What Is a Bridge Job?

There are many reasons to take a bridge job: You could be navigating a career change, you may need a more flexible schedule temporarily or you may have recently been laid off and are looking for your next career path. Regardless of your reason for taking an interim position there is no shame in doing so. A bridge job can provide you with the financial and emotional stability you need while you find your next move.?

By Helen Harris?

You may have recently been laid off. You may be searching for a job after leaving a work environment that wasn’t a good fit for you. Or maybe you’re a recent college graduate looking for your first job. The reasons to take a bridge job are many, and there is no shame in doing so.?

That’s because a bridge job is for the “right now,” says Kristen Zavo, executive coach, speaker and best-selling author of “Job Joy.” She explains that taking any kind of interim position can give you the resources (money, energy, time, skills, network, etc.) to keep making progress towards the ultimate goal or dream job.

Reasons To Take a Bridge Job?

Matt Warzel, who defines a bridge job as a temporary job between your usual career path roles, states that these temporary positions can not only help meet the needs of you and your family but also build your transferable skills.

“It's a way to relieve a temporary need including a source of income while searching for your typical career roles,” said Warzel. “These positions also usually involve an acceptance into the job without many barriers. For instance, typically just an application will suffice.”?

Warzel also explains that these positions do not require as many skills or prior accomplishments in their respective roles or industries and you do not necessarily have to have a background in the line of work of the bridge job you are applying for.??

Forbes also identifies the following benefits of taking a bridge job:?

• If you have been laid off or have chosen to take a step back from your career, this is an opportunity to regain your confidence in an easy, nonjudgemental space: You can choose what you want to do, from teaching dance lessons to babysitting to dog walking to sales. This is a chance to take an easy job, relax and find out what you want to do next.?
• You’ll earn money and learn new skills: “A bridge job allows you to take back control of your time and prioritize the skill development that will take you where you want to go next,” reported Forbes. That might mean taking coding lessons, building your business’s brand, learning a new language, or taking some courses. Re-tooling takes time, and sometimes a bridge job is the only kind of job you can balance on top of the time-consuming skill-building required of your career transition.”
• Your days will generally be more structured and you will stay more motivated: As you work your bridge job, you’ll likely also be looking for your “real” job on the side and finding avenues to network and job search every chance you get.?

So if you need a job, and need one fast, a bridge job is a great option to help pad your income stream while you wait for your next big career opportunity. It can also keep your days more structured and maintain your sense of normalcy.?

Types of Bridge Jobs?

You’ve likely seen “now hiring immediately” and “help wanted” on the windows of grocery stores, laundromats, dog daycares and grooming centers, and various retail centers. Or maybe you’ve done some online searching and have seen ads posted for delivery drivers, landscaping companies or commission-only sales roles.?

These are potential bridge jobs you can apply for.?

Zavo says, depending on you and your goals, a bridge job can take many forms. For instance, it could look like taking a contract or freelance role; making a lateral move or taking a "step back" title-wise; launching a side hustle; or even going for a role that doesn't leverage your education (e.g., working at a coffee shop, bookstore, uber) but that leaves you with the energy and mental space to focus on the bigger goal.

How To Detail Interim Work on Your Resume?

Let’s say you take a bridge and are now interviewing for a job in your previous career field. Do you account for the time you spent working the bridge job??

It depends.?

“If it is relevant to the roles you're applying to, absolutely,” said Zavo. “If it's super short-term or unrelated to your career, it's not necessary to include on your resume — with the exception being if you need to explain a significant employment gap, in which case you may still choose to focus on the job-relevant activities (trainings, volunteer experience, etc.) versus the side job.”

Warzel adds to Zavo’s sentiment, that whether or not you include the experience on your resume really depends on length of tenure and any relevant or transferable skills acquired.?

He also states that if a temporary bridge job doesn't affect the years on your resume, it's probably safe to skip it and just use your most recent permanent role you just left.

For example, if you got laid off in January 2022 and took a bridge job from February through November 2022, and then got hired in November 2022 with a typical role on your career trajectory, it's okay to leave that bridge job off. You would just list your last full-time role as "through 2022" or "2019-2022” and the new role you’re taking as "2022-present."

Above all, you should remember that if you take a bridge job, there is nothing wrong with this phase in your job journey. The benefits far outweigh any negatives and in the long run will help you land your next dream position.?

“There's no shame in taking a bridge job when it serves the bigger purpose,” said Zavo. “In fact, it takes a lot of courage and professional maturity to do so.”

Top Takeaways?

What Is a Bridge Job?

• A bridge job is for “right now” and can give you the resources (money, energy, time, skills, network, etc.) to keep making progress towards the ultimate goal or dream job.
• “It's a way to relieve a temporary need including a source of income while searching for your typical career roles.”?
• Bridge jobs take many forms and could look like a contract or freelance role; making a lateral move or taking a "step back" title-wise; launching a side hustle; or working at a coffee shop, bookstore or for a rideshare.?
• Whether or not you add a bridge job to your resume depends on length of tenure and any transferable skills acquired.?
• “There's no shame in taking a bridge job when it serves the bigger purpose. In fact, it takes a lot of courage and professional maturity to do so.”