Instant Interviews: 101 Ways to Get the Best Job of Your Life

Chapter 77. Accepting Temporary Assignments

It's natural to instant while you're on a temp assignment!

Temp services have historically sought jobseekers interested in short-term or part-time employment. Many are actively interviewing for regular jobs too.

Office support and factory openings were the original temp market. But their services have now fully expanded to filling technical, executive, and professional openings everywhere at every level. It's not unusual for these temp assignments to be full-time for years.

Most of the services dispatch their employees and charge the client on an hourly basis from the time cards submitted. The temp is paid an hourly rate too (obviously lower than the billing rate).

The service is responsible for all payroll deductions. Many offer additional benefits and bonuses for their employees. To some clients, the temp markup is worth not having to interview even for otherwise full-time employees.

A temp assignment gives you a no-obligation look at offerors that no other way can provide.

Here's an example of an assignment that worked into a direct hire:

A business decided to upgrade its computer system so a large accounting department could be reduced. The manager of IT called a contract service (another name for a temp service that places nonclerical employees) for a three-month systems analyst assignment.

The jobseeker was at a regular gig. He learned the instant interviewing techniques and was having so much fun getting offers that he wanted to do that ...