They may not be glamorous, they probably won’t be easy, and they might not pay very well, but temp jobs can—and do—lead to successful careers in rewarding fields of work. Just ask Todd Cherches, CEO and cofounder of BigBlueGumball, a New York City–based career consulting, training, and coaching firm:

After graduating from college, I got into the temp pool at Walt Disney Studios in LA. After a series of eight different weeklong temp jobs, the last one led to an amazing full-time assistant-level job in comedy development working for a writer/producer.

Just because you’re not on the permanent payroll doesn’t mean you can’t reap big benefits from a summer temp gig. You just have to put in the effort and treat your temporary job like it’s the dream job you’re hoping for.