Function

• Temp firms are employment agencies that match employers with potential employees who are willing to work short-term and temporary positions. They recruit, screen and interview potential employees, and prepare them to interview with the potential employer. Temporary agencies may also help negotiate contracts between temporary employees and employers. Some temp agencies may even be responsible for collecting payment from the company and paying the temporary employee.
  
  

Types

• Some temping agencies place all types of workers anywhere; others specialize in placing specific types of workers in specific places. First Call Medical, for example, only places radiology workers in California's San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties (see Resources below). Other temp agencies specialize in placing domestic workers, office workers and educators.
  
  

Benefits

• Many temping agencies offer their workers benefits. If the temping agency employs you (rather than the company for which you are working), you may be able to get benefits like paid holidays, health insurance, dental insurance, retirement contributions and vacation time.
  If you're unable to find a position in your field, working temporary jobs can also help you gain experience.
  
  

Potential

• Employers often offer good temporary employees a permanent position. Manpower, a worldwide temporary staffing agency, reports that up to 40 percent of its workers find permanent employment through its temporary placements (see Resources below).
  
  

Considerations

• Utilizing a temporary agency can help you secure a job quickly. Many temp agencies allow you to search through thousands of positions and apply quickly online. For people who are thinking about entering a new field, temp agencies can allow you to gain experience in a new field and determine whether you're truly interested in it. If you decide you don't like a job, you can finish your contract and try something new without it negatively impacting your resume.
  
  

Time Frame

• Temporary positions can be as short or as long as the employer requests. Some employment agencies, like ones that work with laborers, may represent employers that hire on a day-to-day basis. Other companies that specialize in placing educators, for example, may hire a worker to cover a more lengthy maternity leave. The time frame of a temporary position can vary from employer to employer and from position to position.