Pros and Cons for working for a Temp Agency

[hereyago]

Have you worked for a temporary job agency, if so, what were the pros and cons? The 2 that I have looked into have benefits that seem so elusive on the outside. TIA

 

[cybrkitn]

I had worked for Manpower Temps in the past.

Pros:
*You gain field experience especially if you are new or returning to the field
*Sometimes, temp jobs can become permanent (one of mine did)


Cons:
*Benefits and perks like taking vacation time only come after you are with the the agency for a certain amount of time (also depends on the agency)
*You never know where your next job assignment is going to be or if there is one available.
*Not a steady income.
*Hourly rate varies depending on the assignment

When I graduated from a business school in my 20's, I tried to go directly into the secretarial field immediately. I didn't do so good and lost jobs due to my inexperience.

I then decided to do temp work. That helped me gain experience and show me how different companies work. But then, the assignments started to slow down and I tried the full time, permanent work. I still wasn't ready and decided to go back to temping. The last temp assignment I had led to a permanent position with a very big and well-known company. I was there for 7 1/2 years when it was announced that our office location was closing .

I did find another job but due to the company's financial difficulties, I was laid off (as were 7 others) last year. I would not be able to do any temp work now, b/c I'm in my late 30's and have a family. It's not a good fit now compared to my life in my 20's.

 

[NY Disney fan]

I used to be a temp and as of next month, will be one again. Ditto to everything cybrkitn said. Its good to hedge your bets and sign on with more than one agency. I don't believe in being loyal to one agency unless they are getting you steady work.

 

[HM]

I also used a Temp Agency as a means of gaining experience. In the end, I was offered a full-time job with my second temp job. I worked for a smaller local temp agency and was paid on an hourly basis with no benefits. I had to remain with them for the first 10 weeks with my permanant job per their contract. I have now been with the company that hired me for 21 years now!

 

[KJ Luvs Pluto]

Many years ago I worked for temp agencies in two different states. I loved it. Both were in big cities that I had just moved to. (I now live in a very rural area or I probably will still work for one if it were available) What are pros to some may be cons to others or vice versa. For me they were as follows:

Pros: I learned how to navigate the city I had moved to quickly; hours were flexible - I could decline a job if I didn't want to work that day (which I rarely did); type of work and people were always varied so the work was always interesting, never a dull moment; at a number of my jobs (about a quarter of them) I was offered permanent which I declined because I enjoyed working temp situations; working in so many different situations makes a person learn quickly which you carry with you to other areas of your life.

Cons: Lack of benefits; not knowing where or when you will work next (this is a pro and a con); lower salary (at least when I was doing this).

 

[castleview]

Pros - you can get a job

Cons - they take a third of the pay and if the company likes you and wants to hire you, you may still be under contract with the temp service. I know my company liked a temp so much, they were ready to hire him full time after a week. Unfortunately, the temp agency's contract read for three months. This guy could not afford to live on that wage that long.

Other con is that they work for the company, not you.

 

[alldiz]

Hi,
I am a dental hygienist and I "temp" on Saturdays. Only negative is that they don't take taxes out.....which for some might be a problem.

But I do have a "permanent temp" job...LOL....I keep going back to the same office....which is great...because it has been very slow.