I'll be honest. I always thought that going to a temp agency was a waste of time. This perception comes from the fact that when I was in college in the late 90s, I visited a few firms, filled out reams of paperwork, took a few computer tests, did several interviews, and never got a single job out of the process.

According to CareerBuilder's Kate Lorenz, though, there is a time and a place for seeking a temp job, and in this economy, you might be well-served with this approach. A temp position can be beneficial, for example, if you're testing the waters of a career change, or if you've been laid off and need income while you search for long-term employment.

The American Staffing Association says that 88 percent of staffing employees say temporary or project work made them more employable and 80 percent of staffing clients say staffing firms offer a good way to find people who can become long-term employees. Project work frequently leads to full-time roles, says Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Human Resources Kit for Dummies. "Increasingly, organizations are realizing the value of using temporary assignments as a means of evaluating candidates for full-time positions. This provides a low-risk opportunity for managers to determine how an individual will perform on the job."