Temping can be a fantastic was to earn some decent cash while maintaining a flexible lifestyle. There are many different types of temp work you can choose to undertake, such as hospitality or factory work, but arguably the most common type of temp work is office support. Put it down to demand, offices are in every town and administration isn't the most desired of career paths so people move on and up - cue the temp to jump in for a few days/weeks/months until a permanent can be found. If you have basic computer skills and don't mind doing some menial tasks that you're almost definitely over-qualified for - than you're half way there. Add some enthusiasm, flexibility and reliability and you're all set.

There are many benefits of temping, the most notable is the flexibility and control over your work/life balance. You choose your assignments, you decide upon your availability. Of course, the more you make yourself available the greater your potential to gain assignments and earn. Another benefit of temping is that you will be paid per hour and most agencies are happy to pay to the nearest quarter of an hour meaning that you're always getting paid for your time - meaning no unpaid overtime - your wage is generally paid on a weekly basis meaning that there is no unnecessary waiting to reap the benefits of your hard work!

Temping also equals massive variety. This means you're exposed to a number of different positions and industries which can can be helpful if you haven't quite decided upon a career path - it opens your eyes to possibilities you may never have before considered. The jobs are almost always rather menial and super simple - for which the employer will usually apologise irrefutably (& you will graciously tell them you're more than happy and thank-you-very-much) - this gives you a nice stress free work environment and plenty of time to plan future adventures!

To ensure you enjoy your experience as a temp, it's important to understand why the jobs exist. The most common reasons that temporary jobs exist include: a staff member has resigned and management took longer than expected to find a quality replacement or a company experiences a busier-than-usual period, workload gets overwhelming and a temp is called in to reduce the backlog of paperwork. Don't set your expectations too high when it comes to your temporary roles. The price to pay for flexibility & variety can be meniality. The jobs themselves are often not entirely interesting or challenging but it's important to remember why you're there and where the jobs taking you. It might be that your backpacking in London & your current assignment is paying for your trip to Paris, or perhaps you are a student that was looking for holiday work doing something other than folding clothes and flipping burgers.

Another consideration is that you may find yourself temping for a wonderful company that opens up an unexpected opportunity for you. Quite often temporary staff that perform well are asked to stay on or become permanent. If that's what you want, it's quite achievable, if not, you're only temporarily committed & there is an easy out - your consultant is waiting in the wings to do the dirty work & break up with Manager A from Company B and shuffle in a replacement.

So finally, a few parting words of advice:

• Sign up with as many agencies as possible. If one can't get you a contract, another will. Loyalty is not important in the world of temporary recruitment (that doesn't not mean, however, that building strong relationships with your consultants is to be neglected) agencies understand that their temps are on the books of numerous agencies. A good way to discover which agency has the most work is to jump onto a recruitment website (like SEEK.COM) and see who has the most positions vacant advertisements in the temporary / contract work section.

• Keep in touch. The key is to find the balance between regular friendly communication and irritatingly often communication. Forge a positive relationship with your consultant by ensuring they are aware of your availability and letting them know how your assignment is going (if they haven't already checked in with you). Remember, recruitment consultants are super busy, you are not their only temp to be placed, so keep communication short & sweet - a quick "Just wanted to let you know that all is well at Company X, thanks so much, hope you're having a great day. Kind regards, ME" will do fine.

• Remain Available. If you're not on an assignment it's a good idea to send an email or make a quick phone call at the end of the day just to "touch base" and remind them you're available for any assignments they might have come in last minute and that you don't mind being called first thing in the morning. Often times companies will call an agency at 8am when someone calls in sick.. & if you can be available for the 8am wake up call and get yourself into the office ASAP, consultants will love you.

• Return voice mail ASAP. There are usually a ton of temps registered at any agency at any given time, if you don't answer your phone or return your messages, you will miss out.

• Be gracious & remember to say THANK-YOU. Always remember to thank you're employer AND the consultant that placed you. You are more likely to be kept on the top of the to-call list if you are pleasant to deal with. As with any job, building a positive relationship with employers while temping is important, aside from it being common courtesy, if the employer requires a temp again, they are likely to request you a second time if you are courteous and hard working.

• Be well presented. Most office support jobs require corporate attire. Blacks pants/skirt & a clean pressed shirt is fine. Minimal & fresh makeup. If you are unsure of the dress code & your consultant is unable to tell you, it's always better to present corporately. It's not difficult to look sharp & it can do a lot for your reputation - people can be very judgmental and first impressions are important

Have you ever temped? What's your hot tip?