Has anyone used a temp agency?

mau_loa · September 2010

What was your experience like? Was it helpful?

Julia_JJ · September 2010

I've had a lot of success with temp agencies, but I use industry-specific ones to help find clients. I now have "regular" clients that ask for me with the agency, so not only do I make the agency look good, but I get ongoing work.

Sunidaze · September 2010

I was in communication with one from the time I quite a job in late '07 until a recent bout of unemployment last year. They were never able to place me in a position because the jobs they typically got were $11-12/hr (if that) office jobs. However, less than a month ago, the same agency came across my updated resume on Monster and called me for a direct hire position they just had come in. Perfect fit, great salary, benefits, etc. finally in the field that I wish to be in, and I start monday.

rlynn007 · September 2010

I got a job with one in May and I LOVE it. It was a better job than I even imagined, and I will hopefully be hired permanent in the next week or so.

bananers · September 2010

When I first graduated from college, the job market was pretty bad and I wasn't able to get in to a regular permanent job in my career field right away. I got in with a temp agency instead just to pay the bills, and had several jobs that got me good basic office experience and resume builders, that eventually led to an entry-level job in my career field within the year. Overall it was a great experience, and provided a good steady source of income while I searched for something in the line of work I was interested in.

nthomas983 · September 2010

I was placed through Randstad a few years ago, before I found my current FT position. I only made $12/hour doing admin-type work, but they did offer some benefits if you worked with them for a certain period of time (not great ones). It paid the bills, and I was with the same company for 2 months. They mentioned hiring me full time once the temp period ended, but I found my current job - in a field that I was far more interested in - before that was up. All in all, it was a good experience. If I were to lose my job, I would definitely consider going to a few temp agencies and seeing what they had to offer.

Sunflower730 · September 2010

When I heard of being laid off (next week) I contacted every temp agency around me. They have jobs that you might not see in the paper or internet, as companies now use temp agencys to weed out the applications as there are so many people out of work.

I have had 6 interviews since signing up with diffrent temp agencies.

Good luck!

Ready4theParty · September 2010

I signed up with two different agencies. I wasn't happy with either one. I told them I was just happy to work and that I was going to be in need of "experience" since I had been unemployed for over a year. I agreed to take whatever position came my way even if it was a temp job, or a temp to hire, or a direct hire. I went on several interviews but the companys always went with a different person. I didn't have any luck being placed with either one, even though I went on about ten interviews. When I'd ask for better feedback for interviews the agencies were not helpful and said it really was up to the hiring agency and they couldn't push me on any company if they didn't want me. It was a really frustrating experience for me, even though I heard several times "We think you'd be perfect as a..."

yarncarchick · September 2010

The only experience I have with a temp agency was, sigh...a bad one. I applied for a job with a huge company that has an office where I live, who as it turned out, hired through a staffing company. I went through numerous phone interviews, and two onsite interviews. Finally I got word that I had been chosen for the position and went down to fill out my new hire paperwork. I was supposed to start the following Thursday. Wednesday, I got a call at 4:25 in the afternoon telling me the company had decided to nix the position and there was nothing the staffing company could do. No other jobs in the area to send me to interview, no other positions with that company, no recourse at all. That whole exercise wasted about a week of my job search, and of course once I'd been 'hired' I canceled a series of second interviews with other companies (the job I had taken had good pay, benefits, etc). Totally got burned.

Luckily one of the companies I had canceled with hadn't found someone for the position and gave me a second shot at another interview, and I was lucky enough to get hired there. Permanently, and directly.

In the defense of some temp agencies, I have known people that found great (eventually permanent) employment, but as one of the previous posts said, mostly office jobs in the $10-12/hour range.

purple.cow.0206 · September 2010

I've had some very good experiences with temp agencies. They're great when you have no other option. I'd been out of a permanent job between November 2009 and August 2010, and temp work was all I could get for a while. It's often not very interesting work and not the best work situation($11-$13/hr, usually no benefits or paid time off) but when it's the option between that and nothing, something is better.

If you can find a good agency, and not all of them are good, you'll want to make sure you keep in contact with them to keep you in mind. That's the best way you can keep getting work.

mingxing · August 2011

This reply has been removed by a moderatorbecause it violates the Nest's TOS
PLEASE STOP SPAMMING THE BOARDS

Has anyone used a temp agency?

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