Many people find excellent, full-time, long-term positions through their temp jobs. Temping allows you to make a livable salary while you size up the company or the industry prior to making a commitment.

Many temp agencies now specialize in particular career fields, and a new trend, "executive temping," has emerged in the last few years, allowing people with established career credentials to make a good income while filling temporary roles.

RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES

1. Call the agency to see if they need someone with your skills. Don't email them a resume unless they ask you to.
2. Register with more than one agency. Though you may end up working for one agency exclusively, you don't know which agency will start calling with jobs.
3. Dress and act professionally when you appear for an interview with the agency or for a job. Most agencies will test you out with a short-term job of a day or several days. If you show up, are prompt, well-dressed and learn quickly, chances are they will place you in jobs regularly or in a longer-term temp placement. (Some temp placements can be as long as three to six months.)

AGENCIES IN BOSTON

• Spherion Personnel
• Abbott Personnel Consulting
• Hollister Inc.
• Daniel Roberts
• OfficeTeam
• The Affiliates, temp law placements
• Professional Staffing Group
• Lab Support
• Micro Tech Staffing
  

AGENCIES IN NEW YORK

• Spherion Personnel
• The Hired Guns

OTHER RESOURCES

5 Tips for Finding Seasonal Temporary EmploymentFrom ResumeDoctor.com

Temping To Jumpstart Your Career
CampusCareerCenter.com

Access The Riley Guide
Links to some of the larger national temp firms.