Jun 11, 2008

BUSINESS MATTERS: Finding the right temp agency

By Mildred Culp / Daily News Columnist

Q: Dr. Culp,

How do I go about getting employment through temp agencies? Should I go through more than one? How do I review different agencies to select the best? Thank you!

Never Done This Before;

Want to Do It the Right Way



A: Dear Never,

Never say never. Schedule appointments at multiple agencies. Take your resume, but keep it close to your chest. You might want to revise it. Ask questions to see if you're a good fit: What industries do you serve? What occupations do you fill the most? How long do assignments tend to be? What do they pay? How much notice are you able to give your temps? How can temps help extend their assignments (i.e., help you make more money)? Do you offer temp-to-perm? If so, what kinds of jobs do they lead to? Do you offer training? If so, is there a fee?

After you get answers, restrain from handing a resume that says nothing about what the agency does. Say that you'd like to go home and rework it. They'll be impressed with your industry, particularly if you get the resume back to them within 24 hours and it gives them something to sell. Then, juggle.



Assumptions

Q: Dear Dr. Culp,

I was fired on my one-year anniversary for "performance." They said that the guy had to redo my work because of errors. When I tried to explain, the bosses wouldn't listen and assumed I was making excuses. A few days before, the man had told me that he had to make changes. Then he proceeded to redo the work himself. I don't know whether he told them that I'd messed up or whether the office manager near my office just assumed I had since he was redoing the work.

I also don't know whether he knows that they fired me because of this or whether he and the office manager wanted to get rid of me. Should I call him and ask him about it? If he says I didn't mess up and he wasn't aware of this, should I ask him to tell the boss and the office manager? I won't get my job back, but it might help in a reference.

Uncertain



A: Dear Uncertain,

No wonder you are. If you need a reference, go ahead and call. Back away if you confirm that there was a performance problem. Find another job at your earliest convenience. Say that your work changed after you took the job.

BLOGTIP

Found

If you've felt lost, this might be your moment to be found. No, you don't have to invest your life's savings in expensive testing. You might just pick up "How'd You Score That Gig? A Guide to the Coolest Jobs - and How to Get Them" by Alexandra Levit (Ballantine, $15). Instead of considering what skills you have, consider the kind of person you are.

Don't be afraid to think of yourself as a "data head." That doesn't equate to "nerd," in Levit's eyes. If you find yourself looking at numbers all of the time, consider this range of possibilities: environmental engineering, financial advising or urban planning.

Do people compliment you for your creativity? You might go into the culinary field, landscape architecture or video game design.

Does curiosity often get the best of you? You might enjoy archaeology, forensic science or antiques.

Levit finds direction through passions that drive your behavior so that you get both your head and your heart into what you're doing. Doing so is particularly important if you're highly skilled, with skills you could put on automatic.

In case you forget, start humming the old Marvin Gaye refrain, "It takes two, baby. It takes two, baby." You got it!



E-mail your job-hunting questions to Dr. Mildred Culp at culp@workwise.net. Copyright 2008 Passage Media.