What Does a Temp Agency Do?
One often overlooked method of getting a better job is working with a temp agency. Most people who come from a solid educational background and already have work experience immediately write this method of bettering your employment situation off, but there are many reasons why you should consider this if you are struggling to find the career that you want.
First, temp agencies are not just for people looking to go work at a factory or into manual labor. Yes, many temp agencies do specialize in these career paths, but that’s not all they do. Specializing in companies that need many employees and have a high rate of turnover is good business sense, but from time to time, temp agencies do work with other types of employers. For example, some are looking for experienced bookkeepers, paralegals, clerks, administrative assistants, and nursing assistants. This opens up the door for those with college degrees and a history of employment in specific areas. It also makes it so if you are looking for a career change, but struggling to find a job because of a lack of experience, a temp agency can be a perfect way to get your foot in the door and start earning that experience that employers mandate.
Second, it also needs to be noted that oftentimes, a company will hire employees from the temp agency. So, while going through a temp agency can get you experience that will allow you to start applying with the companies that you truly want to work for, it can also be an easy way to prove yourself to the company you are temping with and perhaps get a job offer without ever needing to apply to other companies. It’s a way of streamlining the process.
How does it work? Temp agencies act as a buffer between companies and job applicants. Some companies only will hire their entry level positions after they’ve proven themselves as temps. The temp agency will screen applicants and make recommendations to the company. If the company likes who they recommend, the applicant becomes an employee of the temp agency. If you go this route, you will need to apply with the temp agency and they will be the ones that send you a paycheck, but you will be working at whatever company the temp agency sends you to. Basically, the company pays the temp agency for providing them with labor, and then the temp agency pays you, after keeping a cut of what they are paid to cover their own costs and pay their employees. It’s a mutually beneficial situation, and it’s one that can create many extra career opportunities that you may never have thought of on your own.
What if you have no idea what kind of job you want? Well, the average temp agency has many different companies that they hire for. If you don’t know what you want, the temp agency will often run a career assessment on you, figure out what your skills and interests are, as well as your background, and then make a recommendation for you based upon what your experience is and what they have available. They might have nothing for you, but they might have the perfect job.
Working through a temp agency isn’t for everyone, but it is a method of getting experience, earning some money here and there, and even getting a fulltime job once you’ve proven yourself as a talented and reliable employee. If you are struggling to find a job because of lack of experience or because of a midlife career change, this is one way to rectify the problem that you should consider.