How Temp Jobs Can Help You Survive (and Thrive) in Tough Economic Times

The article includes four surprising facts about how temp job workers fare as compared to others.

During these difficult economic times, many people are losing their jobs. When there are massive layoffs in a particular field, finding a new job can be difficult and may take some time. A temp or temporary job may be a good idea if this is the case. While you look for a full time job, you can supplement your income by working some temp jobs.

A temp job is a job in which you may work for a short period of time and may also have a limited number of work hours. Even those with a full time job may be interested in working in a temp job to supplement their main income. Most of us are feeling the economic repercussions of rising prices from gasoline, food, and other basic necessities.

When there is increasing unemployment, many people assume that there will be less temp jobs also. However, this is not the case. An employer may not be able to afford a full time employee, but he may still need someone to work on a temporary or part-time basis.

Sometimes you may be able to find a temp job in your own field of work. This is a great way to keep yourself working in the type of work that really interests you. It is possible that this job could evolve to a full time job in time. Some employers want to see what an employee will be like before they will commit to hiring someone full time.

A quick search on internet will provide many sources for temp jobs. A great way to start your job search is Craigslist (www.craigslist.org), where you can you search for temp jobs or full time jobs.

And if searching sounds like too much work, consider signing up for the temp job alerts list, which sends you a selection of the best temp jobs posted on craigslist and elsewhere.

Employers pay a base fee of $25/job to post an ad on the New York Craigslist. There are many other good job sources on the internet. You must be careful that the source is reliable. Craigslist has been around for some time and many people use many of the services that it offers, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t scams. However, when employers pay to post ads, they are generally less likely to be fraudulent.

If you still need some convincing about pursuing a temp job, consider the research article "Do temporary jobs improve workers long-term labor market performance?" written by Fredrik Andersson, Harry J. Holzer, and Julia Lane which can be found at http://www.voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/616. Four positive findings were:

• Temp job workers subsequently do better in the labor market.
• Temp job workers have a higher chance of subsequently working for higher wage firms.
• Temp job workers provide a productive stepping stone to more stable employment.
• Temp job workers can develop useful job skills.

Lastly, you may consider some common sense reasons for pursing a temp job. A temp job can help you feel that you are "still in the game." Your goal for a full-time job may take some time and involve some rejection. At the very least, your temp job may help you feel that you have something to fall back on. A temp job can have a positive emotional and psychological effect during a time of anxiety and uncertainty. In a way, you can say that all you need is a temp job and your goals. Just by trying a temp job, good things may happen.

Good Luck Job Hunting.
--Bill Rico for AllNY.com

• New York Temp Job Alerts - Best temp jobs in your inbox.
• Craigslist - recommended resource for finding temp jobs.
• Monster - Less temp jobs than Craigslist, but often higher level.
• Voxeu.org - Research on temp jobs and long term employment.