Job Hunting Tips For Temps in London
If you fancy doing some work as a temp, but are not sure where to start, then the best thing to do is to find a good recruitment agency, who will be able to match up the skills that you have, with the jobs that they have on offer. The recruitment agency should help you to choose an area that you want to work in and help you to overcome any nerves or uncertainties about temping. Remember that the agency needs temps or else it would go out of business, so they do want to keep you.
There are lots of different types of agency available. Some are located on high streets, others are internet based. Some specialise in say, catering temps, others are office or admin type specific, but some have a wide variety of roles available.
Before you approach a recruitment agency though, you really should have an up to date curriculum vitae prepared, so that the whole process of signing up with them can be as easy as possible. It is also a sign to the recruitment agency that you really are professional, literate and well organised, so make sure that you update your curriculum vitae before you start interaction with the agency.
The qualifications required for temping jobs vary. For example, a construction specialist, such as an architectural technologist, will require many more qualifications than if the role were for an office junior, where the main emphasis may be on willingness to work and a keen attitude. But no matter what qualifications you have, you will be able to find a temping job, so long as you display enthusiasm, a keen and flexible approach and are genuinely keen to work. So don’t be shy of approaching a recruitment agency, they may be able to transform your working life!
Temping For The Very First Time
If you are about to start temping for the very first time, then you may feel slightly anxious about it and are not sure what to expect. Well the good news is that there is really nothing to fear. If the company that you have been placed with is a good one, then they will do all that they can to show you how things are done and how things work, so that your first day and first week just whiz past and soon you know exactly who is who and what is what.
On your first day remember that no one expects you to know the procedures for doing things, you are there to learn. Also no one expects you to know automatically where the coffee machine is, or who has two sugars and who only drinks herbal teas, so have realistic expectations.
The first day may seem quite tiring, since you will be shown things and introduced to different people and it can be hard to remember everyone, but if you do forget names, just be honest and ask them to tell you again, whilst offering an apology for not being able to recall their name.
You will be shown how to evacuate the building if there is a fire, where the toilets are, refreshment facilities and then given duties to undertake, as well as the introductions. If you are unclear about your duties or what they expect, ask for clarification rather than doing things wrongly. No one minds being asked to elaborate (usually) but they may well mind if you input data incorrectly etc.
Then after the first day you will find that you soon settle into different routines and find your feet. If you find that you are not settling or that you cannot seem to feel at home in the company, then it may be worth talking to your recruitment agency about finding another position. But realistically, if you keep an open mind and are keen to learn, then temping will be great fun and you will soon settle in wherever you are working.
Temping in London
There are two main reasons why you should consider temping in London. The first is that the choice of temping jobs in the capital is simply awesome. You could be anything from an assistant in a tourist attraction, to working in the City of London. There really are hundreds and thousands of temping jobs available and they are often at very competitive salaries. To put it simply, in London you will get the pick of the jobs available and a far wider choice than anywhere else in the UK.
The second reason for using London as a base for temping is that the pace of life in London is much faster than in other parts of the country. This means that the work experience that you gain from being a temp in London is worth more than if you are a temp in a sleepy little town, where the pace of life is very slow.
London can offer you a great deal of variety as well as the ability to show that you can take the pressure that so often exists in the workplace here. It will also show that you are not lazy and that you relish a challenge. Both these attributes are highly sought after by employers, so it is a good addition to any CV.
But remember that temping in London is also a chance to meet people from all walks of life and often from different parts of the world and like everyone else, they are just people too. So although the pace of life may be very fast and the pressure may be high, you will still be working with people, some of whom may even become friends.
Thus it should be viewed as an opportunity to be seized, rather than something to be feared. And it is also quite easy to get a job as a temp in London, with plenty of recruitment agencies available, so sign up today!
How To Find Temping Work in London
London is a big place and to those who are not familiar with the city or who have not worked before, the process of ‘getting started’ working in London, can be intimidating. But the good news is that it doesn’t need to be, you can actually land a really good job temping, without having to put in too much effort. How cool is that ?
The first thing that you need to do is to register with a temping agency as soon as you can. This can either be an online recruitment agency or one that you find in Yellow Pages or similar. You may even see one on the High Street.
If you are very keen, then you could always register with a couple, so that you can find a dream job in next to no time at all. Checking out if the recruitment agency has any particular field of specialities e.g. secretarial jobs or white collar jobs, can also save you joining the wrong type of agency i.e. you don’t want to sign up to an agency who don’t tend to have the kind of jobs that you are looking for.
It is possible to find seasonal and temporary jobs in local papers or on the internet, but if you join an agency then you are to some extent protected by that agency and if the job doesn’t work out, it will be easier to find another position quite quickly. So give due consideration to this, even if you think that you have secured a really good job with a tiny advert you see in the local paper.
Make sure that you feel comfortable with the personnel at the recruitment agency and if you don’t, or they don’t seem professional, then don’t sign up with them: after all there are plenty out there, so you can literally take your pick!