Recently we covered the ways in which temporary employees can stand out to employers during their assignments, specifically on how to make a great impression and stay in the mind of management when it comes time for them to hire a permanent employee. You can read those tips here: Taking Advantage of the Temporary Assignment.
This week we wanted to continue that discussion. Know that you know what to do while you’re on assignment, let’s talk about what not to do! Here are our top four behaviors to avoid:
- Don’t Act Like “Just a Temp.” Approaching the assignment in such a flippant manner will not impress management, and chances are they will express just as much to your agency, making you a less-desirable candidate to send to their clients. Even if you discover on-site that the job is not what you expected, dive right in and show enthusiasm! Every experience has the potential to teach you something useful but you’ll miss those insights if you don’t take the job seriously.
- Therefore, Don’t Just Sit. Finished your assigned duties and haven’t been directed towards more work? This is not a time to pull out your cell phone (which, by the way, shouldn’t be on your person anyway!) but rather the opportunity to be pro-active and ask for more projects. Show them you’re a serious worker! This may not be your dream job, but again their satisfaction will be noted by your agency which means that your ideal assignment could manifest much more quickly.
- Work ALL Your Hours. There’s a rumor going around out there that some temporary workers (not ours of course!) make the mistake of thinking since they aren’t a permanent employee they can take a relaxed approach to fulfilling their contract, namely show up when they want. This is not acceptable and won’t look good to your agency. Be professional.
- Don’t Be Too Picky. It’s great to know what you want and what you’re working towards, and of course you’ll be more inclined to accept assignments that align with your plans, but don’t close yourself off from the possibility of growing other skills you might not be too interested in at the moment. Not only is networking an important factor in the job search, but you may discover other positions out there that you like even more! If your recruiter calls you with something a little outside your career path, that means they think you’re right for it. Explore.
Remember to take advantage of every chance you have to impress. Staffing agencies are looking for stars to represent for their clients and they take your career goals just as seriously as you do. Make sure to convince them that you are the real deal and you may find yourself in a permanent position a lot sooner than expected!
The Renoir Team
This is a really insightful post. Having been an employer who has hired many people over the years, I cannot tell you how impressive it is to have a temp or contract employee walk in the door and assume a persona says “I’m part of the team.” Those are the very people who I often asked to stay on in a permanent, full-time capacity.