London:

Can temping ever be a decent long-term career? The stereotypical temp is underpaid and overworked; an anonymous drudge who dreams of monthly salary cheques as he or she attacks a mountain of long-overdue filing. But any well-meaning concerns for the latest office temp — who doesn’t know anybody’s name and who can’t work the coffee machine — may be misplaced.

Far from being part of some mournful office underclass desperate for a full-time post, a growing number of workers are viewing temping as a career in its own right, according to new research from the employment agency Gordon Yates.

Such is the value of these career temps, says Jenine Ward, a senior manager at Crone Corkill recruitment agency, eager employers and even agencies are offering season ticket loans and travel expenses in order to keep hold of the best ones.

And if the perks don’t attract you — then maybe the flexibility will. Many of the new breed of temps run their office careers in parallel to jobs such as writing, acting, singing or art. Chloe Newsome, for example, played Coronation Street’s Vicky McDonald in the mid-90s, but now combines theatre work with temping (over the past two years she has worked at a wealth management firm, architects’ practice and a housing corporation).

“I didn’t start temping until a couple of years ago when I felt I needed the stability of regular hours and a structured day, but felt too old for bar work,” Newsome says. “I’ve never been trained to work a switchboard but it really isn’t hard and the fact that I’m not shy and don’t panic is probably a bonus in this sort of work.”

“One of my clients offered me a job and while I was really tempted, particularly by the thought of knowing how much I would earn in an entire year, I reminded myself that after many years as a self-employed actress, I don’t need to change my career.” But why, if the need to work flexibly weren’t so important, would you stay as a temp instead of taking a full-time job? There’s the financial insecurity, the constant swapping of colleagues, routines and photocopiers and the small matter of employee benefits.

“If you are a temp who is prepared to constantly up skill and even create a brand identity for yourself in a particular market where skills are in short supply, you will find that your currency is very high among employers and agencies,” says Richard Grace, joint Managing Editor of Gordon Yates.

“For highly motivated temps who are able to bring exceptional PowerPoint, Excel or general IT skills to a firm that has an urgent presentation to prepare, or a new website to grapple with, then the pay will be higher than permanent rates and the projects may be far more stimulating.”

Jenine Ward from Crone Corkhill says that she has a growing band of “requested temps” who can call the shots. “If you are really well thought of, you can insist on only working on a Thursday or every other Monday and Tuesday and the chances are you will get it. In these sorts of cases, the temp tells us how much he or she is prepared to work for and we usually comply.”

The Yates figures suggest that 77 per cent of firms have used temps in 2007 and one third of them — particularly those with seasonal fluctuations in their business — are using them more often. Which means rich pickings for career temps, and the opportunity to use a temp role to leapfrog over permanent colleagues to secure either the most prestigious short-term projects or top full-time jobs.

“I have several examples of temps who have walked into highly paid jobs simply because their temping performance has been so impressive,” says Ward. “But equally, there are others who have turned down great money because they genuinely don’t want the commitment. It all depends on why you are temping in the first place.”