunities to test your abilities, strengthen your communication skills and allow you to branch out into new areas of expertise, as well as giving you the flexibility to take breaks from work and choose when and for how long you would like to work in a role. It could be your next big career move.

If you’re looking to take on a new role, whether it be permanent or temporary, we know the industry inside-out and can help you to find a role that fits your skillset – get in touch with our team today: https://www.robertsonbell.co.uk/