Consider this picture: You are a worker for Labor Ready. You are there first thing in the morning. They open at 5: 30, you are the first to come, and sure enough, the dispatcher calls your name first. He sends you to the local newspaper (your favourite place to work anyway). Your job is an easy one. As the papers come down the conveyor belt, you are to catch them, pull them off the belt, and place them on the pallet. And when the line leader calls, “Card-BOARD!”–you are to grab a piece of cardboard from the pile in the corner, and quickly lay it on the skid. Then it's time to run back to the line and grab another paper.
This is about your sixth time to this site. You have developed quite a name for yourself for being fast, efficient, and punctual–essentially, a person with a good work ethic who is proficient on a number of tasks. Yet you did not earn this reputation by osmosis. There are some things you did to earn you that name, and continuing to govern yourself in the same manner will ensure you will keep it. Today I would like to talk to you from a very important topic, “How to Sell Yourself on a Temp Job.” Temporary positions do have a way of becoming permanent, if the decision maker at the company feels you'd most likely be a good fit for them.
First, when you are dispatched to a location, find out where it is, and how best to get there on time. Most managers value a temporary employee who can reach the jobsite on time, and is consistent in his or her punctuality. Unlike the Labor Ready scenario I presented at the beginning of this paper, most temporary agencies dispatch a few days before the fact. Should this be the case, it might be helpful to do a Mapquest search. Believe me, that piece of technology has been, for me, a lifesaver on substitute teaching assignments. Knowing exactly where I need to be and at what time will determine how I will venture to get there, how early I need to leave my house, etc. For the most part, I have been successful at getting to my destination on time. Punctuality is one of the main ways to demonstrate professionalism, and to show that you care about your place of work,and that you have respect for your boss and your fellow employees. I knew a nice guy who was a coworker who was lackadaisical about his job. He would come there when he wanted to, and then he would fall asleep. Sometimes he would come there over an hour late. Needless to say, he is no longer there now.
Second, please come there awake and ready to work. Get a good night's sleep the night before, so you don't fall asleep on the job!!!! This is just about the number one way to get DNR'd from a job site–that is, told to never return. Because believe you me, job site supervisors WILL complain to your temp agency. Your temp agency, in turn, may choose not to send you back there, or deny you further assignments anywhere else. I work on the weekends as a patient sitter for this nursing temp agency. There is a strict “no sleeping” policy there. If you are sent to a hospital,and found sleeping, you could indeed be sent home, and fired by your temp agency, especially if you are still on your 15-day probationary period.
Hey, temp agencies don't have time to baby you. The companies they send you to are their CUSTOMERS. The agencies' job is to keep THEM happy, because that is how they make their money, feed their families, and so on. You don't get to work for them because they are so in love with you. You are a worker. Your job is to render a service for them so that they may provide you with a paycheck. And as long as you do your job and do it well, fine.
Third, on jobs where production is the key, be sure you can keep up. Because sure enough, someone is in an office somewhere tracking how you're doing on your line. Are you folding the 1000 towels an hour you are supposed to be? Not only are you expect it to do it fast, but you must do it effectively. Perhaps the #1 complaint from customers to their agencies is that “Ken's just too slow. He's a nice guy and everything, but he's not a perfect fit here. Please don't send him back.” Hey, if enough temp agencies say you are too slow–you may find yourself not getting sent out very often. The important thing here is don't front. Dispatchers love having you be honest with them. If there is something about a job site that you are being sent to that makes you uncomfortable, then by all means, please say, “No.” If at all possible, don't go there, and bomb the assignment.
Fourth, be honest. Prove you can be trusted. You might say, “Well, Angus, that goes without saying!” No it doesn't–time after time I have seen and heard of too many cases where people have taken longer breaks than assigned, punched other people in and out, or punched in, went over their girlfriend's house, stayed until time to punch out, arrived back at work to punch out. Indeed, if you were working at my temp agency, your hindquarters would be tossed right out of the door!
Fifth one is–and I can't stress this one enough: Whatever you do, don't stand around. Because the belt slows down, it does not put you at liberty to just stand there and begin to daydream about tonight's episode of “American Idol,” or the girl you took out to dinner last night. Do something. Pick up a broom and begin sweeping during your downtime. Or, ask the boss at the site what he or she would have you do to help them. Taking on an extra task without being asked, indeed, shows one thing employers are always looking for: initiative.
And last, but not least, you must always prove that you can do the job safely. If your job requires safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, or whatever, be sure you have them on. That is part of being prepared and responsible. Such safety rules are in place for two very good reasons: First, the company is responsible to OSHA for maintaining a safe working environment. If OSHA doesn't feel comfortable with the idea that these standards are being obeyed–the supervisors can be written up or fined. Second, if you have an accident while working at a jobsite for a temporary agency, the agency may fire you to prevent you from extracting medical benefits from them. In the case of accidents that could have been avoided by glasses, earplugs, or steel-toed shoes, no better for that employee.
Following these steps will keep you in a position to obtain future assignments, not only from that company,but also from others as well. And when that company begins to hire at some point in the future–as they will–you will be at or near the top of the list for consideration. You won't have to initiate the process (and I would advise you not to, it's best that the company comes to you and offers you a position.). It is best to let your work record and ethic speak for itself. Your work performance is your best way of selling yourself.