Temporary staffing agencies?

[magicalpoop]

So are these places worth my time?
I'm a new grad.

FYI, a temporary staff agency is essentially what it sounds like. You work for company A, who may outsource whatever work to say Encana or Bob's small town business.

My concern is that I'll just be doing 6-12 month contract work.....so what happens after a year?


Does anyone have experience (Good or bad) with these type of agencies? Think I should just wait for permanent jobs or just go for the temp ones?

[ga16i]

I had limited success way back when I was a new grad with temp and staffing agencies in general. After your contract expires, well that's it. No promises made from anyone for anything other than the 6 month~1 year contract. If you did well, the company may choose to hire you on for full time. That's actually how I ended up at my first full time job after a 3 month contract.

Working multiple contract jobs may help you network and gain contacts. Kinda depends on what your field is as well. Most positions put out for contract I find are fairly project specific and not really part of a business's day-to-day activities in the long term, so there's a limited time frame where that specific position exists. I wouldn't pass up a contract position just because it seems short term right now. Think of it more as an extended probation period. Even if a "permanent full-time" position came along, you're really still just maybe 2 weeks away from not having a job. :)

[rx7boi]

Go with a temp agency if you can and/or have nothing else on the line.

Some companies nowadays have positions that will either go to 1. someone internal 2. a friend of a friend's or 3. someone who applied through regular channels.

IMO those are also rated in terms of the competition you'll have when trying to obtain a full time position.

Temp agencies will give you the in as no company really wants to hire on a full time employee and find out they're worth neither the time or money invested into hiring and training, that's why contracting has become more prevalent as companies can simply not resign a contractor or give them the boot as per contract clauses.

Temp jobs are a good avenue of getting your foot in the door and building a relationship with the hiring manager so that when a position comes up, you apply for that shit.

Holla.