For singers, actors, and other people working in the arts, a temporary agency can be a godsend. An agency can find you work for however long or short a period you prefer, fitting your flexible schedule and utilizing your skills. When you need to go out of town for an engagement, you simply deactivate with the agency, and when you return give them a call. It’s very simple, right?
Right?
Well, ideally, yes. Temporary employment agencies are bullish on singers and actors, and I half suspect Wall Street would come to a crashing halt if all the singers suddenly disappeared from the temp pool.
But there are a few bottom lines in the temporary industry that may or may not have anything to do with you or your skills. Some of those may come as no surprise; after all, temps are a business product, just like anything else. But others may be a little shocking to those less familiar with the industry.
I worked as a temp myself for a number of years before taking a position as an assignment manager, so I’ve been on both sides of the desk. Here are a few debunked myths from someone who went from a $5-per-hour receptionist to a $40K manager.
Myth #1: Temporary agencies will get me a job right off the bat.
Reality: Ideally, this will happen. I stress (and will probably mention this again later)–agencies DO want to get you out on assignments. Neither you nor the agency gets anything if you sit at home. You want a paycheck, and the agency wants happy client companies and their overhead paid. EVERYONE wants you to work.
But you may not be sent out immediately for a couple of very simple reasons–there may not be any jobs that fit you at the time you sign on, and you are starting out last in line for those that do come in. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people complain about signing on with an agency, and then not getting any calls right away. I said it myself; I signed on with my first agency and waited ten days for my first assignment. Point is, that call DID finally come, and I worked steadily from that day on, for two years.
Supply does not always match demand. You may type 110 wpm, know Lotus nearly as well as the folks who wrote the code, and be able to troubleshoot Windows 95 like a recent Microsoft expatriate, but if there are only jobs which call for phone skills and no computer, and which pay $5 per hour less than your stated minimum, you probably won’t get a call. This doesn’t mean anything but sheer practicality on the part of the agency. The lower skill level positions should be reserved for those field employees with commensurate abilities, and employees with high skill levels need to be reserved for the positions which will demand them. Why send a 100-wpm typist to a filing job? And after all, you did specify your wage range. It’s a calculated risk.
You may rightfully point out that you simply want a job, and money, and you don’t care if you have to file all day as long as you get a paycheck. But this is something to bear in mind if the phone doesn’t ring right away. And if you are truly willing to take any assignment that comes along, no matter what the pay scale, make sure and tell your assignment manager exactly that.
Myth #2: They haven’t called me in two weeks, so that means they will never call me, and I’d better sign on with another agency.
Reality: With most agencies your file stays active for at least six months, and unless you call to deactivate, you could be called at any time. Feel free to sign on with more than one agency. Though this will certainly increase your chances of getting a good assignment, and if one agency calls when you’re on assignment for a different one, all you have to say is that you are sorry, but you aren’t available at the present time. You don’t have to mention it’s because you’re working with another agency. However, saying exactly that isn’t always a bad idea. Agencies are very competitive, and if you let Manpower know you’re working for Interim this week, they might try to win you over with a cushy assignment. You come out on top, either way.
Myth #3: I can’t ever turn down an assignment, because they’ll never call me back.
Reality: This is at least partly true, unfortunately. You can’t afford to turn down everything, because eventually all those declined assignments will start looking as if you really don’t want to work, and the managers will look elsewhere.
All the same, at no time should you accept an assignment about which you have grave doubts, or which requires a time commitment you cannot fulfill. If you’re getting calls for assignments which do not fit your requested job parameters, call your assignment manager and ask why. It’s always best to make it perfectly clear from the initial interview onward what you will and will not do and what your wage requirements and acceptable locations will be. If you say “I’ll do anything,” then don’t be surprised when you are called for anything and everything.
Myth #4: Temping means starting a new job with a new employer in every assignment.
Reality: Although technically true to some extent, this isn’t really the case. You work for the temporary agency, not the client company. When doing temporary work, you are a contract laborer, sent out by the agency to fill a void for the client company. The agency signs your checks, and finds you new assignments. You represent your agency bringing the same talents and skills to each assignment. The only thing that has really changed is the venue. So if you’re nervous about a new job every day, don’t be. The name of the company may change, and the face of your job site supervisor, but your skills haven’t. That may sound facile, but give it some thought next time you face a new office on Monday morning.
Myth #5: Temps get the work no one else wants to do.
Reality: Yep. To a certain extent, this is no myth. There are generally only a few reasons why a company brings in temporary workers. First and most common, there is a vacancy that needs filling on a short-term basis (maternity leave, vacation, illness). Second, a project creates a short-term need for additional help. Third, for reasons of downsizing, a company may choose to fill positions with temporary workers instead of retaining employees.
In any case, it’s true that temps often get the scut work no one else wants–filing, answering phones, repetitive data entry. There is also the sense that your boss may expect you to already know everything that your predecessor knew, without having to tell you, and this can be pretty rough. Deal with it the best you can, and if the assignment is simply unbearable for whatever reason, call the agency and talk to your assignment manager.
