Interims mean business

People become interim managers for a variety of reasons.

Some fall into it through job loss and others, like me, make a positive career decision.

To be an effective interim manager you need to have significant experience. Firms usually hire interims when the chips are down and things are in danger of going (or have gone) pear-shaped.

You need to be able to work under pressure and get results quickly. There are few luxuries such as inductions. You are expected to deliver the moment you arrive.There is no doubt in my mind: if you want an easy life do not choose to work as an interim.

It's tough, but it can be very rewarding. Living away from home is difficult, too, but it enables you to experience and get to know different locations. You have to have very strong people skills to work with established teams. And if you think that you will be released from workplace politics by working as an interim, you will be in for a shock. You need to a real political animal to integrate with the team and organisation.

I have been privileged to have worked with and got to know many different teams from many places in Britain; the characters from the Welsh Valleys were unforgettable - and fantastic fun!

The hours can be even longer than the norm. Living out of a suitcase, returning to an empty hotel room, and driving 25,000 miles a year is far from glamorous. I have learned as much over the past six years as I did over the previous 18.

Some people say that interims are overpaid and should be avoided. When firms select an established interim they get someone with a proven track of delivering, and they aren't cheap. They use them when they need to and don't pay them unless they are working. A good interim will deliver major benefits for your company but a poor interim will not survive.

Celia Wright is a food development consultant and interim manager at Cheftech​