Anybody know any good NYC temp agencies?

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 6:10pm

As alot of you know, I'm gonna be moving in August and I will be needing to find work as an admin assist pretty quickly. If anybody knows any good agencies, I would really appreciate it.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 6:13pm

Merlin is really good--very nice.

Forum sucked. Very bitchy and impersonal.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 1:19pm

BUMP!!!

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 1:22pm

Many of the larger companies do not use temp agencies. They have in house temps...it can be easier as you can work in the same office doing different things.

Contact the HR department of several companies with corp. offices in NYC. The internet is a great resource.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 1:23pm

Borstal, try Wall Street Services. I'd give you private contact info but my contact there recently quit so I don't know anyone anymore, but they're very good, very reliable, pay well, and a lot of their jobs are temp-to-perm (and they really do come with the possibility of full-time employment!).
If you're an actor, don't fret; I was referred by actors, was doing it myself while working for them and they're very flexible.

[Love4Cheno]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 1:25pm

Also try Spherion. They work with a HUGE media conglomerate in NYC, so you will literally go from one temp job to the next within the parent company. It ensures that you will always have work and not be scrambling for assignments.

Also, they place temps in perm positions.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 3:03pm

Try Tiger Temps (downtown) if they still exist. They kept me employed for years when I first moved to NYC. They even gave me a referral bonus a few years ago when they placed someone I knew in a permanent position.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 4:41pm

Cool! Thanks guys!

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 6/8/06 at 1:45am

What are the pay ranges for each of the aforementioned agencies, especially for twenty-somethings with only a few years (if even that) of experience? My background is very administration/clerical/editorial/research-oriented.

I am in a similar situation to BorstalBoy. Moving to NYC without a job - my only real security is that I'm subletting with savings, so if worse comes to worse I could always leave or move into a cheaper apartment. (Still trying to figure out whether I want to concentrate on my writing there and just have a full-time job that pays for rent/food/entertainment, or get a full-time position in a writing field and continue to focus on my writing as a "vocation.")

Winston Staffing has called. I'm not so sure about them but, with weeks until my move, I'll probably follow up.
Updated On: 6/8/06 at 01:45 AM

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 6/8/06 at 1:59am

Oh, and BorstalBoy, if you're looking to be an administrative assistant you may just want to do some old-fashioned networking or apply to companies directly. I really distrust temp agencies. The only reason why I'm looking into them now is that it's better to temp, make money and then have the assignment randomly end than just be sitting around in a major city with no source of income. Even as an artist, I'm still all for the lame 9:00 to 5:00 job over having a budget of $20 for a week's meals.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/8/06 at 7:32am

Evelyn,
administrative jobs and the like have a pretty vast range here in the city. I've never seen a job (or know of anyone who took one) for less than $12 an hour, which is pretty bare minimum. I've worked jobs as low as that and as high as approaching $30 an hour.
Also, I know you said you distrust temp agencies but many of them are your best source of getting a full-time job. Many companies advertise their temp assignments as temp-to-perm. Some of them have no chance of ever going full-time but I worked for three separate companies in a row that approached me about going full-time.

[CJR]

Posted: 6/8/06 at 10:25am

Back when I was temping, First Choice Staffing was amazing at getting me work on a regular basis.

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 6/8/06 at 10:48am

Atrium. They offer health benefits and paid time off as well.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 6/8/06 at 12:26pm

I have never had a temp assignment that lasted its expected duration, and that's even with regular positive feedback. Haven't heard such good things about that Wall Street agency outside of here either.... I don't know. I guess I'm the kind of the person who would rather have two careers (one as an artist/writer and the other as a full-time employee at some company) than a job that's just a job. Employers tend to be more committed to people who come aboard expecting to move up the ladder.

I really advocate alumni networking if you're a college graduate. Actually, I'm thinking about subletting a different apartment month to month in NYC (if that's even possible) until I secure a full-time job - which may be fairly soon into my July move. I distrust temp agencies that much!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/8/06 at 12:37pm

"Also try Spherion."

They can get you jobs, but they really cheat you out of many things that other agencies have, like raises and paid holidays.

The fact is this: you may have to try several agencies before you get one that you like. As cynical as it sounds, remember one thing: temp agencies are pimps. They are only there to collect fees off your body sitting in a chair.

Look into Adecco. They are rated very highly in overall revenue. So obviously they are getting business.

[Illegally Blondish]

Posted: 6/8/06 at 12:38pm

If you register with a few, you're pretty much gauranteed steady work.

The Supporting Cast used to get me steady work and I only ever accepted pretty short term assignments.