Posted on: Monday, July 12, 2004

Benefits of temp job can be long-lasting

By Carol Kleiman
Chicago Tribune

With the temporary job market picking up more quickly than opportunities for full-time positions, job seekers are beginning to pay more attention to this important option.

"Temporary employment has been growing ... since April 2003," according to Terence Adderley, chairman and chief executive officer of Kelly Services Inc., a staffing firm that includes temporary services.

Based in Troy, Mich., Kelly has 2,500 offices in 26 countries.

"This improvement has been seen across virtually every business line and geography," Adderley said.

And doing temporary work until you can get a full-time job makes sense, according to Kelly Starr-King, vice president of operations at Drake & Co. of Madison Inc., a Wisconsin staffing firm that specializes in temporary work and direct hires.

"Temporary work gets your foot in the door and gives you exposure to potential employers and to helpful contacts — while being paid," said Starr-King, who has worked for the family-owned business since 1984.

Before taking her present job, she worked for staffing firms doing temporary assignments as a general office worker until she found a full-time job.

"I had left my previous job selling office supplies without having another job and was a temp until I found another in sales," Starr-King said. "It was an excellent opportunity."

Acknowledging that temp work pays less than a full-time job and usually offers no benefits, Starr-King encourages job seekers to "look beyond the dollar mark. Temp work is an excellent opportunity, and the regular income you get also is helpful. It not only keeps your skills from getting rusty, but training by the agency and on-the-job training are invaluable."

And even if you accept a position below your present level, as she did, it's still worthwhile.

"If you have good references, you will get your foot in the door," she said.

A temp position could lead to a full-time job, the executive says.

That's the positive side of temp work, but Starr-King, who has a staff of 14, has some caveats.

First, ask about the staffing firm's billing structure. She also advises job seekers to check out the terms and conditions of employment, in particular what your obligations are to the staffing firm if the company wants to hire you full-time.