27 Jun HOW TO FIND TEMPORARY WORK FAST WITHOUT A RECRUITMENT AGENCY
Whether you’re in between long-term work contracts or need freedom and flexibility in your employment, at some point there’s a chance you’ll need to consider temporary positions. It used to be that the only way to find short term work assignments was to register with a recruitment agency and hope for the best.
But job seekers quickly found that this system was geared towards benefiting everyone but them. However, where labour hire agencies used to be a necessary evil, savvy workers are now finding ways to bypass the recruiters and drive their own flexible work arrangements. Below you’ll find five tips you can use to find fast, flexible work assignments without a third-party recruiter.
1. Update your Resume & Online Presence
This may seem like an obvious tip, but the type of resume that will help you land temporary work assignments is a little different to one that you’d use to make your next career move.
Keep your resume succinct, and focus on the things that a short-term employer wants to know about – your skills, key achievements and qualifications. Give them a snapshot overview that is easy to read and interpret.
If possible, include an updated written reference from a former supervisor or manager on a letterhead, with a one page summary resume that gives potential employers a good overview of your suitability.
If you haven’t updated your LinkedIn profile since you signed up for the platform this is a great time to ensure it supports your resume in terms of skills and experience. You can also reach out and request endorsements and recommendations from your peer network to strengthen your reputation in the industry.
Remember basic information on social media profiles is publicly viewable no matter how locked down your privacy settings are. Your display pictures don’t need to be corporate head shots but ideally, they should be tasteful images – keep those wild beach party photos from Thailand in the albums that only your friends can see while you’re job hunting!
2. Reach Out to Your Network
The adage “it’s not what you know but who you know” is often true when it comes to securing short term work contacts. Don’t be shy to send a polite message out to former managers and colleagues and let them know you’re looking for opportunities.
Even if they don’t have any short-term work openings in their business or workplace, they may know someone who does.
Be specific in what you’re asking for. When sending emails, it can be good to recap your experience since you last worked with that person; outline your key skills and let them know the type of role you’re seeking. Try to send individual emails over mass broadcasts where possible, and make sure you sound interested in them as an individual as well. For example, if you see from LinkedIn or another social network that they were recently promoted say “Congratulations on your recent promotion – your hard work has really paid off” or something relevant to them.
Remember that maintaining a professional network should be based on two-way, mutually beneficial relationships. Make an effort to help others and keep the communication going when you’re not job seeking as well.
3. Cold Canvas
There may be times where you need to approach potential short-term employers directly and build a relationship without having worked with them previously.
This can be effective but it’s important to do your research and be targeted in who you approach – don’t just send out a mass email with your resume and a canned cover letter to everyone who comes up on a Google search.
Think about places you’d really like to work – they might be your “dream” employer, close to your home or an opportunity for you to use a different skillset from your usual types of roles.
Make sure you try to find out the name of the decision maker and approach them rather than putting an application through generic contact pages or “info” email addresses.
It’s important to sell them the benefits of dealing directly with you as well as your skills and experience. It can be handy to let them know you’re available on short term work apps like ANCI so you can instantly overcome any objections or preconceptions they may have about the paperwork or administration associated with directly hiring their own ancillary work force.
4. Use Smart Apps
There really is an app for virtually everything – including networking and job seeking, both for full time, and casual/temporary roles. While most people are familiar with the idea of generating extra income by driving Ubers or renting rooms on Air BnB, you can also use smart phone technology to help you advance in your industry as well.
ANCI and similar applications are perfect for those looking for short term assignments. The app takes the recruitment agency out of the equation by directly matching workplaces and workers to find staff and fill temporary roles. The app lets both parties review one another and even efficiently manages time sheets and payments.
Monster.com Interviews and other apps take the stress out of preparing for interviews and following up on applications with resources, tips and prompts to help you put your best foot forward when it comes to impressing people you want to work with.
There’s also apps that can help you build and nurture your network – Shapr and other apps on the market act almost like a “Tinder” for professional networking, letting you swipe and connect with potential professional peers and mentors.
You want to make sure you’re ready to accept that offer when it comes in so don’t forget about some of the less obvious job seeking apps as well – make sure you have updated version of things like Maps, Calendar, Email and other organisational and communication tools at your fingertips.
5. Keep Your Skills and Equipment Up to Date
Whether you are looking to make extra money around an existing position, making ends meet until you find the right job or enjoying the flexibility of casual short-term work, it is important to make sure that your skills and qualifications remain up to date – especially if you are going to be managing your own ancillary work journey.
Make sure you stay abreast of what is happening in your industry either through online groups or newsletters and other publications.
Also make sure you stay aware of minimum requirements to perform your position as these can change over time. Check certificates and competencies for expiry dates and regularly ensure these are still in date and relevant for the roles you are seeking.
Uniforms and any relevant PPE often aren’t included for temporary roles so make sure you’re always work ready. If there is a style of clothing your role typically wears, have at least one or two unbranded sets in neutral (or industry specific) colours, appropriate footwear and any other tools or equipment you may be expected to provide ready to go when the work offers start coming in.
In conclusion
With some prior preparation and making savvy use of the available tools and resources you can ensure that you’re booked up with short term work assignments without ever having to contact a recruitment agency.
How do you successfully find short term work? What tips and tricks do you have? Let us know in the comments below.
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