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Working In The Temp World

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Bonnie Wooding

on December 3, 2009

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“Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun.”
– Colleen C. Barrett

I’ve been working in the “temp world” for the past few months, and much to my surprise, I find that I have been enjoying myself enormously.

I didn’t believe that I could temp for an extended period. I don’t enjoy the stress of not having a regular paycheck. But, I certainly have been enjoying myself in the short term – new people, new experiences, new skills to learn, opportunities to see how other industries and organizations work.

Right from the get go — the agency interview process and even the testing — the process has been stimulating and fun. I found out a lot about myself and my skills — what I have that is marketable, and where I need to upgrade.

It’s a very tough market, so I registered with lots of placement agencies, both for temporary work and for permanent placements. But, I did limit my selection to those that I already knew and those that were recommended to me by friends and associates. Even with being selective, I registered with 23 agencies. That means I had 23 interviews, 23 testing sessions and 23 opportunities to polish my story. And, every agency has information, tips, and tricks that they are more than happy to share.

I am now very confident I can “ace” an interview and have overcome any stage fright that I might have had. Some agencies insist on multiple interviews — a telephone screening, the agency interview and testing, and then the interview with the agency relationship manager, who confirms that you are a “good fit” for their client — and this is for temporary assignments, not a permanent job.

Companies now insist on interviewing you, too. For one three week temporary assignment, I ended up interviewing with seven people! It sure has changed since the last time I was in the market.

Another thing that has changed is that there are far fewer actual temp jobs — short term assignments where you fill in for sick or vacationing staff. Companies are not hiring temps for these things anymore. Temp assignments are for much longer terms now, as companies are using temps to avoid having to hire, especially during tough economic times. Most of the assignments I am offered are presented as “temp to perm” and you can expect to be there for at least a month or as long as a year.

The longer term assignments have allowed me plenty of opportunity to give the company a good look. I really wish I could have had this opportunity to check out some of my previous employers, before accepting the job offer. It is so hard to tell from just an interview. I have found that sometimes I just don’t fit — perhaps it’s the boss or my co-workers or even the company culture. By learning what I don’t want, I have been able to narrow my focus and concentrate on the type of firm, position, and boss that I do want. The job I want is not going to fall into my lap. I am only going to find it with diligent research, patience and unstinting effort.

Temping is a good way to keep yourself in the market, a wonderful way to display your skills to a prospective employer, and the money keeps the wolf from the door. Quite frankly, it is nice to be able to walk away from my desk at the end of the day. When you know you are only there for a short time, you tend not to bring the usual stresses and worries home.

Bonnie Wooding is a Guest Blogger with WTTC.com - The Meeting Planner’s Best Resource and the President of the Toronto Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), a not-for-profit professional association for admins, with more than 30,000 members worldwide.

Handling Career Challenges

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Bonnie Wooding

on October 15, 2009

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Career challenges are affecting people at all levels.

The bad news seems relentless and the fact is downturns are a recurring fact of life in all businesses. They can happen at almost any time in any given industry, regardless of the state of the economy as a whole.

I always have seen myself as “lead with the chin” kind of gal, but I have to admit, these past few months have been trying.

As a matter of fact, my chin is pretty sore right about now.

If I could pass on only one piece of advice, it would be this; sit down immediately with your budget and figure out how you can live on half the money you are making right now. It may never happen, but if you have a plan in hand, the decisions already made and the compromises agreed upon, then you are ready to deal with anything that may come along, without panic. You will be able to act quickly to minimize the damage.

I was amazed at how much we could eliminate without really changing our lifestyle too much. I read about people who have decided to go a year without buying anything new, some because of their concern for the environment and landfills, and others because they were trying to show their kids that there is more to life than shopping.

Being unemployed is another good reason to join in these activities. Many people have set-up barter clubs, where they trade items and skills. Some have established car pool Websites. They shop at second hand stores – recycle and reuse. Most have gone through their homes and anything they have not used for the past year is either traded or sold. It is excellent way of networking and you are helping the environment.

This is also a good time to re-assess your skill set. With which version of Microsoft are you familiar? Perhaps it is time to look at 2007? When was the last time you put together a presentation from scratch, built a chart in Excel, ran a mail merge from Outlook or Access?

Do you use styles on a daily basis? Do you create and use macros? Can you build a Webpage or manage a Website? And there are many, many new desktop publishing software packages available. When was the last time you learned a new one? It’s much too easy to forget how quickly technology changes because, of course, your company only buys what it needs. In the past couple of months, I have taken two online courses (Excel and PowerPoint) and I am looking at taking an additional three on Website design and maintenance.

It would appear that the coming year will be challenging for everyone. Make your plans now. Set down the ground work. Be prepared for the next change. Because, sure as shootin’, change will come. Ensure your next challenge is exciting and fun, because you are ready.

WTTC at IAAP Education Forum and Annual Meeting

Published

Andrew Maxwell

on July 23, 2009

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I’ll be attending the IAAP Education Forum and Annual Meeting this coming Sunday and Monday — July 26-27 — at the Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, Minn. Look for us at Booth #408 where you can view a demo of our Website and pick-up some free swag.

The International Education Forum & Annual Meeting is IAAP’s premier event with over 1200 attendees. WTTC contributor, Bonnie Wooding, will also be attending and reporting on the event with me. Stay tuned for daily updates (depending on the Internet connection).

Andrew Maxwell is a partner at WTTC.com.

Get a Plan …

Published

Bonnie Wooding

on June 3, 2009

in helpful tips and opinions

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Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced. —  Lucille Ball

We all need to plan.

Things rarely work out when you don’t plan. And planning is nothing more than thinking before acting.

Plan your tasks, your meals, your routes, your schedule and so on. A little bit of planning can go a long way to making your life less stressful.

All you free spirits who play it loose and fly by the seat of your pants. This is not excitement you are feeling. This is panic and exhaustion. It’s a well know fact that if you don’t plan, then all you can do is react. That old saying is very true — failing to plan is planning to fail.

We all agree we need a plan. Now what? Where do we start?

The best approach is to work backwards. Where it is you want to go? What is your goal? What do you need to reach that goal? What are steps do you need to take? List them out. Go into detail. Break down your plan down into the smallest steps possible. It’s easier to finish a small step than to complete a large plan all at once.

Figure out how much time each step will take and then build in a cushion. If you think it will take you one hour, give yourself two hours — or even four hours. This is planning for the unexpected.

Then take the first step. Stop procrastinating and just do it. Planning isn’t everything, it’s just the beginning.

Don’t forget to have fun. Now you have time for fun. You made a plan!

But remember, life is what happens to you when you are making plans, so be flexible. Have a “Plan B” … and C, D & E.

The Fine Art of Negotiation

Published

Bonnie Wooding

on April 21, 2009

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The “fine art of negotiation” has always been a challenge for me. I don’t know why, but the whole process has always made me somewhat uncomfortable – even embarrassed. I’m not sure why, but I presume it is a combination of being Canadian and being a woman (too polite and too nice).

Since joining IAAP, I’ve had the opportunity to learn three very important negotiation “truths” which have made the whole process a much more pleasant and profitable experience.

The first truth is that “everything is negotiable.” Y don’t have to simply accept or reject what’s being offered. You can ask for something different.

For example, you are in the hiring process and your prospective employer is telling you about the position. You can, if you want, let them know that you have additional skills and that you’d like to incorporate them into the position. Negotiate the position into what you want it to be.

Alternatively, if you are negotiating an event with a hotel ask if they have any specials or if discounts are offered. Hotels have catering menus and most are willing to accommodate your budget.

Successful people recognize that almost everything is negotiable, and that it never hurts to ask. While you may not get everything you ask for, you’ll be amazed at how often you get most of what you want.

The second truth is, unless you are absolutely certain that you will never, ever do business with or see that person or company again, negotiation should be a win-win proposition. Making the other party lose can have negative implications you may not want. By ensuring that everyone leaves the table content with their deal, you leave the door open for future negotiations. Building relationships are an important part of the process.

And the third truth I learned is to be proud of my “product” – to believe in the value what I am offering, whether it is my company, my association or myself. When you believe what you are offering is of value, you are free to extol its virtues and praise its desirability. Nothing is more convincing than a salesman’s conviction that his/her product is the very best.