With the onset of the recession in 2007, many companies downsized, eliminating the less essential staff in order to cut costs. A lot has changed since then, and companies are beginning to see substantial growth for the first time in years—a great sign for the unemployed or even for those that are already employed. However, with the economy not yet out of the woods, companies are being particularly cautious about their new hires. Instead of reestablishing pre-recession full-time positions, businesses in all industries are creating temporary roles to fill in the cracks as industry expands.

Firms hire temporary workers for a variety of beneficial reasons. For instance, they can be brought in to solve a specific problem or help manage a predicted influx in business, and then leave after a predetermined amount of time (usually a few weeks or months). In some cases, they have specific, niche skills and require little to no training. Today, organizations are hiring temporary employees at record highs.

This influx in temporary job openings represents a new way of life for many employees, and many of these jobs offer opportunities not necessarily available in typical employment situations. We’ve generalized five different types of temporary employees – each scenario has its pros and cons, and each leverages temporary employment to different ends and with different results. Where do you see yourself?

The Keep Busy Temp: The Keep Busy Temp keeps it tight. He doesn’t want to have a single resume bald patch. He doesn’t want to file for unemployment or get stumped by the question, “what were you doing in January?” The Keep Busy Temp does just that—keeps busy. He believes that no moment should go wasted. For the Keep Busy Temp, temp jobs are merely a financial bridge to more stable employment. However, temp jobs can take up time that could be better spent applying for jobs and prepping for interviews.

The Resume Builder: The Resume Builder takes on temporarily roles to build lasting skills. She could be new to the workforce, but more likely, she has turned down a salary job she’s overqualified for and understimulated by in favor of a temp job more suited to her talents and career goals. The Resume Builder’s top priority is gaining the skills and connections she needs to succeed in her field—the rest comes later. However, this is always a gamble, and giving up stability can feel like a mistake a little further down the road.

The Foot-in-the-Door Temp: The Foot-in-the-Door Temp takes a temporary role in hopes of landing a full-time, salaried job at that company or firm. He knows the career he wants, and is willing to settle for job insecurity in order to prove his professional value. The Foot-in-the-Door Temp relies on his superior skills to make himself indispensable and set himself up as the ideal candidate once a company or firm does start hiring full-time employees. However, there’s no guarantee that the company will be hiring in the future.

The Supplemental Income Temp: Whether she’s starting a small business or trying to break into a new industry, the Supplemental Income Temp takes on a temporary position to pay the bills. Seasonal temp work can provide that extra bit of cash to get your project off the ground, or support you if you’re starting from square one in a new industry. However, juggling two sets of commitments can be tricky, and the Supplemental Income Temp must be careful that her responsibilities don’t interfere with each other.

The Career Temp: For the Career Temp, temp working is a way of life. He may have a set of skills so honed and specific that he gets called in to fix problems at several different companies or firms. He enjoys the variety and flexibility of his different jobs, which keep him from stagnating or getting bored. Over the years, he’s made himself a reputation as a reliable and competent worker and problem solver, and is a highly sought after candidate in his field.

The days when temp jobs were only open to secretaries and seasonal retail employees are long, long gone. Temporary positions can be extremely valuable in terms of gaining experience, keeping busy, and getting that extra financial support. With companies hiring more and more temporary and part-time employees for high responsibility positions, employees may have less security, but they enjoy greater freedom—freedom to test different waters, and freedom to take chances they might not take in more long term positions. As they say, the greater the risk, the greater the reward.