Seth, all I can tell you about is the agency situation in Southampton, and it’s not great. This is if you’re looking for stuff just to pay the rent or maybe a springboard.
Strangely, whenever I talk to other people who have dealt with the same agencies as me, they seem to have different experiences. E.g. Brooke Street (between HMV and Foot Locker), I’ve found them very friendly and helpful, as did the girl who recommended them to me. I spoke to another girl I temped with recently who said they were no help at all. They set me up with one interview, for a job at the docks which I didn’t really want in the end, and twice offered me work stopping people on the street asking them to become members of Fitness First gym (?!). Yeah, me all over…
Right4stafff – high staff turnover in the office, two very nice and helpful ladies I dealt with last year are not there anymore and the current people have been no help. A last resort, I feel.
Barker Personnel – I used to go to this agency all the time, but I don’t bother anymore, they’re a bit Mickey Mouse and tend to give you very short term contracts with low pay and which don’t really open any doors. They can also be a bit rude.
Kelly Services – temping with them at the mo at Norwich Union in Queens Terrace, they have good opportunities at this company if you’re interested. However, they’re a bit rough around the edges and tend to offer you crap as well. Ho hum. Other temps have commented that they’re very quick movers though.
Office Angels – Brighton branch was pretty good, and got me plenty of work (despite Boboss’s correct observations about job situation there). I had written off the Southampton branch until recently when they contacted me about a long-term temp position at £8.24 an hour. Get in!
Blue Arrow – a single anecdote from another temp who went in there and was told “we don’t deal with people like you”. Tells you all you need to know really.
Pertemps – you’d probably never notice em, but they’re just opposite Lodge Road and just above a pizza takeaway. I registered with them more recently after seeing them advertising on fish4jobs, and they seem alright. Well, the lady there is alright, one of the blokes got my name wrong and tried to fix it by asking if I had a brother of that name, which made no sense at all. But the lady has phoned me a couple of times and seems pretty on the ball.
I’m sure you’re getting bored by now, so I’ll tell you what I consider the best all round option. Barna Shields. They’re just down from MacDonalds. They’re not perfect by any means, but I’ve never had any real problems with them, and I’ve never spoken to anyone else who has. They go through phases of phoning you and not phoning you, but the pay is usually alright, and with decent enough companies too. A good solid choice for your portfolio.
Don’t know if you’re looking for stuff in the office area or not, but that lot should be of some help. Good luck! |
