Part time jobs come in all shapes and sizes, from working set hours within a fixed contract to coming and going as and when required. This article is your first stop for getting all of those temping questions about working in part time temporary jobs in the UK. We’ll take you through the basics of temporary work so that you know what to expect when you find the job you are looking for and you will also find some useful links to other sections of the site that will give you more details of relevant information regarding temporary positions in the UK.
Fill me in – What Is Temping?
Part time temporary work comes in a variety of flavours. It can be of fixed duration such as six month part time temping jobs, for example, or seasonal work such as Christmas temp jobs and summer jobs where you work through the holiday period; it can be on a rolling basis where the contract is initially for a week or month but is extended as the contract continues if the company is still busy; or it could be events jobs where you work for a one off event and the events company call you back when you are needed to cover further events. And, as you might expect, there are also thousands of temping job opportunities where cover or extra workforce is needed for just one or two days. If you are someone who needs flexibility in their work life, temp jobs could be perfect for you.
Is It Worth It? Why Should I Think About Part Time Temp Jobs?
Part time temporary jobs can bring many advantages for you, both in the short term and the longer term.
Temporary Jobs Can Offer Flexibility
First of all, as we mentioned above, there’s the sheer flexibility that temping in a part time position can offer you. For example, you could find a short term placement to suit the hours that you have free around your other life commitments. Perhaps you can only work in term time when the kids are at school or maybe you need holiday jobs to help cover study fees whilst you are at university.
Working flexible hours is becoming increasingly important in people’s work life and many workers no longer think of the traditional ‘job for life’ concept. They choose the flexibility of temp jobs over permanent contracts so they have the freedom to pick and choose between roles and take time out when needed.
Temp Jobs Can Do Wonders For Your CV
Lack of work experience can be a problem for people when they are looking for jobs, whether part time or full time. Entry level temping jobs can be a good way of building up some work experience and developing skills in the workplace that you can then take with you into other work.
Taking on a number of different temporary contracts – whether that is for days, weeks, months or years – can give you a wealth and depth of experience to put on your CV which could put you very much in demand in the workplace. There are many highly-qualified ‘temping-careerists’ who have exactly the work/life balance they desire – along with a decent wage as well. Maybe you could be one of these people who makes a full time living out of part time temporary jobs.
Short Term Temp Jobs & Part Time Jobs Are Ideal For Getting You Back Into Work
If you have spent quite a period of time being unemployed then temp jobs can be a great way of reintroducing yourself to the world of work. If you are looking for permanent part time jobs, temp jobs can be a good start because employers almost always prefer to hire someone who has been in at least some form of employment in the immediate past. Your temp job will give you that evidence to present to future potential employers. Temping can be the perfect solution to bridge the gap between being out of work and finding a long term job in your ideal job sector.
And also bear in mind, many roles that start out as temporary roles, such as Christmas temp jobs, often continue after that period. If you are really enjoying the role, by making yourself indispensable and making superiors aware that you would like to stick around if possible, you could end up with a permanent position with the company. This could be both full time and part time jobs. What you thought was just a few weeks work could end up being your ideal, permanent role so temping jobs have got to be better than sitting around waiting for the phone to ring. Keep yourself busy in the world of work and more opportunities, whether temporary roles or permanent positions, will come your way.
But If I Do Temp Jobs, Won’t I Be Treated Differently To Permanent Staff?
As a temp working in a part time job you will be entitled to many of the same benefits that legally bind an employer with regards their permanent staff. For example, you are still entitled to a break every so often – the frequency of these breaks differs depending on the type of work you are doing – you are still entitled to paid holidays and you are also covered under Health & Safety and Discrimination Law. If you are doing the type of temp jobs that require professional qualifications or a lot of experience, and the permanent job usually comes with a company car, you could also be given a company car by your employer.
If you want to know further information and details about your statutory rights as a temporary worker in the United Kingdom, you should find what you are looking for in the Legal Bit of the UK Part Time Jobs website.
How Much Can I Earn With Part Time Temp Jobs?
Due to their nature, rates of pay for part time temporary positions are usually on an hourly basis and you should be starting out with at least the minimum wage, depending on your age. Some temporary jobs can pay as much as £30 an hour for highly skilled job seekers in certain sectors with staffing shortages. As you can see, temping is not just about working in entry level jobs. If you have a particular skill, you could find yourself in high demand and, in some cases, you may even be able to negotiate your rate of pay.
For many temporary jobs and seasonal work, you will often be paid on a weekly basis rather than a monthly basis. Some roles might be monthly and for other temporary jobs where you might be taking part in a project, you could be a paid a one off flat fee for the whole project. It just depends what line of work you are in.
Weekly pay packets can be very useful because they can help you organise your money and, even if you need to work a week in hand, you will still be paid after two weeks. Weekly pay can make you the envy of your full time and permanent colleagues who might be on a monthly wage. If there’s a new starter for example and they have to work a month in hand, you could have received up to eight pay packets whilst they are still waiting for their first one. Almost instant pay, like weekly wages, can be one thing that makes temp jobs so attractive. As with other types of jobs, depending on your situation, temporary jobs mean you will still be subject to tax and national insurance.
Am I Allowed To Do Part Time Temporary Jobs?
So long as you have the right to work in the United Kingdom then you are eligible to take on temping jobs. This means all nationals of Britain and the European Economic Area can tick that box straight away. If you are unsure about whether you are eligible to work in the United Kingdom, you can visit the Gov.UK website to check if you need a UK visa. This will give you information about living and working in the United Kingdom, relevant to your country of origin.
Okay, You’ve Won Me Over – Where Do I Find Part Time Temping Jobs?
In certain fields of work, there is always going to be a call for part time temporary staff to fill positions. This could be in retail jobs, for example, where companies might take on seasonal staff to do Christmas temp jobs or temporary summer jobs.
Other temp jobs could be seasonal by their nature. For instance, summer seasonal jobs could be working in holiday resorts or summer activity camps. These types of roles are perfect for those who don’t mind working long hours while they are actually in the workplace because they know there is a break coming up of a few months. As we said above, temping jobs do allow you the privilege of working flexible hours.
Temporary part time jobs in events are also ideal for those who might like to work in stints whilst also being in the thick of the action, working with the general public. Events can be anything from an afternoon or an evening (weddings or shows) to weekly jobs (covering weekend football matches or other sporting events, for example), to working over a period of a few days such as music festivals or fairs. As you might expect, the types of temp jobs which could come up in events are numerous and you might find you already have some sort of relevant work experience under your belt which could help you land this type of work.
Other types of seasonal jobs or temporary part time work, could be in catering or hotel jobs. Again, this could be in the form of summer jobs or Christmas jobs or you could be covering at other times of year for big events or for staff who might be off work long term; covering a maternity leave, for example.
At UK Part Time Jobs, we advertise a whole host of part time jobs, including temporary roles, and there are more and more companies advertising their job vacancies with us, all the time. Visit our UK Part Time Jobs homepage so you can view the various categories under which part time opportunities and temp jobs are advertised and you never know, there could be temping roles available in a location close to you. From recruitment positions to HR jobs to childcare, media, transport, sales, travel and retail – to name just a few – there are thousands of part time opportunities on the site and some of those could be temp jobs.
You can also sign up to UK Part Time Jobs if you want to access more of the site’s unique features.
Any Advice For When I’ve Found Temporary Jobs I Fancy Doing?
Yes, we’ve got tons of advice for you about landing part time jobs and the same advice applies for temping jobs, too. If you haven’t done so already, why not check out our guides to getting your CV sorted so that you can give yourself the best chance of getting short-listed for interview for the temp jobs you really fancy.
And if you’ve already got that part of the part time job application mastered but find you always get nervous or say the wrong things in interviews, read our article about how to shine in part time job interviews. If you know you can do the job, it’s just a matter of getting over those hurdles that might have stopped you in the past and this advice could go a long way to helping you do that.
So what are you waiting for? Start applying for part time roles and temp jobs and you could soon be in a rewarding role that really suits you and you are earning money at the same time.