For about 3 years, after I left college, I could not get a job in my field. I had no experience in supervision/ management and no one would hire me without it. I kept saying: How can I get experience if you won't hire me so I can experience?
The positions I could qualify for and which were readily available were in three areas. Aquatics: running a swimming pool and overseeing ligfeguards. No good, I don't swim. After school or summer programs, not as bad BUT part time and NO benefits, oh and a hour commute by BUS and then a walk of 6 city blocks to the center. Then there was concessions. I've only worked retail once (in high school at Baskin Robbins - another scary experience I may relate) and my cash register skills are precarious at best.
So the bills began mounting after a 3 month search for a non-existant living wage job and a move to a new city. Finally I spotted an ad that would lead me to start my "career" in the temp field. I worked for different companies: Kelly, Olsten, and Manpower. I got assignments mostly in office settings - doing receptionist work, typing, filing, photocopying, watering plants.
Olsten sent to a place where I was so bored (well, not really bored just underchallenged and without enough work to do) that I actually repotted ALL of the office plants: Afrtican violets that were spilling out of the sides of their cute plastic terra cotta colored pots, pothos with its amazingly long vines - I believe one of the plants was well over 20 feet long. They gave me one of the violets as a parting gift when they decided to re-hire their receptionist "temporarily" - she was on her summer break from college.
They also sent me to the worst place I ever worked - an HVAC shop. The office was dank, dingy and reeked of smoke. The office "ladies" drank coffee, complained loudly and I swear didn't do a stitch of work. And the boss, didn't bother to learn my name and called me "The Girl". It was also in a HORRIBLE neighborhood and several blocks from the bus - I had to take 3 separate buses and walk pretty far to get to the place. But the money was sweet and the service guys were always good for a laugh.
I actually liked working as a temp until I learned their dirty little secret. They are charging the customer about $5-$10 more than they pay you. Again with NO benefits, but with a short term commitment, I might not have to be stuck in place. It also gave me an out when one company wanted to hire me. There was some pettiness in the office that I didn't want to be a part of so I just said I needed the flexibility that being a temp gave me.
