Temporary Agencies Help Pay the Bills and Teach New Skills

If you're in need of money and haven't found the job you want yet, try using a temporary employment agemcy. Temp agencies can supply you with various filler jobs to bring in money while you still look for that permanent position. Some jobs offered by temp agencies are even temporary to permanent, meaning if it works out between you and the employer, the job can be yours permanently.

Most general temp agencies offer two basic kinds of jobs, office or light industrial. Office positions include mainly jobs working as a clerk for accounting, auditing, data entry, and other cubicle-based work. Light industrial jobs are factory-based, such as warehouse work, box packing, order pulling or inspecting items for flaws. There are a wide variety of positions available.

In college, to make ends meet, I took a variety of temp jobs. Trying everything from accounting to factory work, it was all a learning experience for me. It taught me how items are made, packed, shipped, accounted for, and how to do inventory. It was true hands-on experience in things I normally would never learn in art school. Working for a racetrack as a replacement accountant was really hard, but it taught me many useful skills. I learned to cut payroll checks, pay companies, and do all sorts of things that really don't come naturally to me. Working in conventions was another job that was useful; from learning how to set up, run and take down major displays to operating computers.

For more specialized positions, there are temporary agencies for positions like nursing, information technology and others. A friend of mine flies all over the United States and Caribbean as a traveling nurse for a temporary health employment agency. Check your local phone book or search the internet for agencies that may fit with your specific training and skills.

The drawback for being a temp is that you're always the new person whenever starting a new position somewhere. But, doing this also teaches you resilience and shows you different work environments. Some are comfortable to work in, others make you glad to get out of there by the end of the day. If you don't like the temp position, you can always refuse it. It's best to follow the job to its completion, but it's nice to know you can leave if you want to and ask to be reassigned elsewhere.

Some temp agencies will offer free training on different computer programs. If you are offered this, take the course. Paying to learn it is expensive, so let them train you. Let yourself try different jobs and make money at the same time. You don't have to do it forever, so use the time to peek into a different work world. Looking back on my former temping days, I am grateful for what I've learned, which has helped me progress my own business.

If you see a future in it, you can always stay at the position and make it permanent, if the employer agrees. If not, then move on and learn from the experience. Whatever the case, temping is not time wasted. When you find the job you want, knowing a few extra skills can help you out, no matter what the position.