GoodTemps Senior Vice President David Schoch was interviewed by AMNY.
The interview was part of a feature about temporary staffing in New York, published on Monday May 17th.
Read the PDF article at AM New York or view the full transcript here.
Temping: The best move right now?
BY LUCY COHEN BLATTER - lucy.blatter@am-ny.com
Think temp jobs are just for recent grads? Think again.
More companies - in more sectors - are hiring temporary employees to test out potential hires.
"Temp jobs are some of the first to become available," said David Schoch, CEO of nonprofit temp agency GoodTemps in New York and New Jersey. And even if they don't lead to full-time employment, there are benefits:
- Skills stay intact. Even when you’re not working, it';s helpful to keep your muscles working. Skills tend to atrophy when they're not being used.
- You get to know the right people. Temporary positions can give you a foot in the door with many top companies. Make yourself noticed so that employers remember you when it's hiring time.
- You'll gain confidence. "What goes on after a long time of unemployment is people lose confidence," said Dr. Mary Mulvihill, executive director of Manhattan-based Grace Institute, which offers a free job training program for women. Just going to work every day can make you feel much better.
- You can expect quick placement. Due to high demand for temporary workers, Schoch said, you can expect to be placed in a paying job pretty soon after registering with a temp agency if you have good qualifications.
- It's a good opportunity to try out a new field. You can test out the waters without making a long-term commitment.
- It can offer continuity. While some temporary positions can be day-to-day, many are longer-term. "A lot of government jobs run, on average, six to eight months," Schoch said.
Most promising sectors Mulvihill has seen large and small companies alike asking about temporary positions. She said she's seen a dramatic increase in demand for temporary positions recently.
Most of the demand for temp workers that Schoch has seen is in professional fields such as paralegal and engineering. With the summer around the corner, leisure and hospitality sectors are sure to hire more temporary workers, he said. Getting hired full-time While you shouldn't expect your temporary job to turn into a permanent slot, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to get yourself on staff. "Work hard and make yourself invaluable, so that it becomes hard for the company to do without you," Schoch said. "Be cooperative when they ask you to stay late or take a shorter lunch," Mulvihill said.
Source: AM New York