What is a Bridge Job? 5 Scenarios Bridge Jobs Make Sense

I enjoyed LinkedIn’s career column on “bridge jobs,” which is a temporary job taken while waiting for the perfect one. Sometimes you need to take small steps to get to that ideal job. Here are five scenarios where it makes sense:

1. Take a bigger job in the same field. For example, you could pick up direct reports so you will later have that requisite management experience for an exec position. Or this new job could add a related skill to your existing skill set, e.g., you do not just privacy but also info security, or not just commercial but also product. This job is to enable continued growth.
2. Take a similar job in a different space. For example you do tech trans for a hardware company but you want to pivot to software, so it makes sense to move to a platform company with hardware and software to get exposure.
3. Take a job with clear exit opportunities for that specific experience. Lawyers who have led their company through a successful sale or public offering are coveted. So you may want to take a job with a limited end date to get that experience.
4. Take an on-demand counsel job. If you only have law firm transactional experience and want to go in-house but can’t quite land that job, you could work for a top tier on-demand counsel job, e.g., with Paragon, Flex, or Axiom, and get that in-house experience, albeit for a set project or timeline.  Or if you are between jobs and want to keep your skills fresh, these jobs make sense. They can sometimes lead to a permanent position too.
5. Take on consulting projects or start your own practice. If you were laid off or want to transition out of a job, you can take on projects using your expertise until you land the job you want. Yes, income is unstable, but freelancing or running your solo practice enables you to keep your skills fresh, to interact with your network, and to account for your time so there are no gaps in your work history.