Moving on
As we’ve already established, people don’t just fall into temping these days. It’s a conscious career choice and for those of you who’ve chosen to pursue that path, there is a situation, though welcomed by most, you’ve come to dread: being offered a permanent job. But how do you say no without jeopardising your references?
First off, keep it brief; there’s no harm in politely but firmly informing your supervisor that the offer of permanent employment doesn’t coincide with your future plans. This is the best approach if you’re uncomfortable talking about your reasons behind declining or if you anticipate being dragged over the coals.
If brevity isn’t your style, you can respectfully decline and offer up some carefully considered reasons as to why you reached the decision. Perhaps your commitment to temping stems from a desire to move around, learning new technologies. Your final option is to frighten your supervisor into changing their mind about your suitability; something along the lines of ‘I just don’t feel that the Feng Shui of the office stimulates my chakras’ should work.
Whatever method you choose, be polite throughout and avoid negativity; if you have had a difficult time during your placement the final meeting is not the time to vent your frustrations. Explain to your supervisor that you didn’t ‘fit’ in their organisation and that you feel you’d be more productive elsewhere. It’s a small world and you never know when you might run into them again!
