Fed up with job searching

PasturesNew

Deep_In_Debt wrote: »

I quickly found a temp job paying £12ph which is not bad for the type of work I am doing (admin/secretarial).

The usual round where I am is £6/hour. I cut a deal to do some work a year ago at £8/hour because they wanted to impress a big client with some specialist skills I had and medical audio transcription for a special project, along with utilising my (qualified/experienced) project management skills. After, the agency said that I was the highest paid temp they'd ever had. It is a well-known, top, UK/nationwide agency too.

On the other hand, I've heard of girls/school leavers living in commuting distance of London that get £8/hour for simple/basic/beginner work requiring no skills or experience whatsoever. Life is so unfair!

I used to get £6.60/hour for secretarial temping in 1990. Rates don't seem to have kept up at all.

Butterfliesarepretty

However, I quickly found a temp job paying £12ph which is not bad for the type of work I am doing (admin/secretarial):eek:

Please tell me you live near Bury, Lancs, who is the agency:D

Deep_In_Debt

I'm in the south and the agency is one of the big high street ones. My past experience is more PA/EA and project co-ordinator. However, this is one of their big clients and there is a lot of competition round here so I guess they were using me as a bit of a "spearhead". So no pressure on me then!

ceridwen

PasturesNew wrote: »

The usual round where I am is £6/hour. I cut a deal to do some work a year ago at £8/hour because they wanted to impress a big client with some specialist skills I had and medical audio transcription for a special project, along with utilising my (qualified/experienced) project management skills. After, the agency said that I was the highest paid temp they'd ever had. It is a well-known, top, UK/nationwide agency too.

On the other hand, I've heard of girls/school leavers living in commuting distance of London that get £8/hour for simple/basic/beginner work requiring no skills or experience whatsoever. Life is so unfair!

I used to get £6.60/hour for secretarial temping in 1990. Rates don't seem to have kept up at all.

I think the problem here is secretarial work is a type of work that is "dying" basically. Once computers became commonplace then the world and its wife/husband could then turn out typed script and that did rather sound the death knell for that type of work.

I guess the problem here is that the vast majority of us dont think in terms of futureproofing our jobs/careers. I have only just read about what is happening to the car industry right now - ie being hit particularly badly. My reaction was "I saw that coming years ago" - but with that and with work generally - it is the case that very few people sit down at the beginning of a worklife and think "Now - what is as futureproof as I can make it as a choice of job/career?". Thats not any sort of guarantee of protection - as one heck of a lot can happen in society in the course of 40-45 years or so - but how I wish I personally had taken more account of futureproofing requirements in the type of job I myself started out in all those years ago - because it seriously hasnt "covered" me until retirement at all. So - futureproofing as best one can may not protect you from school-leaving till retirement - but a bit of thinking ahead to the "future world of work" might at least help a bit - compared to going for a type of work that seems readily available at that point in history at which one leaves school.

Right now - I think the best "bet" there is for a career is studying science and then subsequently going into a suitable "environmental" type of job - and you will also be doing something socially useful as well - rather than only just earning a living for yourself.

briona

I quit my permanent job in June in favour of freelancing/contracting/temping. I signed up to loads of agencies, registered in person with a couple and was told what a great CV I had but frequently never heard from them again. So I phoned them up and asked for feedback on my CV, and then having made any suggested changes, I registered with a few more agencies, and was offered a placement within a couple of weeks. Once an agency has placed you, you become a 'cash cow' for them – they won't earn money from you if you're not working so it's in their interest to keep placing you. If you really can't stick the job you're in, contact the agency and ask them to find you another placement.

Fatpants wrote: »

I got some compensation money and found a temp job in the city and I am still there now, but I have no work to do and just sit there everyday waiting for the phone to ring. As I'm a temp no one really acknowledges me and I feel really lonely.

To say "no one acknowledges temps" is a bit of a generalisation. I'm not trying to be nasty when I say ask yourself honestly what YOU'RE doing to change the situation – the onus is as much on you as your colleagues to ensure that you are fitting in. I am currently temping and have found everyone to be extremely friendly. I'm not naturally outgoing, especially when it comes to meeting new people but I feel as much a part of the team as the permanent members of staff, and I try to ensure that other temps are made to feel welcome as well.

If you have no work to do, ask one of your colleagues if they need any help with their work, even if it's just photocopying stuff or something. They may appreciate the help! If there is nothing you can help with, rather than walking back to your desk, use the "anything I can do to help?" question as an ice-breaker or a conversation starter. Even if you just exchange a few words, it may make you feel less lonely. On Mondays when you walk in, say to the room "everyone have a nice weekend?" At least one person will answer, and again it may provide a conversation opener.

Briona

Deep_In_Debt

Yep, I agree iwith Briona. I made an effort to fit in with the company I am working at. I work in an open plan office and I make a point of saying "good morning" to everyone and ask them about their weekends etc and their journey to work etc. They do open up and chat with you and as a result I get asked out to go to lunch with them, and have been invited to the team Christmas lunch and drinks in the evening. I'm not the most outgoing of people either.

Nobody just looks upon me as "just the temp" either.

Years ago when I temped, things were different. I was paid to sit in the basement away from the rest of the office and file papers all day and no-one came down to chat to me. I was dreading temping again after my past experiences but soon found it not too bad and I'm actually quite enjoying it. Maybe I just got lucky but I also have friends who have temped for a while and seem to enjoy it too.