Many people have learned how to turn a temp job into a permanent one, I’ll give you some strategies for how to do this. Which reminds me of a visit that the Pope made to Mexico. The Sabritas potato chip company tried to turn a temporary situation into a long term advantage, just like you. Capitalizing on the fact that the word for Pope is the same as the word for potato, they plastered each bag of chips with a picture of either the Pontiff or the Virgin of Guadalupe. Sure, some blasted their crass commercialism, but sales of its "papas fritas" went through the roof.
Now, "papas" is not the only word that has a double meaning. So does the word "job." For some people, a job is a quasi-religious experience. For others, it's just a bunch of empty calories. Temping can lead to either and often it's YOUR actions that will determine which. To get the most from your temp assignments, ask yourself the following questions. For more tips, check out "Executive Temp" by Diane Thrailkill (Random House, 1999).
DO get known by the agency. Do they know your face and personality as well as your name, or are you just "#4438922, light steno, Office 95, no overtime"? Treat the temp agency staff as something more than a temporary part of your life by getting to know them and keeping in touch, and they're more apt to do the same for you.
DO know what you need and where you can improve. At your initial interview, ask the agency to list the variables that are associated with different jobs: pay range, hours, locations, etc. Then, go home and decide what you can accept before you get that first call from the agency. Pay is important, but it shouldn't be your only consideration. Let the agency staff know that you're eager for new skills and expertise. Don't pass up opportunities to learn on someone else's dime.
DO explore who hires temps as permanent staff. You bet: lots of people use temp jobs to gain permanent employment. But then there are the thousands of temps toiling away at Microsoft feeling like second class citizens. If most temp workers at a company have remained just that, you might want to pass regardless of the company you might keep.
DON’T go in expecting everything to be perfect. When I was younger I worked many jobs I didn't love (including a couple of temp assignments), but I believed each was a step on the road to the perfect job that was lurking in my future. So don't expect each of your temp jobs to be perfect. See them as an invaluable chain of experiences that should land you in a place you want to be.
So how are temp jobs like potato chips? You usually can't have just one. But if you follow these tips, you're likely to find yourself in the chips!
911 Pulse: Which best describes your experience with a temp job?
• Never temped, never will, 14.1%
• It was a dead end, 33.9%
• My temp job led to a permanent position, 51.8%