So my wife starts the temp data entry job.... any words of advice or don't dos to help with success?

[diabeticman]

is this a good chance this could lead to something permit or should she accept it as good experience and hope the next job is permit?

[etherealtruth]

1. No advice, just well wishes

[diabeticman]

3. Thanks.

[badtoworse]

2. She should be proactive about determining what her employer needs / wants and delivering it.

[diabeticman]

5. My wife said... "Understood, Sir".

[badtoworse]

6. Give her my best wishes!!

[diabeticman]

15. I will.

[hedgehog]

4. Most important - keep looking for permanent work, and if it is offered elsewhere , take it.

Also - if she isn't offered a permanent job, it's not because of anything she did or didn't do. It's because the employer has decided to get by with cheap temp workers and just hires a new batch every so often.

[diabeticman]

8. Thanks I will keep reminding her of that. She sometimes get so worried about doing a good job and

being perfect she ends up taking things personally.

[bettyellen]

23. never show it if your upset or freaking out, just take a deep breath and endeavor to find out

the right thing to do. Recheck any training materials or notes, so you aren't asking them twice. A lot of newbies kind of flail and freak out and come at you with 100 questions instead of making any attempt to figure it out (Google!) or ask the person in the next cubicle.
It's not a big deal if she has to ask, as long as it isn't every five minutes.

She should remain calm and collected, and strive to make her emails and questions, as brief as possible while being clear and concise. People often admit they do not read all of long emails! It is not personal, ever.

Be careful of office gossips, it's great to hear but... do not participate in any negative talk about co workers, even by saying anything that sounds like you agree with them. Have a couple of non- committal responses at the ready that are basically meaningless. My fave is " "That's interesting". Some places freak out about any negative talk, and need you to spin it into a "challenge" and not problem. It;s actually a nice way of looking at things, even if it is BS sometimes.

Captain Awkward has a amazing advice column blog (and a related forum for Friends of CA) and loads of interesting work issues have been covered there. She is an incredible resource for learning to communicate and negotiate with maximum clarity and effectiveness.

I am sure she will be fine! Much luck to her.

[femmocrat]

7. Sending best wishes!

She will do great!

[diabeticman]

9. Thanks

[oldandhappy]

10. Good wishes

and keep telling her she is wonderful!

[diabeticman]

16. Thanks

[BubbaFett]

11. keep your head down

and watch your six.

[diabeticman]

17. said; "Roger that!"

[NCTraveler]

12. Best wishes to both of you. nt.

[diabeticman]

18. thanks

[NightWatcher]

13. You still gotta wear pants on Casual Friday

[diabeticman]

19. Thanks. She enjoyed the laugh.

[dilby]

14. Basic stuff, do a good job, be attentive and most important be social and make friends.

Obviously don't be too social or friendly but it's good to make contacts that can be used for networking and finding another job later.

[diabeticman]

20. Thanks.

[seaglass]

21. I got the job I have now starting as a temp. It was just good luck that they ended up opening a

project manager position and I got hired.

I did get hired in to do admin stuff. I would suggest being upbeat, friendly and staying out of ANY office drama. Work hard, take notes in the beginning if needed. If time permits, volunteer for extra duties. If any of the duties require using the written word - don't forget to spell check.

If she is offered a permanent position, keep in mind that the temp agency makes a lot of money from staffing so she should ask for more money than what the temp agency is paying her.

This is also her chance to see if she likes working for the company. I worked 2 other short term temp jobs before the one that got me hired and I would not have wanted to work in either of the other companies. It would have been tough turning them down (financially) but I hated the work and the environment was sterile and boring. She needs to at least start off happy.

And congrats to her!

[Daemonaquila]

22. Good luck, but don't expect to be hired permanently.

I worked temp for years while going to school, and learned how to make it really pay. I did the occasional secretarial or data entry job, but most of the gigs involved anything from executive assistant work to database design to a defense department audit with security clearance at a defense contractor. However, the one thing I never took seriously was the suggestion that a job might be "temp to hire." Virtually no company hires a temp for that purpose. They either need someone while an employee is away, or they're a company that has a particular project that needs a chunk more temporary contractors, or they're flipping their workforce like toilet paper, and they value their contractors about as much. The fact is, an employer has to pay the temp agency a hefty sum to hire on one of their temps. Virtually no company is interested in doing this. If they're willing to pay a finder's fee, it will be for a higher-level employee, and they'll use a recruiting firm not a temp agency.

She should make sure she signs up with multiple companies, expects temp work only, and shines (great attitude, study up on software outside of work if needed, no drama, show initiative, etc.) so that she'll become a favorite of her agencies. If she learns to play the temp game well, she may do better as a temp than as a permanent hire - and have more fun and variety in her life. If she wants a permanent job, she should be looking for one, and definitely not expect one to come out of any gig she gets through an agency.

[Aerows]

25. I did that too

while I was in college, and I got sent to anything and everything. My temp agency loved me so much THEY hired me after a year as an interviewer/staffer. I worked for them for a year before I graduated. I learned a HELL of a lot about how to be good employee, about business in general, and what makes people hire you.

It has served me very well. Truthfully, though, my mother taught me a lot of that stuff, too.

EDIT: Oh, and if you are sent to a job where the employer treats you like shit or makes you uncomfortable, that's why you are there. Do your assignment as well as you can, and request another one. The temp agency can charge that company even MORE because they treat their employees like shit, and you hopefully get a better assignment. I don't mean whining about every little thing, but getting screamed at (or even worse, getting dragged in to witness the boss verbally abuse another employee - I left that day, told the agency why even though that company wanted to hire me on the spot) or an environment that is downright dangerous (the employment agency is responsible for your insurance, not the company itself, they don't want you injured!).

[Aerows]

24. Normal stuff

Dress professionally (no need to overdo, but don't underdo), be polite, smile, get the job done and show enthusiasm for the job.

[cordelia]

26. Best wishes

Be on the lookout for more permanent employment. It never hurts anyone to be looking.

Be polite and professional.

And try to manage expectations. This may not be The One, but that will happen later.

She sounds like a good worker and a good person.

Good luck!