What’s temping got to do with it?

Sitting here on a lazy Sunday morning, twelve months clear of higher education and the student sausage factory that is academia and council tax exemption, I craved a sense of direction. What I wish I knew then that I certainly know now is how temping could have remedied this visceral need for structure. Yes, it could have been the Launchpad into a world of opportunity and where the idealist imagination comes to an adult council tax paying life. Indeed, temporary work has so many numerous, and priceless, benefits that I now very much wish to spread the knowledge of the vast amount of opportunity attached to it.

Let?s talk money, straight up. As a student living in London with a limited Bank-of-Mum-and-Dad budget, besides the cheapest loan you?ll ever get, ways to make money and be busy came hand in hand. What I failed to realise was what a difference the difference of those few pounds cost me every single hour whilst being oblivious to temping. With the national minimum wage sitting at ?5.60 for those aged between eighteen and twenty and at ?7.05 for twenty-one to twenty-four year olds Angela Mortimer?s ?minimum? hourly rate sits at ?10 per hour. That?s ?4.40, or ?2.95, more for every hour that you work which, if we?re talking about an eight hour day, comes to the price of a fair few more drinks for you and your squad at ?23.60 – ?35.20 for every single day that you otherwise work. What?s more, whilst temping you?re paid on a weekly basis and even accrue holiday pay on top of your hourly rate. A no-brainer, even for those not paying to study Maths.

What kind of role could you temp in with us may you ask. Well, that?s just it – there is ample scope to dabble in many different roles; from entry level reception and front of house positions, to administrative and assistant opportunities working within a team or on a one to one basis – variety is the spice of life and, within the office executive and business support space, we thrive on that spicing. Moreover, you can do more than just role-playing in a position, you can try out different industries. Whether you’re more Camden creative than City slick corporate, or visa versa, we have a treasure trove of companies in our portfolio. We cover property, media, finance, education, not-for-profit and everything in between.

Temping is wonderfully flexible. With Generation Z and the millennial lust for flexibility, temping is as flexible and adaptive a commitment as it comes. You can pick it up when free and shy away from it during exam season, coursework backlog or holidaying. Essentially once you have popped into our Soho office for an interview with one of our trained consultants you?re good to go for temping, and through ongoing communication with your consultant, can stay on the books but not be bound to the books, unless it?s an all night dissertation deadline you?re working on. Moreover, a typical temp assignment can be anything from a day?s booking to a week, to a few weeks and right up to six months. Thus, when it comes to the holidays and you?re tied into that twelve month, no break clause rental agreement you can actually afford to eat and live a little with that ?10 per hour temp receptionist role.

Charlie Dathan