“Now what?” 

It’s a thought nearly everyone has had in their work life. You’ve finished school or Uni and you need to work — now what? You’ve resigned from a job that wasn’t for you, and you’ve still got bills to pay — now what? You’ve got your work visa, landed in NZ and need cash for travelling — now what?

There’s a simple answer to the ‘now what?’ question: Temporary work. 

What is temporary work?

Temporary, or temp work, is as the name suggests; A job that only continues for a fixed amount of time, and is not permanent. Temp work can be anything from a single day of employment, to several months in a role, and occasionally it can be ongoing. 

Temp work is typically run through an agency, like us at AWF. Employers engage and pay us to find them temp workers, we employ and pay our temps, and assign them to different jobs as needed. We know that sometimes people think that temp work means less hours, but often temp work is full-time (and of course there's part-time temp jobs too).

Why do businesses hire temp workers?

There’s a whole heap of reasons why businesses need extra people for a limited amount of time.

For example, there’s a lot of construction happening in Aotearoa right now. Construction companies often need extra traffic crews to work as a part of these big roading projects, for jobs like directing traffic, labouring or managing parts of the build. 

Similarly, consider the summer season; growers with orchards or farms may need temp workers over spring and summer to pick fruit and veg. In retail, businesses often need extra delivery drivers or pick packers to support busy times such as the Black Friday sales. There’s also parental leave and sickness cover in every industry. We could go on, but as you can see, there’s many situations where Kiwi businesses need to hire temps (and therefore, heaps of opportunities for temp workers!).

Is the #templife for you? 

So now you understand why businesses hire temp workers, but you may be wondering why anyone would prefer a temp job over a permanent one?

There’s a ton of benefits, and we’ve got ten reasons right here:

1. Cash in your pocket. Unless you’ve won the Lotto, like most of us, you probably need money to live. One of the big benefits of temp work is that you get paid weekly. Work this week, get paid next week, and your bank account is looking better, sooner. 

2. Quick entry into work. Temp work by its very nature gets organised fast. See those job adverts that say ‘immediate start’? Register with AWF, and our easy online registration process will get you working asap! Unlike permanent jobs, there’s not a lot of waiting around, so if you need a job pronto, temp work is the answer.

3. Flexibility. Temp work is really handy for fitting in around your commitments, interests, and life in general. Need to take a few weeks off for study, or to visit whānau in a different part of NZ? Take a temp job that finishes when you go, and then let us know when you're back and ready for work. Or why not pick up temp work through AWF and see a different part of the country? We have 21 branches across NZ!

4. Explore options. Some people have their career all mapped out, while others prefer to try a bunch of different jobs before picking a direction. If you're in the latter group, then temp work is an ideal option. With temping, if you choose to, you can explore different roles, different industries and different work environments, to figure out what you enjoy—and what you don’t. 

5. Boost your skills. You might be surprised at how much access to training, learning and development you can enjoy in a temp job. It can be a great way to upskill (and set yourself up for future success).

6. Gain experience. You know how every permanent job advert includes the line ‘must have experience’? Well, temp work is one of the ways that you can get that experience! Temp work gives you a chance to build up your CV, and can be that ‘foot in the door’ to new opportunities.

7. Variety. You won’t be bored while temping. One temp assignment might have you operating a machine on the factory production line, and the next week you could be digging and unloading while enjoying the great outdoors. If you like, you can work in different workplaces and different locations, all while meeting lots of new people. 

8. Discover what you're good at. Because of the variety of temp work, you’ll have the chance to work on different types of tasks and jobs. Some may not be for you — and that’s ok, you can move on. However, some you’ll find you enjoy, and you may be really good at. It can be really satisfying to uncover your strengths while working, so you can put these to good use in the future. 

9. Build a network. When you work in different temp jobs with different people, you have the chance to make lots of connections. Think about it: your boss might just remember you for the next big opportunity, teach you something new, or even vouch for you as a reference. These connections are your ticket to new jobs, learning new skills, and personal growth.

10. Helps you find a permanent job (when you want to!). Lots of people love the benefits of temp work so much that they just keep on temping. However, if and when you think, ‘hmm I’d like to settle into a perm job’, all that temp experience, the skills you’ve built, and the connections you’ve made will work to your advantage.

We’ve had to work hard to edit this list down to only ten, because honestly, there are so many reasons to try temp work, and so many benefits to you as a temporary worker!

Temporary work is a great solution to so many work and life situations, why not reach out to your local AWF branch and ask about trying temp work today.