Contractor / Interim Support

Securing a temporary / contracting assignment is when an individual offers their services and expertise to a company on a consultancy basis.

Outlined below are the main points to temping / contracting:

• You will contract to a company to execute a specific task/responsibility in a set period of time.
• Majority of contracting work in the UK is provided to professionals through recruitment agencies.
• Project/assignment based work.
• Varied work, different companies, people, project, locations etc.
• Generally higher pay than permanent work.
• Hourly, daily, weekly fixed term contract rates rather than being paid a salary.
• Weekend/overtime work (usually at a higher rate).
• Holiday flexibility (you choose when to take time off and for how long).
• You are your own boss (report to a Manager within the company during a contract).
• No company benefits i.e. company health care or pension scheme, sick pay, professional training etc.
• No pay if you are sick (ensure you have funds to cover such periods).

There may well be gaps in employment between contracts. This can be caused by seasonal or economic factors, which are outside the recruitment agencies control. In these circumstances it is essential you plan for these periods financially.

Making the most out your temporary career

Once you’ve successfully secured a temporary assignment through Martin Ward Anderson there are several actions that you can help you be more prepared for your next assignment so that you can start as quickly as possible.

To ensure this make sure you:

• Continually update your CV with your newly acquired experience and knowledge and send a copy to your Consultant at Martin Ward Anderson.
• Always call your Consultant one week before your assignment is due to finish so that they can immediately start speaking to companies about your CV and experience as well as setting up interviews for as soon as you become available.
• Always advise your Consultant of any changes to your personal details. It is particularly important to tell your Consultant if you change your address and / or telephone number so that they can remain in constant contact with new opportunities that arise.
• Always feel welcome to call your Consultant, should you need to discuss any aspects of your position. Martin Ward Anderson will also contact you at regular intervals to check that you are still happy in the position and that there are no problems.

Contract rates

Contract /temporary rates will differ dependent upon the type of skill sets you have and what skills are in demand in the marketplace at that time.

Saying that, one of the biggest benefits of working in the UK is the strength of the GB pound and the fact that rates of pay are some of the highest around the globe. Rates of pay do fluctuate and skill shortages in certain areas can greatly inflate the rates paid to candidates in demand.

For more information on up-to-date temporary rates of pay please refer to our online salary survey Alternatively, to get a feel for UK financial rates of pay it’s a good idea to spend some time looking at live roles advertised on UK job boards.