Monthly Career Development Newsletter

For Connecticut CPCU Members January, 2008

Temping Made Simple

By Matthew Clifford

When the dot-com bubble burst, every one felt it. Big companies downsized. Smaller companies tightened their belts. And some job-seekers felt they had no choice but to accept terms of employment without complaint or collect unemployment. Others, however, decided to go solo. And those who didn’t get into freelancing decided to give temping a try.  
 
The benefits of temping are obvious. You can achieve an immediate cash flow without having to wait through a lengthy hiring process; test-drive different careers paths; gain hands-on experience--in some cases, free training--and build a network of contacts. Millions of workers, at all stages of their lives and careers, and for a variety of reasons, temp, and the majority do so without any clear plan beyond generating income. Most temp out of necessity; however, necessity and opportunity are not mutually exclusive.Lynne Barton is the Director of Test-Taker Services for Higher Education at Educational Testing Service. Her department provides customer services related to the Praxis, TOEFL, and GRE exams. She described ETS as a “metrics-driven organization”—a fitting assessment of what is probably the best-known producer of testing materials in the world. Barton described key performance indicators for temps, ranging from basic attendance and punctuality to generating a sufficient quantity of emails per hour with accurate information in response to customer inquiries. She looks for a temp “who comes in with a strong skill set, a willingness to be flexible, and to meet the challenges we have; someone who will invest in becoming a subject-matter expert.” Seventy percent of her staff worked initially as temps. “When a full-time position opens up, temps are some of the first candidates.”Not every organization is prepared to measure the performance of temps so systematically, but this does not mean that your work will be invisible. “Many firms use their temporary workforces as a rather blunt instrument for balancing labor supply and demand,” observed Chirag Mehta and Nik Theodore of the University of Illinois at Chicago, in a 2001 paper. “Firms have turned to temporary staffing agencies to . . . remove constraints that otherwise limit the ability of employers to independently carry out flexible staffing strategies on a large scale.” Whatever the specifics of your temp assignment, one thing is guaranteed: you are there to solve a problem.  
 
One of your main priorities as a temp should be to develop a clear idea of how you can help to solve the problem, and then to demonstrate your commitment to doing so. It may not be glamorous, however, as you may be called to address a backlog in filing, a peak period for customer service, or just a general need for help around the office. Keep in mind that doing an excellent job with what you may perceive as menial tasks often leads to more rewarding and challenging projects.Even the most basic task can be an opportunity to demonstrate your competence and dependability. A good attitude in the face of adversity will not go unnoticed. “Show them exactly what you can do. Be available. Be flexible. Be accommodating,” advises Barton. “Don’t hide your skill set. As a temp, you have an audience; that is your time to shine.” A seemingly low-level temp assignment can in some ways be more valuable than a higher-level job interview. Barton described one memorable temp who was hired to work on a teaching licensure program. On her own time, this person conducted an in-depth analysis of the program’s Web site, and created a PowerPoint presentation that discussed how the site could be made more user-friendly. She is now a full-time employee.“Your supervisor may have a copy of your CV, but it's likely he hasn't had the time or the inclination to look at it. Take a moment to write up a brief, half-page memo describing the types of things you can do for the company,” writes Jim Vogt, Career Coach for MonsterTRAK, Monster.com’s online career resource for college students. In case someone inquires about your career plans, Vogt also recommends preparing a ‘mini-commercial,’ or the so-called elevator-speech. “You should be ready to respond with a 15-second ‘advertisement,’ so the person quickly understands what you want and what you might contribute, whether to his company or someone else's,” advises Vogt.  
 
Workplace conflicts can take myriad forms, and the ability to deal with conflict is an indispensable skill. For temps, uncertainty comes with the territory. Keep in mind that a conflict for you can be a conflict for someone else, too. “Try not to judge your new coworkers too harshly if they are cold or stiff with you. You may have dropped unwittingly into a major downsizing or shift in company employment,” caution Emily and Peter Post in The Etiquette Advantage in Business. “Keep your antennae up, and respond when someone makes a friendly overture.” Accepting a coworker’s offer of assistance, even if you don’t especially need help with a task, shows collegiality and respect for the knowledge and experience of long-time employees.Look for common ground. You might like to have a clearer idea of how long your assignment will last, while your supervisor would surely like to know how long she can depend on funding to keep you on board. Many people seek temp assignments primarily for the flexibility, while companies generally need a degree of dependability. “You might start out with 15 people on day 1, and you need to make sure you still have 15 people on day three of a project,” says Barton. Don’t be afraid to ask questions: you will be doing yourself and your supervisor a favor.  
 
Keep in mind Peter Vogt’s “Temp Commandments.” (The full version can be found on Monster.com). 
 
1. Thou Shall Accept Various Assignments 
2. Thou Shall Keep in Mind Thy Reasons for Temping 
3. Thou Shall Go Above and Beyond the Call of Duty  
4. Thou Shall Get to Know Many People and Departments  
5. Thou Shall Seek Out Extra Assignments  
6. Thou Shall Promote Thy Skills  
7. Thou Shall Ask Questions -- More than Once if Necessary 
8. Thou Shall Always Keep a CV to Hand 
9. Thou Shall Prepare a "Mini Commercial"  
10. Thou Shall Stay PositiveThis newsletter is sent to you courtesy of Travelers.