Temp Agency

[bucutie02]

okay, so it has been almost three months since i graduated and havent gotten a full time job yet. I would love to stay with the company i currently work for, but i havent found a full time job that is either wanting to hire me, or me interested in them.

So, this morning i went and registered at a temp agency. So many people have told me to do that, but I didnt think I needed it.

Hopefully this was a good step for me. I just dont want to give my two weeks notice where I am at now to go and work somewhere where it might end up only being a temporary job. The recruiter told me that only about 10% of the people dont get a permanent job from it. You just have to do your job right.


any thoughts?

[adpiucf]

Originally posted by bucutie02
okay, so it has been almost three months since i graduated and havent gotten a full time job yet. I would love to stay with the company i currently work for, but i havent found a full time job that is either wanting to hire me, or me interested in them.

What is your degree in and what kind of job are you looking for? Where have you been looking and what methods are you using to look? Have you been going to networking events, going to your undergrad career center and talking to everyone about your goals? Or are you passively reading classifeds and sending in 100s of resumes?

Originally posted by bucutie02 Hopefully this was a good step for me. I just dont want to give my two weeks notice where I am at now to go and work somewhere where it might end up only being a temporary job. The recruiter told me that only about 10% of the people dont get a permanent job from it. You just have to do your job right. ... any thoughts?

But you run the risk of any job being a "temporary job." It's just a matter of taking an offer that feels right to you at the time. Weeks, months or years later, you and/or your employer may think otherwise.

Also, most temp work is clerical work-- secretary type work. Temp agencies usually aren't needed to place people in entry level jobs. Recruiting agencies will place high-demand fields (engineering, accounting, etc.) with this level staff or management level across various industries.

What is it you want to do for a living?

[CutiePie2000]

I think this was an excellent move. Also, be sure to register with their "permanent side"not just their temping side (most agencies have a temp side and a perm side)

A lot of employers today use agencies because they want to "try out" someone first, without fully committing to hiring you.

Also, employers use agencies do their recruiting function, so that they themselves to not have to read through 18, 327 resumes for one job posting.

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

My beef with temp agency is that they take your money. If you're making $10/hr, for example, the company you're working for is probably paying the temp agency $15/hr - the temp agency is keeping the $5/hr.

I know at my work seeing "XYZ Temp Agency" isn't nearly as impressive as seeing that the applicant spent the same amount of time elsewhere.

I don't think temping is a good idea if you're starting a career, intend to stay in the same city, etc. (I understand there are situations where this works - you HAVE to fill in the gap, money/employment wise, you're a pregnant woman and no one will hire you with benefits, etc.)

[ASAlady]

Temping sucks for the most part. The thing I hate the most about it is the contracter treats you like the worlds biggest idiot, and I can understand why. They probably get some tools in there. You should rent "Clockwatchers" it's all about temping.
It's good for those who don't want to make a committment, but keep in mind a few things. You have the right to tell your agent that you want X amount of money per hour and you are not budging. Usually they will agree. Also, if you don't like the assignment they give you, you have the right to leave and ask for a new placement. That is what they get the big bucks for. I temped once for a company for 1 year (it was a 3 weeks assignment). They eventually hired me and I stayed for an additional 8 months after that. However, I still did the "temp" jobs and everyone thought I was their own personal secretary.
Be strong, do it for awhile until you can get situated elsewhere. If you want more advice, PM me.

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally posted by adpiucf
Also, most temp work is clerical work-- secretary type work.

NOT

I'm a financial analyst and I'm currently with a temp agency on assignment at a large technical, computer software company out here. And I know that they use temps (contingent staff as they call them) quite a bit. I also know people who have been here in contingent staff positions for years........

Do a little research on temp agencies.

[lake]

I've worked for temp agencies before and have had both good and bad experiences. The best advice I heard was to call the companies you're most interested in working for, ask them which agencies they use to supply them with temporary employees, and then apply to those temp agencies and indicate you're interested in having assignments at those companies when possible.

[angelic1]

I obtained the position I currently am at through a temp agency actually.

I had just graduated from school (December grad) and wasn't sure whether I wanted to go to grad school or not. If I did I wouldnt start until the fall.

Well I started temping and after a month of "proving" that I was smart and capable they placed me at a good company. I was actually working under the CFO. Good work if I was interested in working with finances. They will trying to hire someone for that position and offered the job to me, but I wanted to hold out for something in my major if I got an offer.

Well about a month later I started working where I work now. They had me come in actually for another position, but after only a week or two working there they hired for me project manager in construction.

I have been here two years and now am about to leave to be a land use specialist.

So the job I have now got me to where I want to be. So going through a temp agency could work out.

[AOIIBrandi]

Temp Agencies are excellent for getting your foot in the door with a company, just realize you may go on a few temporary assignments before you get a good one.

I have worked for several companies who hired most of their people after having them there as temps (including my current company). The management gets to know you, and gets to see how you work. At my company now I know a few managers that will start casual conversations with temps they like - asking what they're really interested in doing... If we have something like what they are looking for a lot of times we hire them.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally posted by adpiucf
Also, most temp work is clerical work-- secretary type work.

I don't know about all areas, but in Charlotte, there are temp agencies who specialize in Medical (CEO used to, but there are others too), Finacial (mobius, and Addecco has a branch that's nothing but financial), Construction (Labor Finders, Tradesmen Intl), etc. or at the very least, most general temp agencies have accout reps that specialize in spesific areas.

Also, secretaries are pretty outdated. Anymore you have Receptionists - who pretty much do nothing but answer the phone (unless that person has other spesific jobs - one company I worked for, the Receptionist was also the accts payable person, but it was pretty much two seperate jobs and she happened to have both). Or you have Admin. Assistants, who do meanial tasks (memos, mail, etc), but unlike secretaries, ususally have some sort of management-type responsibility.

[bucutie02]

here is an update on my job search! i really need help!


okay this has nothing to do with the temp agency, i havent really gotten anything back from them except some weird emails from employers i dont know much about.

anyway- i would ultimately like to stay at the company i work for now. of course, not doing the same thing since right now i am a teller.

so- last month i interviewed for a credit investigator. it sounded SO interesting, it was close by and the money was good. this was still for the same company i work for. i found out they didnt hire me, but its a new department moving here and they will be hiring more people during the year. when i talked to the guy, he said i was a strong candidate and they are really looking at me to hire me on in july/august.

so this week i saw another job opening, but i wasnt sure about. it was for an administrative assistant...still with the same company. i went in for an interview yesterday and it was my longest interview so far- an hour! they didnt talk about salary because they said they dont handle that. they still had other interviews, but would make their decision by friday. well today at work, human resources called and offered me the job. They gave me a certain salary that i wasnt expecting. i wanted about 7,000 more. anyway, i told the guy and he said he would ask and call back. so he called back and said they would go up 2,000 more. he said they must have really seen something in me because most administrative assistants dont even get that now. So i told him i needed time to think about it and i would call him tomorrow with my decision. WELL, he calls me back and said he just got word from his mananger that they cannot give me the 2000 increase and would have to go back to what they initially told me. he even said that was very unprofessional but it does happen sometime. his reason was because the admins now dont even make that much and wouldnt be fair............EVEN THOUGH I HAVE 5 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS BEING AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AND HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE.



what should i do?!?!?! i know its not certain that the credit investigator position will go through, but i am not sure i want the admin. position. If i were to take it, i would deal with WAY MORE traffic, not what i want to REALLY do, and not the money i expected.

i just feel like i shouldnt accept WHATEVER job comes my way. I called the credit investigator guy and told him the truth. he said they are strongly considering me but he has no guarantees, which i understand.

of course, right now i am a part time teller, so this would be a step up, but not necessarily in the step i wanted to take.


HELP!

[darling1]

i wouldnt take it because it sounds like its not even in your salary range and they reneged on an offer. the latter sounds very unprofessional to me.


i say hold out as long as you can.

regarding temp agencies. it is an interesting industry to say the least. i have worked with them for several years and have had mixed opinions. the best experiences i have had have been with those who took the time to listen to what my needs were and then found positions that were suitable to my skills, talents and goals. sometimes the money wasnt always what i wanted, but i appreciated the recruiters willingness to place me someplace that i could grow. i have also found that being extra-consciencious about the job that you do and maybe putting yourself in the recruiters shoes, you can build a great repoir and with each assignment you will get a better placement and they are willing to 'give' you more money.

the agencies that dont spend the time really getting to know you, to me are those that have no interest in you and will place you anywhere they need to fill a whole to make their quota.

this is just my experience. i live in the dc area where there are more agencies than you can shake a stick at.

just remain positive and take each assignment as it comes.

Originally posted by bucutie02
here is an update on my job search! i really need help!


okay this has nothing to do with the temp agency, i havent really gotten anything back from them except some weird emails from employers i dont know much about.

anyway- i would ultimately like to stay at the company i work for now. of course, not doing the same thing since right now i am a teller.

so- last month i interviewed for a credit investigator. it sounded SO interesting, it was close by and the money was good. this was still for the same company i work for. i found out they didnt hire me, but its a new department moving here and they will be hiring more people during the year. when i talked to the guy, he said i was a strong candidate and they are really looking at me to hire me on in july/august.

so this week i saw another job opening, but i wasnt sure about. it was for an administrative assistant...still with the same company. i went in for an interview yesterday and it was my longest interview so far- an hour! they didnt talk about salary because they said they dont handle that. they still had other interviews, but would make their decision by friday. well today at work, human resources called and offered me the job. They gave me a certain salary that i wasnt expecting. i wanted about 7,000 more. anyway, i told the guy and he said he would ask and call back. so he called back and said they would go up 2,000 more. he said they must have really seen something in me because most administrative assistants dont even get that now. So i told him i needed time to think about it and i would call him tomorrow with my decision. WELL, he calls me back and said he just got word from his mananger that they cannot give me the 2000 increase and would have to go back to what they initially told me. he even said that was very unprofessional but it does happen sometime. his reason was because the admins now dont even make that much and wouldnt be fair............EVEN THOUGH I HAVE 5 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS BEING AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AND HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE.



what should i do?!?!?! i know its not certain that the credit investigator position will go through, but i am not sure i want the admin. position. If i were to take it, i would deal with WAY MORE traffic, not what i want to REALLY do, and not the money i expected.

i just feel like i shouldnt accept WHATEVER job comes my way. I called the credit investigator guy and told him the truth. he said they are strongly considering me but he has no guarantees, which i understand.

of course, right now i am a part time teller, so this would be a step up, but not necessarily in the step i wanted to take.


HELP!

[FloridaTish]

My opinion on temp work is that if you act like a "temp", you're going to be treated like a "temp". There is NOTHING wrong with working a temp job, expecially since a majority of big business utilize temp agencies as search engines for non-executive level talent. If you want to be treated like a professional, act like one. Show an interest in the company and think outside of the "box" of the temp position.

When I first got out of college, I went to a well known temp agency in Atlanta and was offered a 6 month position with a major corporation (think big time soda company). Although the pay was average, I was thrilled to get my foot in the door and not have to go on endless interviews and spend a small fortune on sending out resumes. When a permanent position opened, who was the first person they offered the job? Me. Had I never temped, I would have never gotten the HR position I had always wanted.

I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like there are a number of people (not saying anyone specifically) who have unrealistic thoughts of what they are owed. So you graduated from college? You and about 100 other candidates who are vying for the same job....many who are more qualified and attended better schools. Sometimes you have to take a smaller salary to gain experience. I just don't think that some recent graduates get that.

As for a temp agency taking a percentage of the pay, what's wrong with that? They are a business and they are able to get you a job where otherwise you are having no success (once again not calling out anyone specifically, but stating in general terms). Don't want to pay a fee? Go down to the state offices and try and find a job suited to your taste at the local job link with the rest of the underprivileged/unemployed. After one day there, I know you'd be singing a different tune about the temp agency getting a cut.

[utkzta]

I don't think I would take this position because you might get stuck there for a year (or more) before they will let you transfer to a new department depending on the company policy. You will not be happy with the AA position especially if the pay is low.

[darling1]

you said exactly what i was feeling, but much more eloquently..lol

Originally posted by FloridaTish
My opinion on temp work is that if you act like a "temp", you're going to be treated like a "temp". There is NOTHING wrong with working a temp job, expecially since a majority of big business utilize temp agencies as search engines for non-executive level talent. If you want to be treated like a professional, act like one. Show an interest in the company and think outside of the "box" of the temp position.

When I first got out of college, I went to a well known temp agency in Atlanta and was offered a 6 month position with a major corporation (think big time soda company). Although the pay was average, I was thrilled to get my foot in the door and not have to go on endless interviews and spend a small fortune on sending out resumes. When a permanent position opened, who was the first person they offered the job? Me. Had I never temped, I would have never gotten the HR position I had always wanted.

I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like there are a number of people (not saying anyone specifically) who have unrealistic thoughts of what they are owed. So you graduated from college? You and about 100 other candidates who are vying for the same job....many who are more qualified and attended better schools. Sometimes you have to take a smaller salary to gain experience. I just don't think that some recent graduates get that.

As for a temp agency taking a percentage of the pay, what's wrong with that? They are a business and they are able to get you a job where otherwise you are having no success (once again not calling out anyone specifically, but stating in general terms). Don't want to pay a fee? Go down to the state offices and try and find a job suited to your taste at the local job link with the rest of the underprivileged/unemployed. After one day there, I know you'd be singing a different tune about the temp agency getting a cut.