By Diane Zack, RDH
Sometimes it seems there are as many reasons people look to temp as there are people looking to temp.
Some of the more common reasons people choose to temp:
• They are between permanent jobs.
• They are working, but looking to change jobs.
• They want to explore a new specialty.
Temping is a great way to get to know an office without making a commitment on a permanent basis. You will get to see most of the skeletons hanging out in the break room very quickly. You will be able to determine if this is an office that you will fit into or if the unique personality of this office (as each one has) is not a good match to you and/or your skills.
• Family commitments — Perhaps your child care is dependent on another family member's work schedule that fluctuates. Or maybe you have elderly parents, who are dependent on you when they need to schedule appointments. While temping, you only commit as far ahead as you are comfortable doing so, and we place you accordingly.
• School schedule — You may have a school schedule to consider � either yours or your child's. Perhaps you have gone back to school to take courses, or you want to be off when your children are on vacation, or you want a reduced day schedule. Perhaps you have a babysitter who is available when school is out and you want to pick up extra time. Calling with your available or unavailable time is your choice when temping.
• You may want to supplement another career.
• An unexpected or seasonal expense may come up when you need to supplement your income for a finite period of time.
Whether a car repair, Christmas shopping, or the wish for a nicer vacation, unplanned expenses will come up. Sometimes the best way to finance them is to pick up a little extra work for a while. Maybe a family member was laid off and you are temporarily the breadwinner, but you don't want to commit to these extended hours permanently.
These are some of the more common reasons people choose to temp. There are many others. What's yours? There are even cases where people should not temp. Stay tuned. Next month we will discuss not being a candidate for temping.
Diane Zack (Seigal), RDH, is the owner and president of RDH Temps, Inc., New England's oldest and largest dental personnel placement agency (founded in 1980). The company places temporary and permanent dental hygienists, receptionists, assistants, and dentists in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. A graduate of Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists, Diane received the Esther Wilkins Distinguished Alumni Award in 2006. She is a past president of the Massachusetts Dental Hygienists' Association and serves on a number of committees for the Massachusetts Dental Society.
Visit www.rdhtemps.net for more information.
