Let's all do a run run run around! *longish*

[Gaudemeus]

I'm pretty steamed as the last forty eight hours have been just one long day for me and has all but killed my passion for construction and fabrication. But we'll get to that momentarily.

In our community there's this workshop being hosted by our workforce commission called "fast-track" welding. Which is basically a five week (16 actual days spent welding) crash course into welding. Great program for learning the basics of welding. Getting into the job market welding... not so much as you will soon learn.

For twenty four days all these people have told us is about how we can expect to get hired nearly immediately upon completion of the course. We learned how to interview, became OSHA certified, and studied and completed the basics of welding (GMAW for you who are curious). The last day of the "class" was a job fair. Four employers were supposed to show up. I won't name names so I'll call them.... Apple, Orange, Pineapple, and Pear. Only Apple showed up and their rep wasn't even the right guy and come to find out, he wasn't interviewing for jobs, as the Workforce Commission EXPLICITLY SAID they would and that we needed to go to a temp agency and that they'd hire out of there. Now... I know how temp agencies work and why Apple is only hiring out of the temp agency. So basically it was a day wasted as I'm not going to work for a temp agency. (famous last words)

Fast forward three weeks and somewhere around six applications later the Workforce Commission calls. Apparently Pineapple has filed for Bankruptcy and won't be hiring anyone on. And I tell them about my lack of luck in finding a job. Their advice? After all this work they've done for us? Go to Pear. So I go to Pear and apply the next day. Obviously, as I guessed, sixteen days of welding wasn't enough to become even a welder's assistant. But they're not willing to give up on me yet. There's a job opening in Assembly where instead of basic knowledge, I have no knowledge except for how to read a tape measure. Okay, that's cool. I'm willing to learn the ropes. Hook me up. So, he says alright, well, I'll need to do this and that to become employed. So guess where Pear sends me? That's right, a TEMP AGENCY! Okay, that's fine. They're hiring, I need a job. It's win/win. Right? Wrong. Here's where we get to the fun part.

I go to the Temp Agency. Fill out their application, basically become their whore to send out to whomever. And I need to take a drug test and a physical. But wait... the only woman in the office who knows WTF is going on has left for the day! Oh what to do? Eventually we work out where I need to go for the drug test, but no mention of the physical was made by anyone but me.

So, being the eager employee that I am, I rush over to give my donation to the cause and pass (of course) so I'm done for the day till tomorrow at 8:30am for orientation, which consists of safety videos. (OSHA Certified, remember? I have the documentation, but whatever. It's policy for them, a refresher for me).

So I wake up this morning at 6:30am as I usually do, take my shower, eat some myriad of cereals since there was hardly enough for a bowl spanning three boxes of different... continuing on... at 7am my phone rings and this is the conversation that follows:

Me: Hello?

TA: Yes, this is -bleep- from Temp Agency. We need you to come up here as soon as possible, we have a job lined up for you.

Me: Wait... is this for Pear? Because I was supposed to come in today for orientation and go to work for them.

TA: .... OH that's right. I forgot all about that.

Me: *Thinking: I was just in there YESTERDAY!* Yeah...

TA: Well, we still need you to come in anyway, I'll call Pear and ask them when we can get you started.

Me: Okay. Bye.


Now, it was at this point that I began to think "You know... maybe I should get out now while there's still hope for my soul." But did I listen to my Obi-Wan? No. I went and ended up having to sit through orientation, which was interesting as apparently:

TA: Now, I know this'll sound mean but if we put you somewhere, and you don't like what you're doing, you can't just not show up. You HAVE to stay there until either the job is finished or we find you a replacement. So if you don't like the job, tough.

-----

It was at this point my inner rebellious teenager come out and thought "Tch. Oh! We'll see about THAT!" And beyond that it was needless to say that I was less than enthused with her attitude about their business. Now, it was getting on to about noon when things began to wrap up and she apparently had called Pear and told them that I'd be there by one. Am I going to get to eat at any point during the day? It's been a few hours since my last meal. Why yes, I get to eat on my way to Pear.


When I pull into Pear for the second time in less than 24 hours, I begin to think that maybe things are beginning to smooth out. But of course my Obi-Wan told me to be mindful of my feelings, and as it turns out, he was right. I was there for all of an hour (from one till about 2pm) and it was decided that half a day would give me and my lack of knowledge nothing to do other than become a fifth wheel and possibly a broom jockey. And as I have plans for tomorrow and they only work half a day on Saturday that it would probably be best if I just went back on Monday.

Now there are two VERY important pieces of information that up until that very point in time NOBODY would tell me. And that was what hours I'd be working and how much I'd be earning. In fact, other than being told to go hither and thither I really had no idea what I'd be doing anyway... still don't.... BUT I found out that by being sent to the Temp Agency I was sent to, instead of the 11$/h I could be making at another Temp Agency, I'd only be making 8.50$/h with my current TA. Imagine my... annoyance. And that the other employees that are being sent to them from my TA are always being called away for other jobs. Apparently the woman whom I've been dealing with is what they like to call an "airhead". Remember my call at 7 in the morning? Apparently that happens a lot with that Temp Agency.

So, basically, after five weeks of class, and two long days of running back and forth (These places are spaces so far apart from each other, and with the cost of gas....) and being given the run around.... I'm fed up with the whole situation. I mean... I'm sure that this is commonplace in many situations, and I understand the need for all of this, but come on people... get your act together. The Temp Agency doesn't know WTF is going on. I'd like to know what hours I'm working and what the pay is BEFORE I head out to a job, and not when I get there and get my check the next week and Pear... Well... Pear is the innocent in all this as far as I'm concerned. And the Workforce Commission. They all but swore bloodoaths that these jobs would just be FALLING into our laps, when in reality the training we received was inadequate at best and that nobody seems to keen on even hiring us. People gave up their jobs to do that workshop and put their faith in the Workforce Commission under their false promises that the employers would be falling over themselves to get us when we were done.

I'm going to call the WFC tomorrow and ask them "Am I legally bound to you guys to get a job? Because if not, then don't bother me again." And I'm just not going to bother with the Temp Agency anymore, I mean, they'll probably forget what happened today and try to get me to come in tomorrow for orientation again, I mean... after all it was this morning. And it's been a long day.

Am I wrong in wanting to basically tell these people to shove it? I gave them fair enough chance and pissed away nearly three months of my life in which I could've had a less than agreeable, but steady job instead of being jobless. Well... it doesn't matter if I'm wrong or not, because I didn't want to dick around with a temp agency to begin with and now look at me. This is what happens when you don't listen to your Obi-Wan.

[protege]

Things like that are *exactly* why I refuse to deal with temp agencies. Too many idiots to deal with, too many empty promises, and too much wasted time.

[Andara Bledin]

I have no idea what the workforce commission is, but if it's anything like California's labor training subcontractor, it's utterly worthless.

My brother got himself certified with the full Microsoft suite, including Access, and they couldn't manage to fulfill the rest of their contract and get him a job.

Temp agencies are all different. Some are great, some suck, and some vary depending on what day you show up. A lot of companies are outsourcing their hiring departments and just going through the agencies. A place down the street from my work has a sign on the door with who to call if you want to apply with them.

Since you're getting such lousy service out of the temp agency that Pear sent you to, you might want to let Pear know how badly their wasting their money, and how incompetent the agency is.

^-.-^

[powerboy]

I had to deal with 4 temp agencies. I will list them in order.

1. Never did bother to help me get a job. The receptionist had an attitude with me, about my resume'.
   
2. Found me 1 job, and at the job, I ruined a good dress shirt, dress pants & dress shoes. And it was only for a day.
   
3. Worked for about 3 weeks, before I moved back to California
   
4. And the last one, never did send my resume to the factory job, like they said they would. I had to keep going back to do something and/or check up on the resume.

I hate going through the Temp Agencies. I hopefully never will again.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

And me to the list of people who will not deal with temp agencies if at all possible.

When I applied with them when I was looking for a different job, I made sure to list all the various software programs I had a working knowledge of, took their typing tests, and made it clear I was looking for an office job.

Among the agencies I applied with, they found me only one job--installing CCTVs. Hello? Where on my application does it say I know how to install closed circuit televisions? Did you even read it?

Because there are no jobs around here to speak of, I never heard from them again and that's probably a good thing if they only job they can find for me is something I have no clue how to do.

[SuperDan]

Among the agencies I applied with, they found me only one job--installing CCTVs. Hello? Where on my application does it say I know how to install closed circuit televisions? Did you even read it?

You must have been in a Philadelphia that day. But you can make the best of a Philadelphia. Tell them you only know how to install CCTV systems and they'll put you in an office.

And may your next day be a Los Angeles.

For those who don't quite get it, The Philadelphia is a short one-act play by David Ives.

[Andara Bledin]

I had decent luck with the temp agencies I worked with.

The one that did the best for me closed their California offices, and I can't even remember their name.

And the one Nekojin signed up for (Benchmark, for the office side in addition to the physical labor side) got him a job immediately that he's been at for three months, now.

^-.-^

[Starlord]

response to run around

Just be glad you didn't get involved with an employment agency I went with in Indianapolis once.
You signed up with the employment agency, which would 'match you up' with jobs and send you to a jobsite with a recommendation. If you were hired, you agreed to the agency receiving half of your pay for the first month.
What you were not told, and the agency attempted to deny when confronted, was that the agency and the jobsites had a kickback deal going. The jobsite would pay the agency $500 for the agency sending a body, then the body would be fired for some reason or another after 30 days. Thus the agency raked in half of your pay plus the kickback. They would send you to another job, and it all started again. I got wise pretty quick and got out of the trap. About two months after I quit, I saw an article in the paper that the agency had been closed by the Attorney General, and all their assets were seized.

[Kiwi]

Ive worked for one temp agency, they were pretty good. However I was in a place where I could walk at anytime and that makes a difference in your mindset. I did work my fair share, but it was easy to leave. When I do some travelling I will sign up because I can walk when I have enough to get me to the next place.

I can understand how frustrating it must be though to be given the run around like that!

[TNT]

I have to say my experience with temp agencies has been very good and if I'm ever out of a job, I'll be at some agency the next day.

Agency #1:

They sent me out for an interview with a company that would have been a really great job. The man who interviewed me said, "If you work as a temp for 90 days, and if you're good, I'll hire you full-time." For reasons I'll never quite figure out, I turned it down... but that was hardly the agency's fault.

Agency #2:

They sent me out on a job that was okay... but I managed to get fired because I showed up late four out of five days. But... two days later they called and said, "We understand that the previous job wasn't right for you. We're doing the initial screenings for Such-and-such company. Would you be interested in interviewing with them for a direct hire position?" I was... and I got the job.

Agency #3:

They got me my first job with the cable company. Cable bought out my contract after two months, and the rest is (mostly) pleasant history.