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Traveling Jobs / Contract Jobs 

Why consider traveling contract work?

There are many reasons to considering temporary contract work such as opportunities to travel around the country, job flexibility, the ability to make more money, but one of the most valuable reasons is for the professional growth that comes from working for different companies and a variety of projects.

Here at MADI, we have been placing traveling contract workforces nationwide since 1992 and we have a diverse range of clients ranging from publicly traded Fortune 100 companies to smaller privately held companies – regardless of the client, they’re looking for help because they need experienced workforces quickly or because they’re unable to hire the workers they need locally around their facilities.

 

What is a traveling contractor?  

A traveling contractor is hired to work in a specific location for a particular amount of time; typically they’re hired for 2 to 3 months minimum but projects may last for a year or more. Because the demand for skilled trades and production workers is so high, there are often labor shortages in certain areas of the country so companies hire experienced workforces from around the country that can step in, acclimate quickly, and help them get caught up on production backlogs, help during busy seasons, or bridge the gap until full-time employees are hired locally.

Will I have flexibility in choosing assignments? 

As a traveling contractor, you're in charge of your career and can pick and choose your projects offered by skilled trade staffing agencies and contract staffing firms. Just let your recruiters know your availability, project preferences, and any other details that are important to you.  


What qualities will help me succeed as a traveling tradesperson? 

A traveling skilled trades or production worker should have the following characteristics to excel in the role:

  • Enjoys experiencing new cities, towns and traveling in general
  • Enjoys the experience of working in new organizations
  • Inquisitive and thrives on challenges and learning new things
  • Is able to live a flexible lifestyle and enjoys being able to pick and choose where to work and for what type of projects and companies

 

What are the certifications and requirements for becoming a traveling contract worker? 

Most companies that hire these types of workforces are looking for experienced talent in whichever industry and trade they’re hiring for – not people fresh out of trade school. 

For example, certified Boiler Operators, Welders, CNC Machinists with many years of experience. Experience with traveling contract work is preferred, but not required. 

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Three Main Components of Contract Staffing 

Contract Staffing Firm

At MADI, we’re the contract staffing firm and it’s our company that recruits and hires contractors from across the United States. We handle the advertising, interviewing, screening, and onboarding for our client.

Client Company

Our clients hire us to place you, the contractor, into their facility or facilities.

Contractor

We hire you, the contractor, directly and take care of the logistics to get you to the project site, you’re our W-2 employee and we ensure that all goes well with your placement and the experience at our client’s facility.

What Is Per Diem? 

Per diem is an allowance for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses and varies by project location. For tax purposes, it’s recommended that you consult with a CPA familiar with contracting and per diem to determine your specific tax liabilities and deductible items.  

How Is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Handled?  

Your recruiters will be able to provide details on the PPE requirements at each facility. Generally speaking, items such as steel toe boots, metatarsal boots, welding hoods, and some machinists tools are brought by contractors. Other items such as safety glasses or hearing protection are typically provided by the client company on-site. 

If you're looking for a new pair of workbooks, take a look at our blog post Who Makes The Longest Lasting, High-Demand Work Boots to learn which people prefer. 

We also have a blog post on Who Makes The Best Safety Glasses if you're looking for some top-rated brands. 

Resume Tips for Traveling Contractors 

Most staffing firms and companies these days use Applicant Tracking Systems [ATS] for hiring workers which is why keywords are more important than ever. Without the right keywords – your resume might not make it in front of recruiters!

Applicant Tracking Systems are looking for keywords related to the job opening and industry, so make sure your resume contains the right keywords. It’s also suggested to submit your resume as a Word document and not a PDF because sometimes computer systems have a hard time reading resumes in PDF format.

For traveling contract jobs specifically, you’ll want to make sure that your most recent project is at the top of your resume, that each project has start and end dates and that your licenses and certifications are clearly written at the top of your resume. For more suggestions, check out our 7 Resume Tips For Skilled Trades Workers.

How To Find Traveling Jobs 

As with most job searches, the internet is your friend; use digital tools and job boards to your advantage. We could write forever about different options and different job boards for specific industries, so instead, we’ll keep it simple to get you started.

Rather than visit separate job boards, you can use free job board aggregators such as Google and Indeed to search for jobs, create job alert emails as well as upload your resume.

To search for travel jobs specifically, do not include a location when searching. Search for terms such as: 

Machinist Travel Per Diem

Welders Travel Per Diem 

Traveling Millwright Per Diem 

Assembler Travel Per Diem 

Google For Jobs

Being the largest search engine in the world, it makes sense that Google step into the job search game – and that is exactly what they did in 2017 when they launched their new search engine tool Google For Jobs.

This is not a job board, but an aggregator of job openings that are already published on the internet. You can narrow down search results by title, location, date posted, type, company, type, and employer. You can save jobs you’re interested in as well as set up email alerts to have new jobs sent to your inbox instantly, daily or weekly!

Indeed For Job Seekers

Indeed is another job search engine aggregator pulling from thousands of job boards, however, it also has the ability for employers to post jobs directly to the site. According to their website, 70% of US Job seekers online use Indeed to look for jobs.

As an employer, we also have great success hiring traveling contract workers through Indeed so it’s worth checking out if you’re not familiar with it.

RoadDogJobs - Jobs In The Trades

RoadDogJobs.com is specifically for connecting skilled trades and employers looking for traveling contract work. There is also a Facebook group to join as well where people post job opportunities and you can network with other traveling skilled tradespeople. 

Roadtechs - Nuclear, Technical, Professional and Power Industry Jobs

Another specific site for finding traveling contract jobs that pay per diem is Roadtechs. There are a variety of contract jobs posted there and include jobs in petrochemical, construction, shipyard/marine, aerospace, and Manufacturing to name a few. 

Facebook Groups 

Traveling Contract Jobs

About:

This is a networking group for those looking for traveling contract jobs throughout the United States. Industries include, but aren’t limited to skilled trades, craftsmen/craftswomen, nursing, construction, etc.

RoadDogJobs

About: This is a group for job postings only. We DO NOT hire, only post jobs-related information. 

On the Road Again

About: We are a group of heavy industrial construction workers that travel job to job. Non-union and union. We work in refineries, nuke plants, power plants, trash burners, paper mills, oil fields, and shipyards.

 

Tips For Job Seekers From Experienced Traveling Contractors 

Save contact information from all of the people you see posting about travel jobs -- a contact is a contact. The company may have posted an ad and by the time you call, they may NOT be hiring anymore. However, who's to say that a new req may not have come in 30 minutes later? Stay diligent. Keep trying. New reqs sometimes come in every hour of every day. 

Stock up on food and snacks at dollar stores before traveling because truck stops are expensive. 

To help pad your resume, take the OSHA 10 or even the OSHA 30 hr course, available online. Knowledge of safety looks great to an employer, especially when you're lacking in experience on the job. 

FAQ


 

  1. What benefits will I get from traveling contract work?
  2. How long does a traveling contractor work on a project?

A traveling contractor is usually hired for 2-3 months, but in the case of bigger projects, it can even be a year or so. They provide help during the busiest times and make it possible for companies to catch up on their production backlogs.

  3. If I want to work as a traveling contractor, how should I write my resume?

Typically, staffing companies use ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) to search for candidates nowadays, so make sure to include proper keywords in your resume. They need to be related to the industry and job openings. 

Also, submit it as a Word document instead of a PDF because, in this way, it may be easier to read by the system. 

Apart from that, it’s recommended to place the most recent project you worked on at the top, followed by your licenses and certifications.

  4. Will I be able to choose the assignments?

Of course! When you become a traveling contractor, you will be able to select the projects you like from the ones staffing agencies will suggest to you. To maximize the probability of getting suitable offers, please make sure to specify your project preferences, availability, and other vital information.

  5. Who will provide me with the PPE?

You can be sure your recruiter will share the PPE requirements for the facility with you. Usually, contractors bring such equipment as welding hoods or steel toe boots, while hearing and eye protection tools are typically offered on-site by the client company.

 


Speak to our recruiters today!

Our recruiters are available to answer your questions Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 to 5:00 Eastern time. Call (888) 243-7202.

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