by Wanda E

Created on: December 19, 2008

Temporary employment can be a great option if you are unsure of what you want to do. It can also be good if you don't really want to stick to a 40 hour work schedule all year round. On the other hand, it can be frustrating if you seek more than what they actually have to offer.

During my time in undergrad school, I spent most of those years working for staffing agencies. I learned many pros and cons being there, and I even got a chance to work at the actual agency placing people.

When I first started working for temp agencies, I was sent to factory types of positions. I quickly learned that it was not the environment for me. Sometimes they would send me to factories that had new people coming in just about everyday. With that type of turn-over, there is no chance of developing relationships or hopes of getting hired permanently. Not to mention the level of theft is high, you can't even leave your lunch in the refrigerator without somebody stealing your sandwich! The good thing is I learned that assembly line jobs were not for me- too boring. The same item moving down the belt all day long drove me nuts! That's a positive thing about agencies, if you don't like what you are doing, let them know and they will place you somewhere else. However, don't make too may request to be placed elsewhere. They may not think that you are a good candidate for them because you want to change jobs too much.

Once I realized that factory work wasn't for me, I decided to polish my office skills. Some agencies offer their computers to you if you want to learn a certain software skill or learn how to type. If you want to learn Excel for example, there are 3 levels the computer can teach you: basic, intermediate, and advanced. Once you think you have it down packed, the system will test you and you can use these skills to find a better position. I found some really good jobs by doing this. It gave me a chance to see what it was like working in the banking industry, customs broker, call centers, and medical offices.

You may start out as a temporary employee, but the company may decide to hire you. If that happens, you go from being an employee of the staffing agency to being an employee of the actual company. For some people, this is the goal. They want to start out as a temporary to get their foot in the door and later on down the line receive an offer of permanent employment. This doesn't always happen. The agency may tell you that the company is looking to hire, but that doesn't mean

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