The onset of the recession saw a reduction in requirements for permanent staff all across the globe and scores of people were being let go. However, although most companies could no longer afford permanent staff it became evident that they still needed work to be done and that’s why temporary staff became the new buzz word during this time. Abrivia Recruitment has over 15 years’ experience placing people in temporary assignments in Office Support, Accountancy & Finance and IT and in our experience well over 60% of the temporary or contract assignments we fill are made permanent.
Here are our top 6 reasons to temp your way out of the Recession:
- You will get paid for every hour you work which can be a huge benefit to your bank balance. Quite often when you are in a permanent job you are expected to put in extra hours without pay but in a temporary job these are paid to you.
- A huge percentage of temporary roles are with ‘a view to permanency’, as a temp you are in an advantageous position to prove yourself. Treat the temporary role as a working interview.
- Working in a temporary role is a great way of checking out the company, something you would never have the opportunity to do in a permanent job. It happens sometimes that we start a permanent job and it’s simply not what we thought it was going to be, so this is where you can turn the ‘it’s only a temp job’ to your advantage.
- It is a great networking opportunity. Quite simply you are in a commercial environment meeting business people.
- It demonstrates to employers your flexibility and attitude when doing interviews – they are impressed by people who use temporary roles to their advantage. In our experience professionals who have used breaks between permanent jobs to take up temporary opportunities tend to have the edge.
- For students, temping during summer holidays is particularly important.
If you look at the different areas we recruit for temporary staff in you’ll get a better idea of the benefits that temping offers. For instance;
Accountancy & Finance Temping
Many Finance professionals’ use temping or contracting as a preferred route to securing their next dream job. The perception of ‘It’s only a temporary job’ has changed a lot in recent years because in my experience it can only enhance your CV. A lot of people tend to favour roles with the various multinationals or FMCG companies and a huge percentage of these roles start off on a temporary basis. One big benefit of temping as a finance professional is the great exposure you would get to lots of IT systems as it will give you the edge over your competition.
Office Support Temping
Some people choose temporary work as a career and love the freedom that comes with this lifestyle because it offers such good flexibility and excellent hourly rates ranging from €12-€20/hour depending on your experience. The main thing to be aware of when wanting to become a temp in office support is the need to have immediate availability and flexibility as companies may be looking to fill a vacancy that starts the very next day. You need to have superior customer service and administration skills as there will be no training time – they will expect you to excel in these areas already.
IT Contracting
Within the IT jobs market many companies are turning to the hiring of contractors due to increased pressure they may find themselves under with multiple projects and strict deadlines. The benefits for someone considering IT contracting can be exposure to new technologies, flexibility, a higher rate of pay and tax incentives. Most people contemplating contracting in IT tend to be more senior professionals as they will need to hit the ground running when the start. If you want to learn more about this read our previous blog Pros Vs Cons of IT Contracting.
Gone are the days when temporary and contract staff got the short end of the stick. With the introduction of the Agency Workers Directive it ensures you have the appropriate protection in your role.
Ask yourself, when you are attending your next permanent interview, which reason would you rather give your next potential employer to explain the gaps in your CV:
- I didn’t want to spend the time sitting at home, I felt it would be better to gain more experience and enhance my skills and experience in a temporary role
- I was taking some time out
To read about the Pros and Cons of doing an Internship, please click here>>>
Question for you:
Would you ever consider temping? Is this lifestyle for you?
*Images courtesy of Indypendent, Shutterstock & Challenge Consulting
