Am I stuck in this temp job? (employment, apply, unemployment)

[Reneeme]

Last month I was offered a two month temp job while on Unemployment, and I accepted it even though it pays about the same as Unemployment, and makes it harder to look for a job (I need benefits for me and my kids).

I did not apply for the job, they called me based on a referral, so I could have turned it down. However, I thought it would be good to work for a little while, and I thought it could lead to something and/or make me more employable, so I accepted (it's in my industry, but not a job I would do long term).

Anyway, today my boss mentioned something about extending the time period, and I do not know if I can last longer than what the time period is! They have me doing very tedious stuff, with no input into how things are done, even though I have more experience then they do on the input side from my last job. It's also not what they hired me to do, however, it's not worse than what they hired me to do, it's just that two months is about my limit.

Does anyone have experience with temping and Unemployment? Am I stuck now? Can they do this? Staying longer will make it harder to get a permanent position, Cobra will only last so long, and I really don't want to stay in this situation more than two months.

Thoughts? Advice? Thanks!

[debbiest50]

You could go to the temp agency your working for and tell them this job is not working out for you and ask if they have anything else available.
If you just quit you won't get unemployment but if you work a temp position for 3mos and the assignment ends then you can file for unemployment.I did.
I worked for a temp agency for a while and did not like it at all.Besides the fact that they get part of your pay their clients can let you go at any time.Without any notice.
Their not bound to have to keep you the length of the assignment.And you can quit too but need a 2 week notice to do so.
I was told so many times that a job was possible "temp to perm".What a load of crap.
None of those jobs ever became perm.I spoke with a couple of people who also worked quite a few temp jobs that said possible permanent position but it never came to fruition for them either.
So it wasn't just me.
I'm out of temp work now(I was able to get a full-time position after looking for over a year)and will never go back to temp work.
Good Luck.I know what it's like to be in a temp position that you don't like.

[GypsySoul22]

I was working a temp job and they tried to hook me in by saying in the Fall we will have 2 positions open (if I worked out, that is..). The pay was terrible but I wanted a job so badly.

I did well and all was going fine. I got great reviews. They kept saying I would have a job in the Fall when I started to ask in July....

Well, July came and went, I was given extra work by HR...August came...I asked again (we were planning to buy a house) and I was told no problem we have a job for you.

The house fell through. The job never materialized. We had to move Labor Day weekend to a new apartment and I quit. Actually my assignment ended and the person I replaced for maternity was coming back full time. So quit, no, just finished my job and moved on...

Found out later there was no job...HR just wanted me around to clean up her work and would have gotten rid of me asap due to the economy.

That was exactly a year ago.

Haven't worked since.

Would I have quit knowing I couldn't find a good job in a year? I don't know. Hind sight is 20/20 they say...

I do know I have no interest in working for an agency again. They jerk you around and they get a cut of your pay. The place I have been with has not gotten me ANYTHING since I finished this assignment. They basically like to string people along at agencies.

You're better off temping on your own.

[Reneeme]

Thanks for the insights and advice.

Good idea to go back to the temp agency if I do not want to stay longer than the two months. If I go back to the temp agency, and they do not have anything else, would I then be free, or would that mean that I am stuck back at the same job (or ineligible for unemployment)?

I had no plans to temp longer than two months as I need to spend my time getting a permanent job with benefits, so if I am stuck either way, I would probably stay where I am now (it could definately be worse!).

I am also thinking that if they need me to stay, I might have some negotiating power at that point (more money and a little bit more interesting work)? Also, if it was a long term temp job (like 6 months) and it paid a little better, that would maybe be a good thing (assuming it is not always tedious too...today I snuck in a little bit of interesting stuff which is why I might not sound as eager to get out).

Thanks again and I agree about agencies! I went through the company first, so I might not have been as on guard about the agency commitment as I should have been.