Temping? Research the agency.

The seasonal job that I took is over with now. Overall, it was not too bad. The work was easy enough, just putting small boxes into a large rack. We had to work quickly, but things never hit the frantic pace retail outlets go through the same time of year. The long hours and the cold (did I mention this all took place inside of an industrial-size freezer?) will not be missed. However, I am glad that I stuck around until the end.
Not everyone who initially signed on for the position stayed, and a dozen or more people from temp agencies had to be brought in. They, along with a recent posting in this blog, reminded me of my own brief time as a temp. It was there that I learned the most valuable lesson about working for temp agencies-never work for temp agencies.
Maybe that is going a bit far. Certainly, some have found work, even good work in this manner. But to get the whole picture, all kinds of stories are needed, good and bad. It could have just been the agency I worked for, but my temping experience was anything but fulfilling.
What got me interested in this agency in the first place was the selection of jobs they had, or at least claimed to have. Around fifty different postings were listed on their website alongside claims of “flexibility” and “we’ll match you up with the perfect job for you!” Plus, they run a multitude of ads in the Sunday papers. But when I started, they just called me up and told me where to go without giving me any choice in the matter. The one time that I asked for a different assignment , they told me that they did not have any other jobs, and sent me anyway. That job required experience/knowledge I did not possess, which makes me wonder if they even READ the lengthy sheet they made me fill out detailing what I could and could not do. So I spent half of that shift just learning the basics of what to do and the other half fumbling around like an idiot trying (and failing) to keep up just halfway decently with the others. I was not asked to return the next day. So much for matching me up with my “dream job” there. Not knowing what I would be doing the next day made me uneasy to begin with. After that incident, the feeling increased drastically. Driving all over the city for next to nothing is no fun either, but it could have been worth it were there not one major flaw that every single assignment I got had in common. The same story was true for all the other temps I met at all the companies I worked for. There was no chance at all that any of us would be permanent. Most of my assignments lasted one day, and that was all that the clients intended. Just like those guys in the freezer, brought in when needed and then booted out the door. My last assignment took me to a place ONE HOUR from where I live, only to find out the client had CANCELLED the temp help. I returned home in a…let us just leave it at “unhappy” mood to find my then current employers name on my caller ID. They had been kind enough to call and inform me of the cancellation after all…FIFTEEN MINUTES before the job was supposed to start! To be fair, I do not know who’s fault that was, the agency or the client. Either way, it was good in the long run, for the incident provided the necessary motivation to finally get my old job back and, with surprising calmness, quit the agency. Sorry if that turned into a bit of a rant, but temping was the worst job experience of my life-yes, worse than fast food. That rant did not even cover half of it. Do not make my mistake. If you want to try this line of work, do what you should do on any potential employer-research. What kinds of jobs do they have? What percentage of employees find permanent work? Do they give you options on where to go? Most of all, talk to people. Although I am not trying this again through anybody, I have heard great things about other agencies. I have since spoken to others who worked for the same agency I did, and the responses have always been negative. Hey, maybe if I had talked to all those people beforehand, I would be writing glowing praises for the occupation. Doubt it, but it is possible. After hearing so many praises for temping, including a front page article in the job section of my local paper, I just needed to tell my story.