Many people spend some time temping at one time or another in their lives. From graduates looking for a full-time job to parents looking to get back into the workplace, temping can be hugely useful and has many benefits. Read on to find out more.
Get experience
One of the primary benefits of temping is to get experience. Imagine that you’ve just graduated from university. You’ve got a great degree, and you’re keen to work, but a lack of practical experience is making it hard for you to find work. Temping can be a great way not only to keep busy and prove your work ethic to future employers. However, it can also give you valuable experience that will make you a better candidate when you apply for jobs in future.
This experience is especially important in competitive fields, such as driving jobs, where many people will be going after the same position. Your temp work could be just the thing to help you stand out from the crowd.
Get back into work
Another benefit of temping is that it can help you get back into work after a breakaway, such as if you’ve had time off for illness or to raise children. Many temping contracts are short, so they can be a good way to ease back into the working world. Plus, many companies across different sectors and industries use temps, so as long as you know where to look, you should be able to find a range of different opportunities.
Try different things
As temping doesn’t tie you to any particular job, it also gives you more scope if you want to try a couple of different things. For instance, if you have recently moved house and are looking for jobs in Leeds but are unsure of what you want to do, temping at a couple of different places would give you an income, set you up in the local labour market and introduce you to new contacts. You never know – a temporary job could even lead to something more permanent if that is what you seek.
Suit your needs
Finally, another benefit of temping is that it can suit your needs. There are quite a few retail jobs available during busy times such as the summer and Christmas. Even if you can only work at those times, it’s highly likely you’ll be able to meet those needs by taking on a temp job.
The Value of Temping
According to a recent www.weddles.com e-newsletter, “The American Staffing Association released the results of its study of temporary work in the U.S. workplace. It found that over half of the workers polled (59%) had, at some point, taken a temporary job as a stepping to landing a permanent position.
In other words, temp work is not something that’s done only by the unemployable or by those willing to work in the lousiest jobs for the lousiest employers. It can and often does provide an opportunity for you to show what you can do in a meaningful position that can lead to full-time employment with a great organization.
The survey respondents also cited a number of other advantages to taking temp work, including scheduling flexibility (41%), additional income (40%), and access to training (40%). Almost nine-out-of-ten (88%) would recommend temp work to a friend or relative. And, most of the more than 13,000 people surveyed were of working age; only 10% were students, and just 3% described themselves as retired.”
