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What does temping involve? Temping doesn’t have to mean low wages for factory work. There are a wide range of opportunities on offer, including temping work for charities and non-profit organisations that can give you the valuable experience you need to get into the sector. Many young people get stuck in the rut of ‘no experience — no job, no job — no experience.’ Temping can provide the perfect solution to help you escape that rut.
Temping or temporary work covers any job that isn’t permanent. It often means signing up with a recruitment agency specialising in short-term work and can involve anything from covering six months maternity leave to three months working for different organisations every day. Most work is full-time, although part-time work is sometimes available, and you will be paid by the hour.
What are the plus points? Temping offers great flexibility compared with permanent jobs. Although you might end up working for the same employer for several weeks, you could also end up working for a whole range of different organisations, giving you a great insight into the range of career options out there. It’s a great way to fill the gap before starting further study or undertaking an internship because you can commit for a short period of time and you can sometimes negotiate days off each week to do voluntary work. New legislation also means that you are entitled to four weeks paid holiday per year after working continuously (with the same employer) for 13 weeks.
What’s the downside? The fact that temping is so flexible also has its drawbacks. Agencies can’t always guarantee that they will have a ready supply of work, contracts can end at short notice and pay varies between different agencies. You might also be paid less than permanent staff.
What kind of work is on offer? The majority of temping work is administrative and office-based. It includes secretary and receptionist work, to being a personal assistant to the director of a charity. In the non-profit sector, however, administrative roles are not entirely restrictive and you may gain the opportunity to undertake work outside your job specification.
What skills and experience do I need? Some experience of working in an office is useful. Familiarity with Word, Excel, the Internet and email is essential and any additional packages like Access and PowerPoint and being able to touch-type (at least 55 w.p.m. for secretarial work) will increase the range of work you can do.
Are all the opportunities in London? A majority of the specialist charity and non-profit temping agencies are based in London and this is where most work can be found. They do occasionally offer opportunities outside London and it’s worth contacting them to find out what is available at the moment. Canal says: “Charity People has opportunities in the not-for profit sector across the UK, especially in fundraising, as well as health and housing work. There is, however, much greater scope in the capital as two thirds of major charities are based in London.”
Will temping help me get a job in overseas development or environmental work? Most agencies specialising in the non-profit sector don’t offer opportunities overseas, although they occasionally offer work with international development agencies based in the UK e.g. Oxfam. Most work is office-based and this therefore excludes hands-on environmental work. Most permanent jobs in the non-profit sector, however, involve some kind of administrative work, so any experience gained from temping will not be wasted.
Will temping for a charity guarantee me a permanent job? Temping for a charity can definitely lead to permanent work. You often get to find out about internal vacancies with organisations you’ve been temping for. Organisations frequently recruit temps who have been working for them because they already know the ropes.
What’s the first step? Write a CV and make sure that it sells the skills and experience you already have, including any voluntary work. Next, contact temping agencies in your area or specialist recruitment agencies for the non-profit sector. Many agencies now have websites where you can post your CV. Make sure you send it to as many agencies as possible, mentioning when you will be available for work. It’s important to note that if you are applying to agencies in London, you will need to be within easy travelling distance to attend the interview and it can help your prospects to already be based in, or near, London.
Temping agencies receive hundreds of CVs every week so it’s important to be patient but also persistent. If an agency thinks it can offer you work, they will call you to arrange an interview where they will discuss your skills and experience and what kind of work you are looking for. You will also sit various tests to assess your typing speed and accuracy and determine your familiarity with basic programmes like Word.
What if I don’t hear from the agency? If you are not invited to an interview or the agency is unable to find you work, you need to keep trying. Try calling and asking if you can speak to an agent for five minutes about how you could improve your chances in the future. If you have been unsuccessful with a specialist non-profit agency, try a mainstream agency to gain more experience. Reguarly send your updated CV to agencies you are interested in working with in the future. Keep up any voluntary work you have been involved with and make sure you demonstrate the skills and experience you have gained on your CV.
Charity People
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