How To Make Temping Work For You

Are you looking for a new job? Here's how to make temping work for you.

Temporary work has got me out of some pretty sticky financial situations.

When I was a student, I used to cram temp work into my vacations, so I wouldn't start the following term quite as horrendously in debt. And as a graduate, temping provided me with six valuable weeks' pay until I nailed the permanent job I wanted.

Unemployment figures have been creeping up in recent months. If this trend continues, more people are likely to start looking for temporary work as the number of permanent vacancies shrinks.

So, how can you stand out from the rest of the crowd? Here a guide to successful office temping -- so you can keep a step ahead of the competition.

The pros.

Many people temp through necessity rather than design. However, it does have its good points:

Breathing space: If you're unsure how you want your career to pan out, temping allows you to `test drive' a range of different jobs to help you find the one you really want.

Foot in the door: Temping is sometimes the easiest way to break into very competitive job sectors. You can gain experience, contacts and insider knowledge -- as well as proving your interest in the industry.

Show me the money: If you're a student looking for holiday work, temping usually pays better than `traditional' student jobs, like bar or restaurant work.

.And the cons

No benefits: Of course, flexibility comes at a price. Temps usually receive little or no holiday entitlement, and they miss out on sick pay, health insurance, pension plans and the other benefits permanent staff may enjoy.

No security: In a nutshell, you could be booted out at any time. You're not guaranteed an end date for any job you take on, so a month-long assignment could end on day two and there's not a lot you can do about it.

Landing that role

As a temp, you need to be constantly on your toes. Here's a guide to landing the role - and the pay rate - you really want.

Research and prepare: Make sure your CV is accurate, up-to-date and well laid-out - this article has a host of useful CV tips.

Crucially, when providing the details of referees, let them know beforehand! Your CV is likely to be shot off to numerous potential employers by your temping agency, so they need to aware they may each receive several phone calls or emails.

When you're choosing which agency to sign up for, don't take the `blanket bombing' approach I did. I registered with six agencies, and then got hopelessly confused about who was offering me which jobs!

Instead, find out what sort of work each agency specialises in, choose the ones that suit you best, and plump for three at most.

It's also a good idea to choose agencies focused on slightly different sectors, so you're protected if one sector goes through a very slow employment patch.

The interview: An agency will invite you in to register and to `have a bit of a chat'. Don't make the mistake I did - thinking it was all terribly casual and turning up to my first one in grubby jeans.

In fact, this `chat' is the interview that could get you a hundred jobs. Win over the recruitment agent and you'll be first on their list when a job comes up. This is the time to emphasise how professional, flexible and thoroughly reliable you are!

Checking in: Once you've signed up, call your agency every week to let them know you're still available for work. These calls are usually logged electronically, and help bump your name up to the top of the database queue.

When my flatmate and I were without temp work, we still used to jump up at 7am, get our office clothes on and sit staring at each other over the breakfast table.

Mad? Not necessarily. Agencies often get requests for temps first thing in the morning (because, for example, someone's called in sick). It's the temps that can get there quickest that tend to get the work.

Up your skills:  Once you've registered, there's plenty you can do before the first job comes along.

When I was temping, candidates with advanced Microsoft Office skills definitely seemed to get better pay and more regular work.

Many temp agencies now provide free computer training facilities, where you can swot up on software packages and improve your typing speed.

I'm convinced that using these -- and finally getting a shaky grasp on Excel spreadsheets -- got me my first job.

Finally, it's a good idea to get `security-cleared' as soon as possible (ask your agency to get the process underway).

This will give you the opportunity to work in sectors (such as certain government departments) which other temps are excluded from.

You've got the job!

Once you're placed in a role, many of the usual tenets apply: Read How To Get And Keep A Job, by my Foolish colleague Neil Faulkner, for excellent advice on how you should behave.

But one more word of warning: Don't assume you can act like the permanent members of staff.

The people all around you might be wearing jeans, browsing Facebook, bopping along to iPods and chatting on their mobiles, but that doesn't necessarily mean you can do the same!

Someone is paying for you by the hour. That tends to mean -- irrationally or not -- that they expect you to make every minute of that hour count.

So -- find out how everyone takes their tea, take an interest in the company (even if you don't give a monkeys), and you're much more likely to be asked back on day two.

Good luck!

More: | How To Get A Pay Rise

If you're looking for information on anything work-related, why not visit The Fool's Jobs & Careers Advice discussion board.