What kinds of skills and experiences will be finding the most regular temp work in 2012?

If you're considering temporary work for the coming year, what can you do to make sure you're the one we think of first when a new assignment comes in?

If you're a confident, out-going person, then temping can be an excellent and fun career where you can meet lots of people and enjoy new experiences every day. Being a good temp is all about flexibility. You have to be chameleon-like, adapting and changing to different environments all the time and that's not always easy.

Flexibility is the key to being a successful temp. It's not just about being flexible in terms of when you start on a new assignment, either. If you want the work to keep coming your way, you need to be flexible in terms of the rate you're paid for short term assignments; and the role you have. Someone who is flexible and adaptable makes a successful temp. Reliability is the key, as is loyalty. It is important for you to keep your skills constantly updated whether through experience or training to ensure you receive the best job opportunities and pay rates.

It's really important to keep in touch with us. Have your mobile switched on so that we can keep in touch with you. Temps need to be able to communicate fast. Key to success is keeping in touch with us. Tell us if you move house, give us your email address or any new contact numbers.

It's crucial to be punctual, reliable and presentable, and to have a highly professional attitude.

Companies and organisations won't bring a temp in unless they really need one. You always need to be willing to go that extra mile as a temp. Temps are an expensive resource, and so need to give 100%.

How can people prepare for pre employment testing situations?

Preparation is vital for any pre employment testing, arrive early to your appointment, check out various testing facilities on the internet, if you are being tested for your keyboard skills – typing and data entry - practice, take your time and read all the questions thoroughly. Keep calm, ensure you have a glass of water. If you are doing psychometric testing, preparation is difficult – but once again remain calm and ensure that you read the questions thoroughly and have that all important glass of water.

Protect your privacy with your online job search

Job search privacy is an important issue for anyone who uses the Internet to job search, and that's most people. In fact, it's almost impossible to job search without going online. Personal information has been stolen from job sites and there many companies who prey on unsuspecting job seekers. There are, however, some things you can do to protect your privacy when you're job searching. If you're careful, you'll be able to conduct an online job search while keeping your personal information confidential.

Don't Share Confidential Information
Never include the following on your resume, in your cover letters, in email, or in accounts you set up on job sites.
• Date of Birth
• Social Security Number
• Driver’s License Number
• Bank Account Number
• Credit Card Information
• PayPal Account Number
• Mother's Maiden Name
• Spouse's Name

How to Protect Your Privacy
You can help protect your online privacy by taking the time to set up accounts (email accounts and user names/passwords) to use just for your job search. Don't mix your personal or work information with your job search accounts. The more separate you keep them; the easier it is to protect your confidential information.

Email Address
Use a dedicated email address just for your job search. It will not only help you protect your privacy, it will help you keep track of your job search correspondence and applications. Free email accounts like Gmail, are available, and with web-based email you can check your email from anywhere.

Job Site Logins
Don't use the same login information that you use for your personal online accounts (i.e. your banking or shopping). Use a different user name and password for the job search and career networking sites you use.

Email Messages
Be wary of phishing emails from fraudulent employers. Double-check to make sure the company and the job posting are legitimate by visiting the company web site (rather than clicking on the link in the email) and review the company (the "About Us" section is a good place to start) and the job listing. If you're not sure, research the company online before you respond.

On the Phone
Be just as careful on the phone as you are with email. Don't give out any personal information - legitimate employers don't need it and won't be asking for it.

Keep Track
Keep track of everywhere you post your resume, along with your user name and passwords. Tools like JibberJobber are available that will track where you have sent your resume, as well as communications with your contacts.

Don't Share Information
Do not share any confidential information with a potential employer unless you are absolutely sure they are legitimate (and don't count email-only correspondence as valid communications). Employers don't need your social security until they hire you.

Check out the Company
Take the time to thoroughly check out the company. Review the warning signs to watch for, if you're having reservations about whether this is the company for you.

Avoid Scams
Avoid scams by researching job listings and companies before you apply. One quick way to check is to Google the company name plus scam ("company abc scam") to see if there are any complaints.

Tips for Skype Interviews

With the advent of video Skype and its ease of use and accessibility, more and more clients are using this as the media for a first interview. Skype is free and easy to download and with the high spec machines that most people have these days, it is not overly challenging to use. If you find this difficult – find the nearest teenager and they will sort you out very quickly!

Skype only works with a broadband connection and you will need a separate webcam (or use the one that is integrated on your laptop).

1. Download the software and create a user name – email this to your consultant or employer as to conduct the call, they need to “accept” you to conduct the call.

2. Test how Skype works on your computer – they make it easy to test both sound and video then have a test run with a friend.

3. Do all the normal research as you would for a physical interview, have something written nearby – this is one of the big advantages of the Skype interview – but don’t be too obvious.

4. Dress as though you are going out to an interview –hair, makeup, shaving, nails, clothes etc.

5. Put a note on your computer saying “Smile, you’re on camera” – to ensure you don’t forget yourself!

Skype interview are a great way for both clients and candidates to meet in a virtual space where the client is far afield or the candidate is. It makes everything move a lot quicker and needs to embraced not feared!

How important is it to keep in touch with your key consultant?

A large majority of candidate's expectations are such that they think the recruitment agency is there to serve them, no matter who they are and what their skill set or background is and that every recruiter has every job in town. Well none of this is true. Recruiters exist to search out the cream of the crop, the best and brightest of candidates, as that is what their clients are paying them for. The truth is that many apply but few are chosen. The more you stay in touch, the better relationship we build together ensuring you are in the forefront when a suitable opportunity arises.

Given that agencies see so many job seekers, one of the most important things to do in the weeks after your interview is to stay in touch. Phone us regularly to touch base and to let us know you are still enthusiastic and available for work.

Job hunting is depressing work and it’s easy to get discouraged. The secret is to hang in there, to keep trying, to not give up. If you’ve done your preparation properly, constructed a great CV and honed your interview technique, the odds are that you’ll land a job eventually. And remember, there’s no law against registering with more than one employment agency.

Since we do not know when a client will call with an opening for someone with your skill set, we cannot guarantee how long it will take before a job is available. As long as your file is active, we will call you with positions that match your employment criteria and skills sets. It is your responsibility as a job seeker to stay in touch and review our job board regularly. First preference will be given to those who actively communicate with us. It’s a buyer’s market at the moment and you’re competing against an army of skilled candidates, all of them ready and willing to snatch that job opportunity away from you. You need to stand out.

How to convince a recruiter in a covering letter that you are the right person for the job?

The key to writing a great covering letter is to make sure it is tailored to the role. Don’t just think – “yes I am ideal for this role – they will read my cv and see that!” Never assume this, the responsibility for making the connection for the recruiter is yours.

Take your ad and highlight each and every skill or experience they are looking for. Then relate this to your personal work history – make the connections for the recruiter. If you find it difficult to put together words that flow easily together, use the bullet point method to highlight what you have to offer.

You should “queak” your cv to reflect the wish list outlined in the advertisement also, but make sure that everything you highlight as being relevant is real and authentic. Any good recruiter will easily catch you out in a phone, face to face interview or verbal reference check if you have been a little liberal with the truth!

What research should candidates undertake prior to an interview?

Candidates tend to underestimate the points they gain from undertaking research on a company before they go for an interview. With most companies having a website, a lot of candidates just go to the site but you can do so much more to enhance your chances of gaining the role:

1. Try and get some of their brochures and take these with you when you go to the interview. Make sure the client knows you have it with you, refer to it , ask questions – it indicates huge interest and can only do you good with the client.
2. If the role is in a call centre, ring up their 0800 number and pose as a customer. Don’t be afraid to let the client know you did this – action like this indicates a real interest in the vacancy.
3. Look in the hard copy yellow pages – you will see who their competitors are, how many branches they have, what they specialise in. You may not pick up this information from the internet as quickly or easily. Remember a full page ad in the yellow pages costs a lot of money.
4. Speak to people you know who are in the industry – amazing what scuttlebutt you can pick up on the grapevine.
5. If quite a high profile organisation, search news on google – you can search this on last day, week, month – so you look really informed of recent developments that may not have got to their website yet.
6. Check out if the organisation has a presence on facebook (www.facebook.com) or search the company function on www.linkedin.com and see who else works there.

All of this is a waste of time if you don’t let the client know what you know about them. Ask relevant questions and use any opportunity to let them know you have been researching them.