My Life As A Temp--
by Mary Lynn Halland
or how I used temping to get
two super, professional jobs
Yearning to try a new field? Just out of school, and looking to get your foot in the door? (Or perhaps your kids are.) Laid-off, down-sized, right-sized, or fired? Temping may be the best way to find your next job.
Temporary employment has been in the news a lot in recent years. Increasingly, companies are using temps to reduce the number of employees on their payrolls, and keep a lid on benefit costs. On the other hand, the temporary employees themselves are often portrayed as getting the "short end of the stick" due to the lack of benefits and job security. I believe, having used temping to get two of the three jobs I've had, that temping can be a great way to further your career. Used properly, temping can help you land a fantastic new job.
The Benefits of Temping
The greatest benefit to you as a temporary employee is that temping gets you inside companies. It opens doors for you. Companies bring in temps because they need someone--and that someone could be you. Once you are on the inside, you have tremendous advantages. You can explore a new company and learn about a new industry. You can meet people you otherwise would have probably never met. And they will be there to see you shine as you do your best on each assigned task. Being on the spot, doing good work, and getting noticed--what better way to find a new job?
While you work, they're paying you to
learn about them and their industries.
Don't forget: you are also being paid while you work. Granted, no one will ever get rich as a temp, but it's always nice to have money coming in the door. Especially when you don't have a "job". Think of temping as a way to get paid while conducting your job search and expanding your network of contacts. While you work, they're paying you to learn about them and their industries.
If you want to change industries, temping is a super way to explore many different fields, many you might have not considered before. Working for a museum, advertising agency, or investment bank sound interesting? You can only really know once you're there, and temping can give you that opportunity.
Many benefits of temping are largely psychological. Job hunting can be tough. It's even tougher if you are sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring. Temping gives you a reason to get out of bed and out the door, where you are with people, and not home alone, isolated. And every person you meet is someone else who can help you find a job.
Another underrated benefit to temping is that it helps you learn new skills. Yes, you need to have basic clerical skills to be a temp. Being bright, having a good attitude, and being able to politely answer the phone and take messages are skills good enough to get you some basic temp jobs. However, the highest paid temps are the word processors, who type a minimum of 50 words per minute in a widely used word processing program such as Word for Windows. The real message is, whatever level you start working as a temp, once you have an assignment, use the facilities of that corporation to gain new skills.
Most software packages have some sort of on-line tutorial package you can use on your lunch hour or outside of regular working hours to learn new software. Always take advantage of this. Not only will knowing additional programs allow you to earn more as a temp and make you eligible for more temp assignments, but you will be seen by those around you as a person who wants to learn and contribute.
Getting a Temp Job
The first step to working as a temp is to sign up with a temporary employment agency. In most major cities there are many of them. Look in the employment section of your Sunday newspaper, or in the yellow pages.
Working with more than one agency gives
you the opportunity to "shop around" and
find the most appealing assignment.
Sign up with several agencies. I found that one agency could not always keep me employed, so I worked with two or three agencies. Working with more than one agency gives you the opportunity to "shop around" and find the most appealing assignment.
Be prepared to be tested for your skills. Any decent agency will now test your word processing and spreadsheet program skills using specially designed software programs. Don't worry if you have trouble passing the test--a good agency will let you use their tutorial programs to improve your skills.
Working with your Temp Agencies
Remember that temp agencies make money by finding companies which need temporary help, then filling those jobs with quality temps. And, they need to fill each job order as quickly as possible. They are not in the business of helping you further your professional aspirations. On the other hand, if you happen to get a job through your work as a temp, they will be able to collect a fee from your new employer. Or, they will be able to insist that you remain a temp for a minimum number of weeks at the company, guaranteeing the temp agency a minimum amount of revenue. Fair enough. But my point is that the temp agency's loyalty is to the client company, because they pay the bills. There is a certain "meat market" air to the temp industry, as they try to fill job openings quickly, without much regard to your career aspirations.
So how do you work with agencies to ensure you're getting the most out of your experience? Whenever possible, insist on the minimum time commitment to an assignment--one week, for example. That way you can get inside a new company and check it out, but have the flexibility to move on to the next company if you see no interesting opportunities. Conversely, if you enjoy a company, and want to see if a job might be found there, you can usually extend an assignment if the company is happy with your work.
Landing your job
Now you've gotten your foot in the door, and you're on the inside of a new company--potentially your next employer. It's time to make a good impression while you determine whether there are any interesting opportunities at this company. Showing up on time for your assignment, dressing appropriately, and performing professionally will make a positive impression on your client company. Demonstrating a good attitude and willingness to pitch in and "get the job done" will also be noticed.
Make sure to have an updated resume handy (if you don't, now that you probably have easy access to word processing equipment, this is the time to do it!). If you are serious about finding a permanent job and there don't seem to be any opportunities on the horizon at this assignment, move on to the next assignment within two weeks.
Keep moving, always performing as a professional and learning new skills, until you find just the right job. Use temping as a way to let fate bring you and your next job together.
Mary Lynn Halland is a member of The Five O'Clock Club. She has an M.B.A. in Finance and ten years of sales and marketing experience.
It is work, work that one delights in,
that is the surest guarantor of happiness.
Ashley Montagu, The American Way of Life
Let the past drift away with the water.
Japanese saying