How can I get a short-term job in NYC?

July 12, 2006 5:48 PM

How can I get a short-term job in NYC?

I am 20 years old, here until mid-August and having trouble (obviously) finding work. I've had some interviews at face-to-face canvassers and the like, but I want to consider other options. Any ideas to get me much needed money. I'll do anything.

posted by names are hard to Work & Money (5 answers total)

Have you checked the craigslist gigs section?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:04 PM on July 12, 2006

There are some pretty good temp agencies. Atrium worked out pretty well for me. If they like you, they let you come in early in the morning and sit there waiting for work for a couple of hours, and if they don't send you somewhere, you still get paid (a little).
posted by bingo at 6:13 PM on July 12, 2006

I second the temp agency suggestions. I had good luck with Kelly Services in the NY/NJ area. My tip is to call them daily at around 4pm. It will help remind them of you when they are scrambling to fill open temp positions by the end of the day.
posted by tastybrains at 7:14 PM on July 12, 2006

In Chicago, I went to a slew of temp agencies — I found it was surprisingly difficult even to get an interview/test with most of them, but had good luck with Kelly Services (though I ended up not taking the job they found for me, so can't speak to their behavior after hiring) and AppleOne, which has a New York office. From my very limited experience, it pays to impress the temp agencies — treat the interview as a real job interview, wear at least a shirt and tie if not a suit, etc. If you're don't have much work experience, it might be difficult to get in the door, but persist in trying to do so — if you can get the interview and show that you can play the part of a good corporate drone, and especially if you can ace the Microsoft Office tests they give you (which is not hard if you ever used a computer), your prospects are not bad.
posted by IshmaelGraves at 9:17 PM on July 12, 2006

I've had good results with the temp agencies mentioned above. But I've also had horrible results with each of those agencies... actually, almost invariably the horrible results follow the good results. The horrible results often start the second I've become an inconvenient person for the staffing reps to speak with. (As in, when a long term assignment ends and I need more work)

I would accept responsiblity for any negative career results related to my performance, but I've gotten excellent feedback at all positions I've worked. The truth is that the temping industry is cutthroat, and the higher level workers have to face the prospects of being underpaid and having unsteady work. It is common for a worker ending a long-term assignment to be ignored by their staffing agency following termination. It's also common for the client company to ignore your career needs and dignity, often terminating temporary staff in uncomfortable ways.

The moral of the story is that good short-term results won't at all indicate anything about long-term results. You should not count on long-term results in any circumstance - if you're trying to start a career with this move, continue to interview with other companies. Any permanent offer has priority over your temp assignment - and along those lines, give your current assignment up to a week's notice of resignation if you give any notice at all.

If you can live with that (you probably can), then the work and the pay are worth the effort.
posted by brianvan at 10:53 PM on July 12, 2006