Got a new job? Exciting stuff - even if it is only until the person you're replacing returns to work. While it's not unheard of for bosses to moan about the pain of finding someone to cover (we've all encountered one of those), maternity leave can be a good thing for all involved: parents, jobseekers - and even employers. For those entering the office, joining a new team on a short-term contract can be daunting. But there's plenty to be gained from your stint, if you know how to get the most out of it. Graham Bird, director of interim management at UK HR specialists Chiumento, specialises in placing managers in medium-term vacancies. While most of the people he places are career "interim managers" who love variety and challenge, he says, covering maternity leave can help those looking to commit to one employer. "The employee gets to look at the company and the job, and the employer gets to take a long look at the quality and experience of the person taking the role," he says. "If the permanent person doesn't come back, the person doing cover will be at an advantage - and if they do come back, and the employer has decided you are an asset, they can look for an opening for you elsewhere." And doing a spot of maternity cover works especially well if you'd like to change career or want to get your foot in the door at a particular company. Gemma McCartney wanted to move from being a fitness assessor to a fitness tutor - so when a chance to cover for maternity leave came up at Lifetime, a training company, she jumped at it. "It was a chance to see if I really wanted to do it or not," she says. "And because the company is up and coming, I anticipated that there might be a chance to go into another role once the cover was over." Now in a full-time role at Lifetime, McCartney says the key is to forget you may only have six months. "I made an effort to get to know everybody, went out on social events, was willing to cover shifts and built friendships," she says. "I also did a lot of home study to get my knowledge to the level I felt it needed to be." Nevertheless, being a long-term temporary worker (especially if you want a permanent job) can be stressful, as Gemma McCartney explains. "You are hanging by a thread the whole time," she says. "I was always asking if there might be a post for me and all my employer could say was that we would have to wait and see. It can be quite destabilising." For McCartney the opportunity to do maternity cover has been invaluable. "In six months I learned so much - my knowledge doubled and the experience was fantastic," McCartney says. "And had I not been taken on [permanently] I would have been able to apply for other jobs with that experience."

Słowniczek

daunting - deprymujący

stint - ograniczone w czasie doświadczenie

doing a spot of maternity cover - wzięcie zastępstwa za osobę na urlopie macierzyńskim

get a foot in the door - tu: nawiązać współpracę

the company is up and coming - firma się rozwija

cover shifts - brać zastępstwa (np. dyżury) za innych