 By Graham Trickey, Editor, Prospects. Three or more months after gaining a degree and no nearer to a decent job, many graduates are wondering what happens next. Temping may be paying the rent but can be mind numbingly tedious. The question is - can it lead somewhere better? For anyone who has had only limited work experience, some temping may provide work skills for the CV as well as knowledge of how to survive employment. A temp gets to know which is a good work place and which is something more like David Brent’s office. But work should be more than this and graduates certainly do not want to be trapped in the same low-grade agency work for years, as some are. To avoid such a fate, temps need to keep reassessing their situation. It may be that they are with the wrong agency. The worst are those that fail to come up with any work; next are the ones that only offer boring work. In major cities there will be various agencies and it is worth researching their different specialisms. Data entry work may be avoidable. Registering with several agencies should provide a taste of different sectors and types of work to help with career decisions and the CV. Whether an assignment is worthwhile or just drudgery, doing it well and being accommodating to both agency and employer may lead to a better posting next time or to the agency offering temporary/permanent and permanent positions. Or an employer may themselves offer a full-time job. This is most likely to happen if a temp lands in an interesting company, shows enthusiasm and asks about opportunities. Some luck will be needed to get a good full-time job out of a temporary position. So other avenues should be kept open. Temping can be a chance to look around, to make contacts, to find out about possible careers and employers within a sector and apply for jobs. Permanent temp does not have to be the outcome. Related topics
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