THERE are more than one million temporary workers on assignment in the UK today.

Temporary workers cannot always guarantee regular work and many rely on recruitment consultancies to secure a continual stream of employment.

Next week is National Temporary Workers Week, and to celebrate Accountemps, a specialist in financial temporary recruitment, is providing practical advice on how to get the most out of your recruitment consultant by being a good worker.

There are two key steps to becoming a good temp.

The first is understanding how your recruitment consultant works, to ensure that they always consider you for a job first, and the second step is knowing how to maintain the workflow by acting like a good temp.

Step 1: Nick Broad, branch manager for Accountemps in Basingstoke said: "Contrary to popular belief, it is not just the recruitment consultants who need to know their candidates.

"The most successful candidates are those who also understand recruitment consultants and how best to work with them. Becoming a good temp is a mixture of flexibility and communication and it's worth it."

There are three things every temp should know about their recruitment consultant:

The key thing for consultants is knowing that you are available. The temp market moves so quickly that if your consultant knows you are available he/she can often close a deal whilst on the phone to the client.

Consultants receive lots of calls from candidates and they also have to service and win business from their clients - so sometimes it's impossible to take a call straight away. When this happens, let one of their colleagues know you've called.

Every time a call of this nature is made, it's recorded on a database, so you will be considered for roles when they come in.

Know when to call. Most consultants will be calling their clients between 10am and 12pm and then 2pm and 4pm, so you may want to call outside these times.

Step 2: Now that you know how to get the most out of your consultant, how do you ensure that you have a stream of work?

Nick Broad added: "Being a good temp is all about flexibility. You have to adapt and change to different environments and that's not always easy. These are the top tips we give to our candidates to help them ensure that they are always seen as a good bet."

Be flexible: The ideal contract may be just around the corner but it is worth getting your foot in the door of the consultancy and accepting short-term contracts rather than holding out for the perfect job.

Get an e-mail address: It may sound obvious but you'd be surprised at how many people don't bother until they actually secure a contract! It means that your agency can always get hold of you.

Keep your agency informed: If you do find a job, move house, change telephone number or are planning to leave the country, inform your agency as they will want to help with career moves - not just the current one.

Be professional: When you start an assignment, be punctual, reliable and presentable, and make sure that you keep a professional attitude.

Get your timesheet in on time: Agencies do not like paying you late and you will not like being paid late.

Don't lose touch: It is in your interest not to lose touch with any of the agencies you have registered with.