Employing the Temporary Office Worker

 A temporary worker is someone who fills in to work for a business or other establishment for an agreed period of time. Temp workers can work anywhere from one day to six months, depending upon the company’s need. A company may seek to hire a temp worker due to any number of reasons. Some reasons are employee illness, employee termination, vacation, FMLA, newly created position, or shortage of workers. Some staffing agencies also place applicants for permanent positions at the company’s request.

Interested applicants can apply directly with an employment agency of their choice. If you wish to apply to work temporary via an agency, you will need to apply with the agency per their employment procedure. Potential applicants can more than likely apply online and certainly you can go into the agency to inquire about applying for temporary work. In this case, if hired by the agency, you would be an employee of the agency. This means you would be on the agency’s payroll. Applicants can also apply directly at the company seeking to hire a temp worker. Some companies don’t bother going through an agency, but instead hire its temps via their own human resources department. Some companies even advertise temp to hire positions on their job boards.

Opting to work temp does have its advantages. That’s right, choosing to apply for temporary work can open the door for a permanent job opportunity. For example, if an employer is pleased with the temp’s productivity, they can move forward to hire the temp permanently. The worker would then be entitled to the same benefits as the other workers of the company. You could also gain some valuable experience as you learn new skills while temping.

The downside of working for a temporary agency could be lack of medical and retiree benefits, low wages in some cases, unstable work, unpleasant working environment, very short job assignments or no work available.

7 Myths About Staffing Agencies

So often staffing agencies get a bum rap from the media and even from some who have used an agency to find suitable work at one time or another. Many will agree that there is a certain stigma that’s associated with staffing agencies. Today I want to put those falsehoods to rest. Staffing agencies use advance technology to screen applicants and also do a comprehensive background check before they send out workers on job assignments. Employment agencies don’t want to put their company at risk by sending out unqualified workers and/or someone who has a current criminal background. Employers depend upon employment agencies to fill job vacancies within their company with top talent. In fact, this is a good way for aspirants to get their foot into the door of a reputable company.

Myth 1
Agencies don’t offer benefits- Nowadays employment agencies offer health and dental benefits to its workers who want them. Staffing agencies also offer paid sick and vacation time for workers who work for the agency for a specific time period.

Myth 2
Agencies offer low pay- this is so far from the truth. Most agencies offer competitive salary as commensurate with the applicant’s skills and experience.

Myth 3
Employment agencies only offer short-term work assignments- most staffing agencies do offer long-term assignments based upon the companies need. It’s possible that a job assignment can last 6 months to a year and beyond. When you register with your agency, you can specify that you want long-term assignments.

Myth 4
Agencies only offer temporary job assignments- not only do staffing companies hire for temporary positions…they advertise for permanent positions for companies seeking to hire such.

Myth 5
Employers frown upon temp jobs listed as work history on your resume- some say temp position(s) look bad on a resume. Not true! In fact, many employers are impressed with the fact that you were working consistently to prevent work history gaps on your resume.

Myth 6
Skill deficit worries- some are concerned they won’t be able to utilize their skills- truthfully, depending upon the assignment, not only will you utilize your current job skills, you will possibly acquire news skills to add to your credentials.

Myth 7
Employers don’t like to hire via an employment agency- some of the best talent found in companies today is a result of a staffing agency. In addition, many employees temp to perm with companies at some point during a job assignment.

5 Myths About Temporary Workers

 Just as there is a certain sigma associated with temp agencies unfortunately the same holds true for temp workers. Bear in mind, just because a few temps didn’t measure up to a company’s job expectations- it’s not fair to put all temps in the same category. Today I would like to clear up misconceptions about temp workers and dismiss these myths hopefully forever.

Myth 1
Temps are not reliable…
This is so far from the truth. Most temps are very dependable in that they want to make a good first and lasting impression with the company they are temping for in hopes of landing a permanent job opportunity.

Myth 2
Temps lack marketable skills...
This is a total fabrication! Many college graduates use temp agencies to find suitable work in their field of discipline. In addition, agencies hold job fairs often to attract recent college grads and other aspirants who have valuable job skills and top-notch credentials. In fact, many temporary workers start out temping and end up working permanently because they possess highly marketable skills.

Myth 3
Temps are unemployable…
Although it many be difficult to find suitable work at times, most temps are determine to find stable work in their field of study whether via of using an agency or applying for work directly with a reputable company that interest him/her.

Myth 4
Temps are job-market rejects…
Yet another misconception! Keep in mind that some temps prefer to work on a temporary basis for various reasons. Others work temporary until they can find a suitable permanent job opportunity with a good company.

Myth 5
Temps are not trustworthy…
Simply not true! Most temp workers are decent, hard working law abiding citizens. Moreover, staffing agencies are required to do a comprehensive background check on applicants before than can send them out on job assignments.

Move Your Resume to the Top of the Pile!

Your resume is a powerful marketing device that can help you land an interview with a reputable company. In spite of this, your resume can get you an interview but you have to convince the hiring manager that you are the best candidate for the job. So in other words, if you interview well, your resume could actually help you get hired! With that said, your resume tells employers who you are and what you are capable of doing. Bottom line, a well-written one page (no more than 2) resume can open the door to countless opportunities. Move your resume to the top of the pile and win an interview by following these vital tips.

Target a specific job
Only target the job in the job ad. Nowadays, many job seekers have more than one resume they use when responding to job ads, depending upon the type of work they are currently seeking. However, no matter what resume design you choose, you should tailor your resume so that it matches the job you are applying for. You should highlight your core skills, any pertinent experience, and educational background as to impress your readers.

Insert keywords
Today, advanced technology enables recruiters to scan through hundreds of resumes within seconds to locate qualified applicants. A vast number of employment recruiters use the applicant tracking system (ATS) software to track and identify resumes that contain certain industry-related keywords that correspond with the job knowledge, skills, educational background, etc. that best match a job they need to fill. Thus, it’s imperative that you insert relevant key words in your resume. If you are not sure which keywords to use, simply review the job ad/description to locate recurring keywords.

List your hard skills
Your hard skills are mainly achieved through training and education. The company will list relevant hard skills and qualifications needed to adequately perform a job they are seeking to fill somewhere in the job ad. You will need to insert these skills in your resume if you want to get noticed by employers via the electronic scanning process. Some examples of hard skills are your career profession (accountant, teacher, scientist), related job skills, job titles, hardware, software, degrees, certifications, etc. Again, refer to the job ad to identify needed hard skills.

List your soft skills
You should list your interpersonal skills also referred to as soft skills. You soft skills are just as important as your hard skills in the scanning and selection process. Some examples of soft skills are organizational skills, communication skills, organizer, leader, coach, decision maker, conflict resolutions skills, facilitation skills, etc. Listing your soft skills will also help you get noticed by employers.

Include a cover letter
You should include a one-page cover letter with your resume. Your cover letter basically sets the tone for your resume. It enlightens the reader as to what they can expect to see on your resume. Simply put, your cover letter should persuade the readers to read your resume.

Do a spell check
Before you present your resume to employers, you should thoroughly check for misspelled words via your spell checker. You should check for grammatical errors as well. You might have another professional check your resume over for you before you submit it to employers.