My Start Came with Temp Work

It’s been weeks since I graduated from college and I still don’t have a job.

We’re deep into June 2016 and I’m sweating hard from the summer heat, staring at my still-empty email inbox and still-not-ringing cell phone. I’ve lost count of how many jobs I’ve applied to but I know exactly how many haven’t called me back, which was all of them. Such is life when you have to compete with Ivy Leaguers and other heavy-hitters for that coveted thing called “gainful employment”.

I could’ve just started this post by saying “I graduated in May, caught up on sleep the entire month of June, and started full-time work in July”. While true, this would have been disingenuous to the constant pressure I felt myself shaking under to prove I wouldn’t be a failure, that I could become a desirable employee whose panicked work throughout college wasn’t all in vain. For the first half of 2016 I held out hope that I’d get a good job with my application-only strategy, that someone would see my potential and give me a chance. After a whole lot of NOTHING, though, I knew I had to change it up fast.

Finally, I bit my lip and decided to go into temping again. I should’ve done this from the get-go, honestly, but I didn’t because I fell into the trap of believing temp work wasn’t good work. Ridiculous thinking, especially because I’ve done it before. I knew already from last summer that temping could (and eventually did) pave my way to being Nice and Employed.

The Story of My First Temp Job

The summer between my junior and senior years of college (2015) I was struggling with finding an internship that would actually pay me not to starve. Specifically, I wanted a full-time work opportunity that would be fine with me only working until classes began. I had a copy of this book which suggest temping on one of the pages, and, in the absence of any more exciting options, I tentatively pursued it.

After reaching out to a couple of temp work places in May, only one of them got back to me right away, asking me to complete a test about my Microsoft Word proficiency and then go into their offices later on. I remember hauling my laptop to the laundromat because the wifi in my apartment was down (not sure why the laundromat, of all places, had Internet, but I was and still am so thankful it did). Once I completed the work they sent me an invitation to the office interview.

A few days later I wandered into their offices by City Hall, thinking it was going to be an actual interview. Instead I met the two very kind ladies that ran it and they had me fill out my I-9 form and other paperwork. I remember reeling at how quick the process was – in less than a week after reaching out to them, I had my placement at a quiet office in Charlestown.

It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with this role, where I was the receptionist for an association. It was close to the wharf where you had a gorgeous view of the Boston skyline, and where people walked what must’ve been dozens of dogs on a daily basis. My coworkers were a dream and I had a blast working for them.

Side note: this was also when I noticed just how little work receptionists can get away with. Seriously, I was just surfing the Web for most of the day with maybe an hour a day of actual work… and even that paltry amount was praised to no end. As long as you get that small amount of work done with a sunny attitude, you’re absolutely set.

The director even told me he would have hired me (brought me to perm) if I wasn’t going back to school. I left them a week or so before I was slated to begin classes again. Although it didn’t give me the learning experience I thought an internship would have, I did earn $600 a week (pre-tax) which would help keep me afloat and sailing into my final year of school.

The Story of My Second Temp Job

The association people put a fawning review of me in with this temp work agency, so when I came a-knocking after graduation they knew to set me up with a relatively prestigious – and new – client of theirs no problem. This was at a real estate firm where I did go perm, working as their receptionist and marketing assistant.

Looking over these words, I’m not sure I can quite convey how relieved I was to get this job. This new temp role would give me marketing exposure, paid more than the minimum wage, and was something I could put on my LinkedIn page as a “look! I CAN make my way in the world!” badge of pride. I ended up staying at that company for just under two years, which was, for the most part, awesome. The only sour parts to that experience was a bad manager (I called her Umbridge because she actually looked like Dolores Umbridge from the books) who was the reason I jumped ship before hitting my two-year mark.

Now I’m at Great Tech Company, which has showed me what it’s like to work for a truly excellent business. I couldn’t have gotten here without my entry-level job and, therefore, temp work. Three years later that gave me the base I needed to reach a $90,000 salary.

My Tips on Temp Work

If you’re interested in taking the temp-work route, I recommend you work with small temp firms, NOT the massive ones. In both 2015 and 2016 I had reached out to those large ones, with the shiny glass buildings in Beacon Hill and adverts plastered all over the city. The most I ever got out of the big ones was a short interview with a distracted recruiter. Despite the trappings of success I only ever witnessed neglect and unprofessionalism. I found my luck with the small ones; they’re the ones who see you as worth more than the paper your resume’s printed on. They’re the ones who actually care and will return your phone calls. Feel free to reach out to the larger ones if you want, but definitely keep the small ones a big part of your strategy.

Also, be prompt with anything they ask of you. The faster you can respond to their requests and requirements, the more impressed they’ll be and the closer you’ll be to a good job. Plus, this will make their jobs easier as they don’t have to wait to hear back from you. People remember that kind of thing fondly, and will hold you in higher esteem for it.

With that said, make sure you use “proper” English. I put “proper” in quotations because the language requirements in professional channels are arbitrary and snooty. They don’t like slang, abbreviations, or bad grammar; if most of your written communication is via texting (as mine is outside of work) you’ll need to adapt your skills for a decent shot at this kind of work. If it will take you a little extra time to perfect your language and grammar before sending back a response, that time could mean the difference between getting employed and staying stuck where you are.

Finally, express your gratitude and suppress your desperation. Most people, especially recruiters, can tell when you’re feeling afraid and insecure. This does cloud their perception of you and will make it even harder to break into a full-time, white-collar role. You don’t have to be the most confident person to ever stroll through their doors; you just have to be a person that can handle the work thrown at them. Once they see you as someone that’s capable, your appreciation will make you a shoe-in for the next opportunity that crosses their desk.

Have you tried temping before? Any tips from your own experience I should add?