Temping meant working as a bookkeeper, secretary, stenographer, or maintenance worker. In the old days, temping was grunt or back-office work. It was tide-you-over, bread-and-butter work until you found a real job to boast about. It was, in short, very temporary-hopefully, 2 to 3 months at the most.
It's a whole other game these days. Temping has gained respectability. What's more, temp work doesn't actually have to be temporary. A temp position can last 3 weeks to 3 years. In this crazy job market, a temporary job can be more secure than many full-time positions.
Thousands of frustrated workers dumped by large companies because of across-the-board cuts have turned their backs on the paycheck culture and opted for a life of temping. They enjoy the lifestyle because they can stop and start work whenever they please. If you thrive on adventure, relish the excitement of testing new jobs, and enjoy meeting new people, temping can be a lot of fun. And if you're experienced in a high-demand occupation-accountant, computer programmer, medical technician, nurse-you'll find plenty of options throughout the United States. Depending on your field and skill level, the pay can be excellent. Most of the large, established firms pay competitive (or better) salaries.
The best part is temp firms are looking for candidates with your qualifications. That spells opportunities for workers 50 and over. Hundreds of temp firms across the country are begging for qualified people to fill temporary full- and part-time positions. Some economists project that in 10 to 15 years, the nation could be in a major bind trying to find qualified employees. Employers are finally wising up to the fact that older workers fit the bill. So don't doubt your marketability for a second.
Stay with me. I'm going to tell you how the sprawling temp world works and point you toward some mouthwatering opportunities. First, let's clear up any misconceptions by examining what a temp firm is and how it works.
DON'T CONFUSE TEMP FIRMS WITH EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES
Don't be embarrassed if you're not quite sure about the operations of a temp firm. Most people make the mistake of confusing them with employment agencies. When you understand the difference, you'll see why temp firm owners practically levitate when their organizations are called employment agencies. They insist upon being called temporary help companies or temporary service firms.
Employment agencies act as a third party, pairing workers with companies. Their fee is a percentage of the applicant's first-year salary. Once an applicant is placed at a company, the relationship with the employment agency ends. Not so with temp firms. Although you work at an assigned location, your employer actually is the temp firm, which is paid a commission or a markup on your hourly salary.
Pay? A temp firm marks up hourly pay between 20 and 35 per cent, depending upon your skill level. An accountant, computer programmer, or paralegal earns a lot more than a secretary or stenographer, for example. Some temps even earn between $20 and $35 an hour.
A VARIETY OF JOBS PLUS BENEFITS
To show you how far temp firms have come, many of the established players provide their workers with health insurance at discounted rates, vacation pay, profit sharing, and referral bonuses. For example, Adia Personnel Services, a 600-office firm, gives its workers $200 vacation pay after temping 1500 hours and $400 after 2000 hours. Even smaller temp firms offer enticing perks. Advantage, Inc., based in Greenwich, CT, recently started a profit-sharing plan for its 8000 employees. Workers are vested after completing 1000 hours.
Here are the basic skills that temp firms supply to clients.
- Office clerical-secretaries, general office clerks, receptionists, typists and word processing operators
- Technical-computer programmers, computer systems analysts, designers, drafters, editors, engineers, and illustrators
- Professional-occupations in accounting (accountants, auditors), law (paralegals and attorneys), sales, and marketing, as well as those in management (middle and senior levels)
- Medical-registered and practical nurses and technicians for hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, and home health care
I've saved the best for last. Here's some news guaranteed to whet your appetite. Temp agencies even specialize in placing execs. That could mean a job out there with your name on it. Executive Recruiter News (ERN), a newsletter covering the executive search industry, identified over 200 multimillion-dollar firms placing ex-execs otherwise known as executive temporaries or interim managers. ERN publisher Jim Kennedy has a wealth of observations about the executive temporary market. Here is a summary:
- More firms are offering temp exec placement services.
- More executives at all levels are pursuing temp work.
- More companies, downsized to the limit, need interim execs for caretaker management (to cover open positions), restructuring, and mentoring, and-perhaps the biggest area-for special projects.
- Professional-level temps will earn more than $1 billion this year and placement firms will generate about $100 million in fees placing them.
- Since 1990, the number of firms serving this market has grown from 40 to 205.
- Most firms entering temp exec placement in the past 4 years have stayed with this area and most experts see it as a long-term growth trend.
Take the hint and pick up a copy of Kennedy's Directory of Executive Temporary Placement Firms.
MAJOR PLAYERS ARE DOING GANGBUSTER BUSINESS
If you harbor doubts about whether the temp industry means megabucks, ponder this fact: The industry is-are you ready?-a $25 billion business. Since 1992, the Staffing Industry Stock Index, which measures the collective share price performance of eight publicly traded staffing companies, has been gaining ground steadily on the S&P 500 Stock Index.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 1 in every 109 jobs is classified a temp position. That translates to more than 1 million temp jobs in the United States, compared with 184,391 in 1970.
The temp work force is growing 10 times as fast as the permanent labor pool for a number of reasons. At the head of the list stands rampant and continuous downsizing as the most significant cause of the dramatic surge in the temp market. Forget everything you were told about job hunting. Bottom-line thinking rules corporate boardrooms. Why make a long-term hiring commitment if you don't have to? More and more companies are hiring workers the same way they purchase inventory-on a just-in-time basis. It means they pay for precisely what they need when they need it, without being burdened with benefits, pension or profit-sharing plans, and medical coverage. Temp firms are meeting this demand and they're doing a hell of a job. When you think about it, it's not a bad arrangement. Companies instantly find great people and workers are well paid for their talents.
If you're curious about who the industry superstars are, take a look at the 36 top temp firms in the United States. They're ranked by net income, starting with the biggest producer.
JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
I can read your mind. You're thinking, "Why waste my time temping when I want a permanent job?" Here's why.
Working at a temp job can be an incredible morale booster.
Even if you don't need the money, you'll reap psychological rewards taking a lower-level temp job until something more substantial surfaces. You're out in the working world every day. When you think about it, that's worth more than dollars.
Since temp jobs are generally easier to find than permanent ones (especially if you have the skills that employers are looking for), temping can be an immediate catapult back into the job market. Why wait around the house waiting for the phone to ring when there's an opportunity to jump back into the fray?
Temping is a made-to-order networking platform. Beyond constantly meeting new people, temping offers an opportunity to shop the marketplace for the right job. Similarly, many companies use it as a platform to audition people for permanent jobs. Although you shouldn't bank on a job offer, countless employers have asked temps to stay on, often in better positions than the ones for which they were initially hired.
Like nonprofit organizations, temp firms have no bias against job hopping. The more experience you have in a variety of businesses, the more marketable you are. Most temp firms encourage their workers to register with several temp companies. They deem it an opportunity to earn, learn, and stay marketable. Everyone profits.
NAME YOUR HOURS
Most temp firms concentrate on filling full-time temporary positions. However, depending on business conditions, they also get their fair share of part-time jobs. You're more likely to find these positions at big temp firms, such as Olsten Temporary Services and Manpower International Inc., two of the country's largest.
Manpower is testing a 24-hour service that specializes in part-time and weekend workers. Serving a large metropolis like New York City, which never shuts down, Manpower, has observed a marked demand for late-afternoon (second shift), late-night (third or lobster shift) and weekend workers. Law, accounting, advertising, and financial services firms, for example, constantly need people for brief, rushed deadline assignments. If the 24-hour service proves successful in New York, Manpower expects to replicate it in other major cities.
Take the hint: If a major player like Manpower is exploring this part-time market, assume that other temp firms will be jumping in behind them. Nose around and see what you can find. It's an opportunity to hold down two temp jobs at the same time. One may be an off-hour or weekend assignment, another a part-time weekday job. Without killing yourself, you can play the field and get a better reading on the market.
Don't spin your wheels by randomly calling firms that advertise in the newspaper want ads. The fastest way to locate temp firms is by checking the Yellow Pages under "Employment Contractors." You'll find quarter- and half-page ads touting their specialties.
WATCH OUT FOR THE BAD GUYS-AND ASK QUESTIONS
Without a doubt, the temp industry has cleaned up its act. Most temp firms are reputable and ethical, but as with any industry, expect some bad apples in the bunch. They're easy to spot.
Be wary of high-pressure salespeople promising the world and delivering little. Like they say, if it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is. To attract and keep talented workers, some temp firms promise impressive short-term jobs in blue-chip firms, without giving details. They'll fail to tell you they concentrate on supplying low-level office help-jobs you'd consider only if you couldn't pay the rent. If you harbor doubts or suspicions, ask questions.
Ethical firms hide nothing. From the outset, everything is spelled out-job location, responsibilities, pay, and length of assignment. Like any employer, the temp firm will issue you a W-2 form, rather than a 1099 form for independent contractors or consultants.
A W-2 means you're entitled to workers' compensation and unemployment insurance; a 1099 does not. If the temp firm says you'll be sent a 1099 and be paid in 3 to 4 weeks when the client pays its bill, head for the door. Not only is it a bogus temp firm, it's violating the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Use common sense and let your instincts guide you. The office setup alone tells you a lot about the operation. I'd have serious reservations if 1 walked into a makeshift, dingy office. Most successful temp firms are upscale, affluent operations emitting positive vibes. The reception area and office staff provides your first clues. If the waiting room looks like a bus station, the office furniture is made of cheap plastic, and the staff appears condescending, rude, or poorly dressed, make a speedy exit. Why contend with a sleazy outfit when there are plenty of reputable, professional firms delighted to have your business?
