Use a temporary job as a stepping stone to get you closer to the permanent job you seek. Bear in mind also that things can change rapidly in business. Many companies offer temporary employment because it gives them a degree of flexibility. If the business doesn't grow as expected, their commitment to you is limited and they can adjust the size of their operation to the strength of the market. If things work out well, though, your temporary work could be extended or even made permanent.
In some areas of work, it is usual to take on a large number of temporary staff. Summer holiday camps and hotels, for example, depend on recruiting people for the summer season. Farms and orchards sometimes recruit workers to help with the harvest, and the Post Office takes on temporary staff to help with the extra volume of mail at Christmas. Temporary work abroad is a useful and practical way of improving language skills as well as earning money. The ability to speak a second language could help to improve your long-term job prospects.
Terms and conditions of employment
In law, you should be given a statement of the main terms and conditions of your employment. This is often written in a letter of appointment or given to you in the form of a contract. Many employers send it out within a few days of offering you the job but, if for any reason it is delayed, there are some good reasons why you shouldn't give notice to your present employer until you have seen and agreed the terms of your employment with your new employer. You may have been given a verbal offer of a job but this can be withdrawn. Play it safe; don't give up your present employment until you have something in writing from your new company.
If for any reason you have decided to start work without seeing or agreeing the written terms of employment, you should receive them within eight weeks of starting work. Ask for these written terms if you do not receive them.
Many letters or contracts contain a great deal of detail. In law, however, there is a basic minimum amount of information which you must be given:
- the name of the employer and employee;
- the title of the job;
- the commencement date;
- the rate of pay;
- the arrangements for making such payments (weekly or monthly, for example);
- details of your normal working hours;
- details of holiday arrangements (including bank holiday arrange-ments);
- arrangements for incapacity to work through sickness or injury (including sick pay and pension arrangements);
- disciplinary and grievance procedures;
- the length of notice required and, in the case of a short-term contract, the termination date.
People confuse testimonials with references. Testimonials are statements about you which people give to you to show other people. References are statements about you which are given in confidence to other people.
When you apply for a job, you are usually asked to supply the names and addresses of a couple of referees, people who can be approached to report on your character or work record. The strength of a reference is that it is unseen by you and, therefore, a referee is under no pressure from you to be anything but honest.
Employers view a testimonial as a weaker document because it has been written about you and given to you. After all, it is hardly likely that you would show a potential employer any statement about yourself which is not full of praise. Having said that, it is always worth including photocopies of good testimonials in your job applications. They may not carry the same weight as references but they are positive statements about you which can only do good.
Freelances find them particularly useful as 'advertising' material. When you have done a good piece of work, it is worth asking whether the manager of the company would be prepared to give you a testimonial. You can then show this to other companies as evidence of the quality of your service. If it does nothing else, it gives them an indication of other organizations you have worked for. If they want to check you out, they'll probably contact the writer of the testimonial and get a confidential view over the phone.
Time management
The ability to manage your time effectively is a crucial skill for job hunters and there is much to be said for having a weekly planning session in which you note down the tasks you need to accomplish each day and the times when you need to do them. Some things will be daily occurrences such as checking the ads in the local paper. Other tasks may be less frequent. You may, for example, need to plan a regular trip to the library or job club, or lay time aside for completing a particular application form, or arranging to visit a company which has responded to one of your speculative letters. Perhaps you need to remind yourself about a couple of phone calls to be made and an appointment you have arranged with a child minder.
Each week you need to set targets for yourself. Send out another five or six speculative letters and follow up that lead about a job coming up in a company across town. You may have an interview to plan for, in which case a checklist of things to do between now and then will be a good way of keeping you on line.
Lay out your weekly plans on paper. Writing down your intentions helps to focus the mind and increases your chances of achieving your aims. Review the situation each week and note your success. Carry forward anything which you didn't achieve last week and add it to your plans for the coming week.
