Working The Holidays

Posted by: Darlene Duncan, CWDP, JSS
Training Coordinator for
Training Initiatives, Inc.

The holiday season is gearing up and lots of places are looking for temporary help. Yes, I know you’re looking for a full time permanent job. The reality is that temp jobs can often turn into permanent and full time positions. How do I know this? Because virtually every temp job I’ve taken either turned into a full time permanent job or it could have, if I’d been interested. I believe attitude has a great deal to do with this. An example, I showed up at a temporary assignment and was being shown around by the woman I would be working under, when she asked me how well I knew Lotus 1, 2, 3. At the time I wasn’t sure, but I thought Lotus 1, 2, 3 was a spreadsheet software. And that’s exactly what I told her. Then she wanted to know how much Spanish I knew. I told her I could say, yes, hello, goodbye and friend in Spanish. Doris told me she had requested someone who knew Lotus 1, 2, 3 and Spanish. We finished the tour and I was thinking that she was probably going to send me packing, since I didn’t have either of the skill sets she was looking for. However, I kept smiling, showed an interest in the business and tried to get across to her that I was a fast learner. When we got back to the woman who was going out on maternity leave and who would be training me, Doris said, “Let’s see how you do over the next couple of days.” I filled in for the mother-to-be until her maternity leave was finished. She came back to work and I was scheduled to stay on for a couple of weeks to transition her back in to a full workload. At the end of her first week back, she quit to be a stay-at-home mother. I was offered her job.
The job I have today started out as filling in for someone going out on sick leave. The individual decided to retire and I was offered the position.
I could go on; however, I think you get the idea. In addition to the possibility of the temp assignment becoming permanent, being out in the workforce gives you opportunities to keep your skills up to date and to network.