Cut All the Code Talk...What's Really Going On?

For those of you keeping track of me, you probably noticed my Internet behavior starting to get a bit weird around Friday or so.  Plus, some of my stats haven't been giving too many specifics.

"Life changes...twists and turns...."

WTF?

Three words:  Tempin' Ain't Easy!  Especially for someone who is used to stability and steady ends always coming in....

I haven't had a FULL TIME gig since early last year.  I have signed up with a number of temp agencies.

One (I won't get nasty and reveal names) put me on an assignment where they knew I had no experience in the job I was performing.  Sure, I got all of the technical/background stuff down pat, which the company spent a lot of time on...but only spent a couple of days training on the actual mechanics (job/how it was going to go). 

Needless to say, the first day proved to be a little much; I requested to be taken off that assignment (which was granted) and to be placed on a new one (which they didn't grant). 

I found out I wasn't the only one they had done this to. 

So I stopped dealing with that particular branch of that agency.  I did try signing up with them but at a different location, but was not surprised when I didn't get a follow up.

Then, there was another company I signed up with.  I thought the questions they asked were a little strange; they constantly asked about marijuana use and stealing.  Guess they had a lot of that with their temp workers. 

They said I had to buy steel toe boots but they would provide gloves, hard hat, and goggles.  You would think I was doing construction work with the type of safety stuff they had.

I had to be at the location for 5:30 in the morning.  One would think since they were local, we would go to a local stop...but the assignment they had in tow was almost 40 minutes out. 

Some of the workers did not have transportation, so the company said the folks who had cars had to help to transport the ones who did not.  Someone asked if the company was going to reimburse the ones with cars...as far as gas money; all the guy said was "just get three dollars from each person riding with you." 

So I had three other people riding with me that I knew nothing about, going 40 minutes out to clean up after a fire.  Although I stayed on my P's and Q's, quite a few of the workers were getting talked at.  I didn't think it was necessary; they were human beings..just trying to get some quick cash, maybe because they couldn't find anything else.

I had quite a few conversations with some of the people who had worked there a while.  They were all miserable and trying to get employment with another company but hadn't had any luck.

The only perk to this particular temp agency was that you got paid the same day.  The drawback was that you only got paid minimum wage for work that you could get injured at.  Also, I didn't want to play taxi to other workers and not get paid directly by the company.  How did the company know the other workers had ends to give someone to put in their gas tank?

So to me, it just wasn't worth it. 


Around February, I signed up for this other company.  My representative is a pretty fast talker; I wonder if she even pauses to take any breaths sometimes.  The majority of the office jobs pay $10 and up. 

One drawback is that for the long term and indefinite work you have to fight it out with the other temps...the interview process, the whole nine. 

I've been on a few interviews and either the company went with someone else or the person the company was going to fire straightened out her act, so they decided not to fire her.

For the really temporary stuff, where assignments can last from one to six months, you don't have to go through the interview process...the rep just calls the company and say they are sending someone over.

Well, that is what happened to me the afternoon prior to when I was needed. 

I got a call about a company needing someone to help file papers.  My rep said she didn't know how long they would need me for, but definitely for Friday and Monday.

It wasn't as if I had another gig to go to...lol, so I was like, "Okay." 

(Besides, it wouldn't look good for me to tell unemployment I'm refusing work.)

I didn't realize how hard it would be to make my body start doing an 8:30 to 5 again (I haven't done a straight 8 to 5 before temping since 2001).  Nor how I had to get readjusted to being on my feet for eight hours.  I had no desk, so I am in constant motion, putting papers away.  My feet have been protesting; I've had to soak to take away the pain before having at it again. 

But on the bright side, I was at least productive for a few days.

Now I have to wait, since the company hasn't decided whether they are going to use me for the rest of the week; next week, I may have jury duty, so I can't really commit to anything for next week.

Deuces.