Candidates > Temps Area > Temps Market

Temping

Without the security of a permanent job many temp workers can feel uncertain about their place in a company and unsure of their working future. However, temporary workers are in high demand and can often be integral to the success of the business.

To succeed in the temp market you will need to have good communication skills, a positive personality and the confidence to fit in fast, without the support of the formal induction procedures that permanent employees typically receive.

There are many reasons why temporary and contract work is so appealing to workers from abroad. You will be paid for every hour you work, including overtime, which is not typically true of permanent staff, and because you receive fewer benefits than permanent employees, your equivalent hourly rate will be higher.

Undertaking a couple of temporary assignments provides an excellent opportunity to try out new industry sectors along with gaining valuable experience that you may be missing. Temporary employers tend to be more interested in your generic skills, rather than sector-specific ones; it’s what you have done that counts, rather than where you have done it. Ultimately this means you can sample a number of different sectors before making any permanent career decisions. Your CV won’t be harmed by having worked for a series of blue chip organisations on a temporary basis.

Temping may also offer a way into a company. While you may start off as a temporary worker, sometimes these assignments may turn into permanent roles, or they may offer you another role within the company.

While there are many attractive points about temping, there are also some potential downsides that you should be aware of before you make the decision to temp.

As there is an inherent uncertainty in temporary and contract work you can never be precisely sure when your services will no longer be needed. You must also be prepared to adapt to working situations that may not be ideal.

However, these are the compromises you make in return for being able to keep your own options open by not looking for a permanent position. Most organisations using temporary staff understand that they need to give them reasonable warning of when they will no longer need them, and will generally be flexible about allowing you to attend interviews to look for new temporary assignments or a permanent position.