The world of the temp
I’ve started to do some temp work to tide me over while I continue looking for a permanent position. I’m not a complete newbie to temping. I did temp in the holidays during my uni days but I was always rather unfortunate with the placements they sent me on. It was partly my own fault because I told them I was happy to do anything, just thinking that would help me get more placements and earn that bit extra while I had the time, but in reality that meant doing all the jobs no one else wanted to do… So I found myself cleaning the toilets at one of the local call centres, scrubbing out the walk-in freezer at the Aldi warehouse, and de-greasing pans in the kitchen at a psychiatric home.
This time round I’m strictly admin.
So last week I was a receptionist at a powder coating production company, this week I’m a payroll cleric. It makes a change from sitting at home doing freelance work and writing job applications. I meet some new people and get to try out a few different skills. Although so far the highlight (or lowlight is maybe more fitting) of the payroll gig has been the lock breaking while I was in the loo and me getting trapped in there and having to clamber over the cubicle wall to escape. I got covered in dust but luckily everyone saw the funny side of it rather than just thinking I was a freak! Either way I’m not going to be using that toilet cubicle again any time soon!
Temp work appeals because it lets me try out a few different jobs without committing. My biggest fear of working in Darlington, my hometown, is that I’ll get stuck here. It was my decision to come home after living in Berlin for several years but when I made that decision, I really didn’t think it would be that long until I found a job I liked and moved on again somewhere else. I never saw a future for myself in Darlington and I still don’t now… the longer I’m here though, the more I wonder if I will make it out this time. I know it’s my decision in the end but I also want the right opportunity to arise that will give me a reason to move on to the next place. I know my wants and realities are different things and maybe there’s only ever a selection of different opportunities rather than a right one. Still I’ll temp for a bit longer (avoiding dodgy looking locks on toilet doors) and hope a more favourable opportunity comes a-knocking soon.
