With the drift towards a temp and contract lead recovery off the back of a weak permanent market, I thought it timely to re-share an old but timeless blog for all those considering temping. Essentially the principles remain the same.
So, you want to temp?
The world of temping can be an exciting one. Whether you want to temp while your ideal permanent role comes up, or you want to experience the variety that multiple temp contracts offer, temping can improve your skills and expand your experience. With temping and/or contracting dominating the labour market in the short to medium term, what are some of the key things you need to know if you want to be a sought-after temp professional?
Here are my top 4 must haves if you want to be a Temp Professional
- Attitude is everything
Having a confident, can-do attitude is key. You are flexible, adaptable and able to manage changing priorities. You are all about knowing where you can add value, identify opportunities where you can make a positive impact. You need to quickly build collaboratively relationships and find where you can fill the gaps. - Flexibility
Is all about being available when you are needed. Temp opportunities are often a response to a last minute and/or urgent need. Being flexible to adapt to temporary opportunities as they arise can be the difference between being at the top of the list of your agencies list or at the bottom - Communicate
Regular, consistent communication is key as you develop that all important two-way partnership between would-be temp and agency. Communicating your availability, updating your agency is weekly. Developing a strong relationship of trust and reliability is critical for both parties. Your agency needs to know your up-to-the-minute availability. Your agency will also need to be assured that you are willing and ready to go as time to fill can often be a matter of a couple of hours at best. Being on the front foot as a temp professional is vital to your brand as well as your employment. Communication also goes for updating your skills and any new valuable experience that you can add to your offering. - Performance and Delivery
This is your time to bring it home. It’s time to make the most of this assignment and prove that you were the right choice for the job. Initiative, proactivity and actively contributing to where ever you are needed will not go unnoticed. This is what distinguishes a regular temp from a Temp Professional. Importantly this is what will get you requested back.
Current Jobs:
- Employee Relations Manager
- Service and Training Specialist
- General Temp Registration
- Accounting Assistant
- Marketing Strategist
