Typically, a temping role could last anything from a single day to a couple of weeks, though it can be more. It’s not necessarily for everyone, but it can be a great means to an end, and there will always be a need for good temps. So, let’s get right into it - what are the positives and negatives of engaging in temp work.
Pros
Flexibility
You get to only work only when you want! Flexibility is the current buzzword; the key thing people are looking for in their work-life balance. People are demanding more and more that their work fits around their life rather than the other way round, and temping could be the perfect solution to that. Not having to stick to the Monday-to-Friday or being able to say no on a particular day when you have an appointment or need to get something done, is the ultimate working choice.
In-between permanent roles?
Temping is great for meeting sporadic money needs or if you are between jobs due to redundancy or for any other reason. It can fill that financial gap and can help with any gaps on your CV.
Gaining Experience
Temping is a fast way to gain experience in different industries and a variety of workplaces. It can be a chance to find out what industry you connect with and enjoy.
Variety of work
As well as the chance to gain wide-ranging experience, you will have the chance to do something different with each job, reducing boredom and the mundanity of doing the same job all the time.
Increased confidence in social interactions
Meeting lots of different people is the quickest way to gain confidence in the skill of social interaction. And it is a great skill essential to most workplaces. Being able to show that you have successfully worked with a variety of people is an important skill to put on your CV.
A Gateway to More
Temporary work could lead to permanent work. Especially if you struggle with the pressure of interviews, temping is a fabulous way of showing off your skills in a less stressful, more reflective of your abilities way.
Pay
Temp jobs sometimes pay better than permanent jobs. It’s worth weighing up your options on this if you are considering temping long-term.
Cons
Job Insecurity
The most obvious con, of course, is the insecurity of employment. If you are temping out of necessity as a main source of income, it can feel unreliable and irregular. The fluctuating pay could be difficult to budget for and live with.
Flexibility
You might be thinking, “But wasn’t flexibility a positive point?!” Well, it is, but we want to highlight that if you do think about taking up long-term temping for its flexibility, you need to bear in mind that to get regular work from your agency you will need to show reliability and availability. If you are regularly saying that you don’t want to work or that you don’t work Wednesdays, for example, you will be limiting what you can do and placing yourself at the bottom of the agency’s go-to pile. You also might be expected to work with very little notice or in locations that aren’t ideal.
Lack of induction
Here at Membership Bespoke, we do, of course, advise all our places of employment on how best to onboard you as a temp – but you do need to be aware that you might be expected to hit the ground running in a lot of roles. You will need to be fairly self-sufficient, quick to learn, and happy to get stuck right in (all great things to be able to put on a CV, of course!).
Lack of interesting work
This is, of course, not always the case, but you will often be brought in to do the work no one else wants to do; the projects that have fallen by the wayside because they are hard to get prioritised in the main day-to-day work. It’s also unlikely that you will get any deeper long-term projects that you can really make your own.
Pensions and other work benefits
You are entitled to benefits such as statutory sick pay and minimum wage, but you might not be entitled to a workplace pension. It’s a complicated situation, especially if you are temping through more than one agency. Give us a call if you would like to know more about what you would be entitled to.
If we can be of any help in your temp journey, get in touch.
