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What it's like to be a Temp

There’s a well-known skit on the sketch comedy show, Kids in the Hall, where the guys are all dressed as women working in an office. They joke about things like switching to decaf and what it’s like to work together, but there’s one character, Tammy, who they make fun of more than anyone else. She usually comes in and says something, walks out, and the rest of them say in unison (complete with rolling eyes), “Temp!”

Being a temp means you don’t really belong even though you’re expected to learn and do the job of the person you’re covering for rather quickly. You are technically employed by the temp agency, not the company you’re working for, so even though you’re required to follow the rules of the office, you’re not given an employee manual. You will never quite fit in with the rest of the employees.

And they won’t expect much from you, either, which can be a good thing if you like to be a bit of a slacker. Temps have a reputation of not really trying to do a great job, and why would you? Unless you are expressly told, “If you do a good job, we’ll ask you to stay,” you’re not expected to stay past your assignment parameters. So what’s the motivation to excel? There really isn’t one. You’ll get paid your agreed upon rate no matter how well you do.

For me, the above two items were hard to deal with, especially as this was my first entry into the workforce outside of my college career. As an introvert, I have a difficult enough time feeling like I fit in, so to be treated as an outsider is a mixed blessing. On one hand, I already know I’m an outsider, so it’s okay, I don’t need to try to fit in. But on the other hand, I have this people-pleasing side of me, so I want to fit in. I want everyone to like me, when really they’re thinking, “Temp!” Most people I worked with didn’t even bother to learn my name.

With my strong work ethic, I didn’t even fit in with other temps most of the time! I tried to work hard, to learn my job and do it efficiently. I was constantly surprising my supervisor on site, though I wasn’t able to stay in any of the jobs I worked permanently in for some reason or another.

Being a temp can be a great experience and opportunity for some people, as long as you know what you’re up against. If you know what to expect going into being a temp, it’s not that bad, and it can pay quite well, though you’ll rarely get any health or retirement benefits.