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Is Temp To Perm Still A Good Strategy?
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You hear it everywhere … get a temp job and it may turn into a permanent position. Good idea, right?? After all, it gives you the opportunity to really see what the company is like and how the employees are treated. And, it lets the company see you in action. So why isn’t everyone doing it?
Well, almost everyone is, or trying to. A local temp agency told me the other day that they were “saturated” with candidates who are all trying to do the same thing. It’s a tough market out there and there is a lot of available and experienced talent trying to do the same thing. And although about half of their college grad candidates are able to go from “temp to perm”, this agency offered up some specific ideas to help.
First, do whatever the agency asks of you, no matter how short term or menial it may be, to the best of your ability. Once you get positive feedback from the company, the recruiter, who only has about 10 minutes to fell a slot, is more likely to call you back for better assignments.
You need to have a top notch resume and make a positive impression on everyone you meet and work with. Employers want to see some part time work experience and a strong work ethic. They want to know you are competent and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Finally, be patient. If there is an opportunity to become a permanent employee, it will most likely not happen right away. Most employers have to pay a finder’s fee to the temp agency if they hire you within a specific time frame so that will have an impact on any decisions they make.
Going from temp to perm is still a good strategy, but it now takes more effort and patience.
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Comments
Editor's Note: Inappropriate comments that are offensive to the author or not in context to the author's post will be removed. For editorial feedback, please contact our Community Manager through his user profile. Click here.
February 16, 2009 4:06 pm
I've had positive and negative experiences with contracted work. On one hand, my first job as a contractor offered me a chance to learn a lot. I went above and beyond what normal contractors did. It was a great experience for learning, but I also knew that I would never be hired once my term ran out. Where's the motivation in that?
February 16, 2009 4:10 pm
Temping seems to be a great option for people with admin/exec ass't experience. But if you're capable of doing that job but don't have matching experience, it doesn't seem to pan out.
I spent five months regularly following up with 5 highly recommended temp agencies (via past experience of friends) . . . I got placed for exactly 2hours -- after training me, the supervisor to the person I was filling in for decided to cancel the 10day order for a temp at the last minute. I scored advanced on all the tests the agency made me take, which the placement manager seemed thrilled with.
I basically told the temp agency if the money was green, I'd go. They wanted to know what my interests were -- I told them what I was looking for long term, but in the interim, if the money was green. . . and it didn't bear fruit.
You know what they say. . . insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting diff't results. After 6 months I moved on to a new job find strategy and am still looking.
February 16, 2009 7:04 pm
I think a lot of it depends on you as the temp, employee, and what you're looking to get out of it. For what reason did you go into being a temp? Was it to sustain you as you looked elsewhere? Was it for a foot in the door at that particular company? Did you seek out other opportunities and other assignments? Sometimes patience really is key, and self-motivation plays a large part in that.
Temporary staffing is a two-sided relationship between employee and company for what each gets out of it, but the fact of the matter is that a company hires you to perform work on the premise that it's a temporary solution for their benefit, as terrible as that sounds.
I think that this aspect needs to be acknowledged, but you can also use temp work to your advantage -- that's up to you. Especially in this recession, it's a way to stay employed, bring in a paycheck, keep working, and keep learning. And certainly it's discouraging, but maybe that's where that self-motivation also comes in.
February 16, 2009 10:06 pm
There are lots of temp agencies that specialize in different fields, (creative, IT, legal, accounting, etc.) - so, depending on your area of expertise, it can be helpful to use a temp agency. However, temp to perm is that lucky combination of trying out an agency before they decide (definitively) to hire you.
February 17, 2009 9:03 am
I have my current position now because of temping (I've been with the company for over two years) but I wouldn't recommend that route to others. For myself and most of my friends it was a long stressful process but I should mention that my friends who are paralegals believe temp to perm is the way to go.
February 17, 2009 11:45 am
The temp to permanent route may be a good starting point for women who have been out of the work force for a prolonged perio. I've been a stay-at home and I'm considering taking up temp positions to get the paid experience that employers want. I've done voluntary work in the accounting field but that doesn't seem to have much weightage.
February 18, 2009 1:40 am
Where I work, starting as a temp is a great foot in the door to turn into a perm position. We look at it like an extended interview. If you are hired as a temp you have a good chance at getting hired permanently if fellow employees like you, and you do the job well. Another way of thinking of it, is like an extended version of an interview...a really long interview.
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Grad School Zone
UVA (Darden) MBA Admissions Deadlines for 2010-2011
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