Are you currently in a temporary job wondering how to turn it into a full-time position? If yes, then this is the blog for you!

We caught up with alumna Maisie Lawrinson who is currently working as a Talent Sourcer at TalkTalk. Maisie started her journey with Talk Talk through a temporary Kickstarter scheme.

In this blog Maisie shares her top tips for turning a temporary position into full time work!

What is your job at TalkTalk ?

I am currently working as a Talent Sourcer at TalkTalk, this is my first ‘corporate’ job and it requires me to engage with a huge variety of people both in and out of the business. I have been working at TalkTalk for 7 months, the first 3 months were as a Kickstarter.

When and what did you study at University?

I studied Theatre and Performance Practice and graduated in 2020, but my in-person graduation will be this summer. (fingers crossed)

How did your time at Salford influence your career?

Firstly, since moving to Salford in 2017, I knew I didn’t want to leave Manchester. I’ve moved around within the Salford/Manchester area a lot, but I knew that when I was ready to start my career it would need to be somewhere within Manchester.

Through my degree I gained a lot of confidence, and I believe studying theatre has a huge impact on my job. I find it quite easy to talk with people regardless of their seniority because I approach it the same way I do acting. However, I allow a lot more of my personality through in the workplace whilst maintaining my professional persona.

How did you hear about the position with TalkTalk?

I had just finished my PGCE in Primary Education, but I knew teaching wasn’t right for me, I’d applied for over 70 jobs and had no luck as I didn’t have any office experience. My work coach sent me a link to the job at TalkTalk, I saw how close the office was and I immediately applied.

Maisie Lawrinson

What is the Kickstart scheme and the application process behind this?

The Kickstart scheme is for people aged 18-24 currently on Universal Credit, looking for work. You work 25 hours a week for a 6-month placement. You are paid the national living wage and have the opportunity to seek full time employment in your placement company if they have any openings.

The application process is simple, once referred by your work coach you’ll send in your CV and attend an interview. In the interview they’re asking competency-based questions as you aren’t expected to have any experience in the field you’ve applied – but it doesn’t hurt if you do. From my experience the most important thing to show is a passion to learn and develop.

What tips do you have for graduates who want to make the best out of a Kickstart position and other temporary positions?

I think the most important thing is to be open, open to learning something new, to constantly ask questions and fully open yourself to the experience.

It really helps to be confident, but if an employer can see you are going above and beyond to learn and develop as much as you can then they’re more likely to want to keep you on in their business.

Temporary job

How do you make the most out of a Kickstart position and temporary position?

A Kickstart position will give you experience in a specific job role, but it’s important to try and gain as much experience as you can during the time you’re there. If there is another role or sector you are interested in then you should ask to shadow someone from that team or work with them for a week.

As well as constantly asking questions, you can also set up meetings with people from the business to find out more about their job role – which will be really useful if you’re unsure what path you want to take with your career.

If you’re given the opportunity to get involved in wider things whilst at a business, you should try to open to it. During my Kickstart placement I was lucky enough to have a meeting with Senior Leaders at the DWP, feature on the BBC discussing working from home and speak on a panel at the Tory Conference in Manchester. All of which I never would have had the opportunity without Kickstart.

Find out all about Kickstart schemes here.

See what Kickstart vacancies are on offer on Salford Advantage.

If you want to know more about what’s on offer to you after University visit our blog all about the top 5 tips for getting your first job after uni.