Temping is on the rise. Since the COVID pandemic many employers have been holding back from large scale investment in full-time staff and are likely to continue to do so until they start to get a clearer view of what the workplace will look like in the future. There are still permanent jobs out there of course, but it’s a good time to consider the benefits of temping. It’s also important to challenge a few popular misconceptions about it. Many people who are accustomed to being in permanent employment, or those of you who are new to the job market having recently completing your education may not fancy the idea of temp work. But there are many reasons why it can be a great option as well as being an effective way to gain very marketable experience. Temping also offers more benefits and rights than is commonly known. For some people it can even be a lifestyle choice. Here are some reasons why you should consider being a temp.

You can gain great experience

Temping can provide you with the opportunity to gain a lot of skills and expertise in a variety of roles and in a number of different business sectors at an accelerated rate. It can provide you with proven soft skills like adaptintitly and provide an opportunity to gain new hard skills often in short assignments. Temps present less of a risk to employers who don’t want to invest in people in the long term so the likelihood of temps being able to gain valuable, broad experience quite quickly is increased.

You are in an increasingly commanding position

Many organisations bring in temps to help them deliver a project or to assist during a challenging period. This means that temps can be in high demand. Experienced workers are in a commanding position and many will do very well out of the current situation as demand for temps increases. But even if you are just starting out in your career and have not yet had the opportunity to gain lots of experience being a temp means you’re quite likely to. Now is the time to make the most of any opportunity to work your way up to a higher pay grade by gaining new skills and experience.

 You can open doors

Someone leaving education can assume temping looks bad on a CV and may be holding out for longer-term employment. But think about how much better your CV will look if you have some interesting temp jobs on it. Working as a temp whilst looking for a permanent job also demonstrates a good work ethics and how you have driven and ambition. Temping also provides great networking opportunities and many employers who aren’t willing to commit to a new permanent role end up creating one for temps they like. So temping can open doors. You can sit at your PC and apply for thousands of roles but its surprising how much easier it is to be successful when you’re already working, you can develop contacts, referrals, reputation and you may even be offered a permanent job.

You get more employment rights than you think

The Agency Workers Directive gives equal treatment to those who have worked with an employer for 12 weeks or more. After that period as a temp working through an Agency you are entitled to similar employment rights as a permanent person doing the same job. You get paid annual leave including Bank Holidays – 28 days over a full year work and automatic pension enrolment. You could even get more benefits depending on what your employer provides to their permanent staff.

You get to have an enjoyable time

We have a number of people on our books who simply love temping. They say they love the flexibility and the experience of meeting a wide range of people. They enjoy learning about different organisations, gain skills quickly and gain a lot of experience in a relative short period of time. We know some people who have chosen to advance their careers by doing temp work, others have decided to specialise in defined areas. Many of these wouldn’t contemplate a full time permanent role they like the challenge, variety and fun of temp work.

You can maximise your opportunities by using a good Agency

If you are planning to temp finding good Agency is crucial. A good Agency is worth its weight in gold. If you register with an Agency make sure it’s one who works well with temps and you feel you can develop a strong rapport and one-to-one relationship with.  Having a single point of contact, or a few as possible, who really knows you, your skills, preferences and work history can be invaluable in helping you get the roles you want. What’s important is you so it’s imperative that you find an Agency who will support you and provide you with the type of jobs want.

I have given you ten good reasons why temp work is good for you. Don’t turn your nose up at it, really consider it as an option. Generally, expect for a few people, it’s not a long term choice. Traditionally everyone wants a permanent job for the security it brings. But the world has changed over the last couple of years. Covid has given most business a bruising, so the temp jobs out there are numerous and offer exciting opportunities to those who dare.

Good Luck

Angela Burton