Gain Valuable Experience with Temporary Agencies

by Kelle Campbell

(originally featured in Twin Cities Employment Weekly)

Organizations are always looking for candidates with experience or professional training. Most job-hunters are aware that they can gain work experience from participating in internships and cooperative education programs, but there is another option for those looking for a professional boost: temporary staffing (or temp) agencies.

Temp agencies exist for practically every field imaginable, from social services to the usual accounting and clerical positions. You can obtain part-time, temporary or temporary-to-permanent positions, and many agencies will provide for your professional development.

You can benefit from the temporary agency in three ways: training, learning on the job, and the chance to assess different organizational cultures.

Training

According to the American Staffing Association, 90 percent of agencies provide their assigned workers with free training. In addition to software application tutorials, agencies such as Robert Half International offer workers free seminars and courses (some legal, finance and accounting employees can even earn professional credits) or reimburse tuition. Workers attending college may also find themselves eligible for scholarships from their agencies.

When you're registering with an agency, find out what training resources they have and how you can qualify to use them. Some agencies have online courses that you can access at anytime from your own computer. Others require you to visit their offices in order to use their programs.

Temp Experience

On-the-job experience is a most valuable aspect of temporary employment. Since organizations tend to differ in terms of procedures, resources, software or even computer hardware, you'll acquire a range of abilities and insights from different assignments. In fact, the American Staffing Association states that 70 percent of temporary employees gain new skills in this way.

Sometimes agencies can place you in exactly the position that you want and your work experience will be right on target. At other times, you may have to settle for something that's close. If the latter is the case, make the acquaintance of people in the department or position you had in mind. Not only can they give you real-world information about their jobs, but they also may be able to "borrow" you from your assigned position. Another benefit is that you'll widen your pool of references and you might even find yourself with a potential mentor.

So when staffing managers offer you an assignment, make sure it fits with your needs. You don't have to accept every assignment that's offered to you, and it's no good getting a position in a hospital's billing department if you're interested in marketing research. However, if it's a very temporary job and your staffing specialist seems to be in a bind, then help them out. Building goodwill will encourage them to put you at the top of their list when the perfect position comes around.

Temporary assignments can range anywhere from a day to over a year. In fact, some seem to go on indefinitely. These long-term assignments are great as a steady base if you're looking for employment. Most organizations that hire you as a temporary worker will understand your going to interviews as long it does not interfere with your work and you let them know a few days beforehand.

Assessing Work Places

The disadvantage of regular job-hunting is that is you can't get a real "feel" of the place until after you've accepted a position. Temporary assignments allow you to examine different work cultures to see what type of environment would suit you best. And temp-to hire work allows you to become familiar with the work place and your potential boss before committing to the position.

Bear in mind that once you've accepted a permanent position, you're obligated to work there for a specific time. If you change your mind after you've accepted, you may be required to repay the fee your new employer paid to the agency.

Overall, temporary assignments are likely to pay much more than internships, and if you're in college, you could get more diverse experience than in a co-op program. On the other hand, you might have to wait a while for the right position, and the agency may call you in to work at the very last minute. But it's definitely worth considering.