Being a temporary warehouse worker is not always easy but there are many great reasons to make your temping role work for you.
When you took your first temping role, no doubt it didn’t start out as a great career masterplan. Often, the decision comes from a need to find work fast and secure an income.
Now that you are here though, you will find that if you can stick it out, the world of temping can offer more than just a wage. It can help you to develop invaluable skills across lots of roles and industries and kick start a great, long term career.
Temp workers are in high demand
No doubt you have noticed that your agency has no shortage of positions on offer for those who are willing to put in the effort and have the availability to take on shifts.
At key peak times of the year like Christmas and summer, the available opportunities for temporary warehouse workers explodes as employers hire temporary staff to quickly upscale their workforce to cope with the increased workload.
This brings excellent prospects and earning potential, especially for longer standing more experienced temps as employers try out ideal candidates for permanent positions through Temp to Perm placements.
Make temping work for you
If you can navigate some of the challenges that temp workers face and make temping work for you, it could be these Temp to Perm placements that mean the difference between a temporary warehouse job and a career in the long run.
Job insecurity
It is true that temporary roles can leave you feeling a little uncertain about your job security but if you are proactive in seeking opportunities for advancement, have a flexible easy going attitude towards working on varying tasks and are willing to learn new things you will find that opportunities to turn your temporary job into a permanent position are open to you.
Top Tip: Be proactive, flexible and positive. Work hard and strive to achieve your targets, your reputation and work history will stand you in good stead for advancement opportunities.
Settling in
It can take time to settle in, find your way around and learn the ropes so if you are moving between placements often it can feel a little daunting.
Remember that temping is an excellent way to build essential transferable skills, what you learned at your last place is sure to come in handy at your new one so be reassured that you probably know more than you think you do.
Key transferable skills you didn’t know you had:
- Team work – As a temp you will have lots of experience in quickly integrating into and working well alongside many groups or teams.
- Motivation – Having the drive and commitment to learn a new role, try a new industry or sector and move between work placements shows that you are able to motivate yourself to complete your work and succeed in your role.
- Industry knowledge – Working in different environments and in various roles allows you to pick up a vast amount of knowledge and expertise. You become adept at learning new systems and procedures while drawing on your experiences to implement processes that improve the way you carry out your work.
- Communication – The confidence to ask questions and help others often comes from talking to many different people from all walks of life, as a temp you have been practicing this skill without even realising it.
Top Tip: Build on your transferable skills like leadership, time management, & organisation, plus computer literacy, machinery handling & systems knowledge to give yourself the competitive edge.
Making friends
Staff can come and go pretty fast in the world of temping so developing close working relationships can be difficult at times. Having a friendly, positive and easy-going attitude and being helpful towards your colleagues can ensure that you integrate into an existing workforce quickly.
Becoming a well-liked, respected member of the team can open up excellent opportunities for you. Being tasked with helping new starters to orientate, assisting team members who are returning to work after a period of absence or working to support those who are struggling are all invaluable opportunities if you have your sights set on a leadership or management position in the future.
Top Tip: Show your manager that you can work well with a team and also support other team members but make sure that in your efforts to impress you don’t let it affect your own work, keep up your own responsibilities first and foremost.
Variable shifts
Shift working especially if you are working a cycle that includes nights can take a bit of getting used to but shift working is also one of the major perks of temping.
Rotational shifts provide a predictable routine that allows you to plan a few weeks in advance, knowing your hours well ahead of time allows you to make arrangement for home commitments, or even opt for overtime well in advance.
Working nights could benefit you if you have small children and a partner who works days. Your night shifts could provide a way for both of you to work while sharing the parenting responsibilities. Similarly, if you just like to have free time in the day to enjoy other interests then nights could be a great option for you.
Shift patterns that incorporate a range of hours, morning, afternoons, evenings and nights can provide an interesting and varied working routine. Different working times can bring varying tasks and responsibilities, so you could find that you enjoy a more diverse role and increase your skill level by working a range of variable shifts.
If you embrace the flexibility that shifts can offer and find opportunities that work for you, then you could achieve the ultimate work life balance.
Top Tip: Try out as many different shift opportunities as possible by working days, evenings, weekends and nights to develop your skills and gain a broad understanding of how things are done.
