People sometimes oppose temp agencies because they are more concerned about finding a permanent job instead of temporary work. While this aspect of a temp agency should certainly be acknowledged, individuals can greatly benefit from one of these companies to find good work that pays the bills. The notion that permanent employment cannot be found through temporary work is misleading, and job hunters lose out on the benefits a temporary position can provide them.
A temp agency can be helpful for any job-seeker, but they can be extremely beneficial for certain individuals – new college graduates looking for work, people suffering from unexpected unemployment, individuals searching for an extra part-time job, or people transitioning between careers could benefit from temporary work.
For a new college graduate with little job experience, a temp agency would be able to match the graduate’s area of study, whatever experience he or she possessed, and his or her career goals to find a job. Filling a short-term opening, the graduate student would make money while gaining hands-on experience that related directly or indirectly his or her future career direction. Additionally, while the college graduate worked, he or she would be meeting co-workers and managers with experience who could share their knowledge of the field and provide valuable insight and direction. Graduate students would also be able to use their temporary work to build and maintain a strong social network.
People suffering from unexpected unemployment can also benefit from seeking a temp agency for help. Often, if people are out of work for a long period of time, it can be difficult for them to secure new employment. A temp agency would consider the lifestyle and skill set the unemployed person possessed. By matching those skills with job openings, the agency could screen out unrelated jobs and provide a list of potential job matches. Alternately, the agency could provide the individual with a list of training programs or suggest coursework that could build upon the person’s skills and make him or her more marketable while searching for temporary and permanent work.
Part-time job seekers seeking extra work can also rely on a temp agency to find a part-time position that fits into their existing work schedule. With any candidate, the agency would request a resume, learn what skills the worker possessed, then find jobs or positions that fit the skills of the worker. Part-time job seekers could return to the agency when their temporary job commences if he or she desired to seek a new job.
A temp agency is also an excellent resource for people who are in-between jobs or uncertain about which field he or she wishes to seek permanent employment. Finding employment in between industries may be difficult when done individually. A temp agency can use work experience and skills from an individual’s previous work history and use it to find open positions in the person’s new field of focus. Accepting the new work, even temporary work, will help the person stuck in-between jobs. Temporary work enables the individual to get hands-on experience, talk with others in the field, build a social network, and show initiative and commitment to the temporary position – leading to further possible benefits down the road. In some cases, a hard working temporary employee is asked to accept a permanent position.
