The Tempting World of Tempings

If you are just out of school, if you are sliding back into the work market after a hiatus, or if you just plain don't know what you want to do with your life, consider temping as an alternative to entering the permanent, 8-6 world of the rat race. Depending on your needs, and your personality, temping might be just the ticket you need to get where you want to be in the work place.

The Pros
According to salary.com, temping is an industry that is particularly vulnerable to the whims of the economy since the vast majority of the positions it fills are entry-level, basic skills positions in the manufacturing and service industries, often the first to be affected by job cuts. While temporary employees are often the first to go, their temporary status (meaning no benefits or severance are paid out by the company) also means that they are the first to be hired back in the event of an overly aggressive cut.

While many might find that the instability of temping makes it unsuitable for long term employment, the benefits abound, even if you only want to try it for the short term. For one thing, temping means that you have a very flexible schedule so that you can concentrate on any other tasks or dreams that you are currently pursuing, such as schooling, you latest invention or that Booker Prize-winning first novel.

For the recent grad, temping has quite a few benefits. It allows you to essentially "try on" various companies to see those with which you might want to pursue long term employment, and also allows you to try on several jobs within a given company. On top of giving you a taste of what you might like to do for a living (or rule out completely!), you are gaining experience doing the work in order to pre-empt the perpetual chicken-egg conundrum of no experience = no job/no job = no experience.

Temping is also a good choice if you have recently moved to a new city. Here again, it allows you to see what kind of companies are out there, and get your bearings while you get settled.

Get tempin'
You can locate agencies in your area either in the yellow pages or online. While you contact them, find out which major companies are big clients to see if they serve companies you want to work for. You can also get this information by calling companies that you would like to work for and asking them if they have an agency they use regularly.

If you want to work in a specialised area, for example jobs in the music industry, look in trade magazines. Temp agencies that advertise in trade magazines will most likely be attached in some way to that field.

When you go in to apply to a temp agency, the more general skills you have, along with specialised skill, the more versatile you will be. Remember that you are not beholden to one agency. You can apply to several agencies in order to raise your chances of steadier employment, as well as diverse options. This may give you the freedom to turn down jobs that do not appeal to you without worry8ing when the next phone call will come.

When you apply to a temp agency, you will be interviewed, as you are with any job. As far as the agency is concerned, their employees represent their company and their reputation for providing responsible temporary employees, so go in there as you would any other job interview. Bring a resume with references, act and dress like a professional.

Your first appointment with the agency might last several hours as you will not only be interviewed, but also tested to see where your skills lie in several basic tasks, which may include software programs, keyboarding, and other basic administrative skills. While all resumes serve to embellish your skills a little bit, testing will expose any highly fraudulent claims. Besides, you want to be as honest as possible with your counselor, as they will most likely be the one interviewing and placing you. Be frank about your skills, your desired positions, your availability, and your needs.

Be sure to ask questions during the interview process regarding overtime policies, vacation pay, and pension. Many temp agencies do not offer benefits packages, but it is worth asking.

Getting the jobs
To succeed at temping, you have to show yourself to be a responsible, positive employee. Often when you are just starting out, the agency will offer you the very temporary jobs in order to get you in the workforce. Don't feel you have to take every job offered to you, but at the same time, try not to turn too many jobs down that you are qualified to do at the very beginning. You don't want them to stop calling.

Feel free to call your counselor often to let him or her know that you are available. According to tempin.com, the best times to call are Monday at 10 a.m. and Friday at 3 p.m. for last minute jobs. Avoid calling before 10 a.m. or after 3 p.m. any day as this is their busiest time and you don't want to annoy them.

The best way to keep getting jobs is to continually work hard at your placements in order to get good reviews. This will lead not only to happy employers, but also to call backs from companies. If you come across a company that you really enjoy, do some research into the company and network while you are there. Getting a full time position with the company might be as easy as asking your supervisor for one once you have impressed him or her with your knowledge and energy.

For some, the flexible life of temping may be a career choice, while for others, it is simply a stepping stone to their dream job.