The Red Guide to Temp Agencies

Review of Select Advantage

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11 East 44th Street, 6th floor, Room 600
New York, NY 10017
212-599-0660

212-573-6079

Total time with agency:
October 15, 2003

Wait for first assignment:
2 Weeks

Average wait between assignments:

Last five jobs:

Job Title	Length	Client	Hourly Wage	Typical of agency?
Clerical	3 Months	Med School	10	Y
				Y
				Y
				Y
				Y

Tests given:
Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Database Entry, and Typing

Payroll policies:
On-site time sheet pickup: Y
Direct deposit of payroll checks:
Free check cashing at agency's bank:

Benefits:
Medical insurance:
Dental insurance:
Paid vacation:
Transportation allowance:
Entertainment allowance:
Matching contributions:

Comments:
I had the misfortune of graduating from college in 2003. So after five months of unemployment I was desparate. I replied to an ad posted on Monster for a administrative assistant position. I called the contact person, Jennie Mack on Tuesday, October 7th and the job was listed as $35,000 a year. Jennie asked me if I would take it for less like $30,000, I was like maybe. Throughout our phone conversation she never mentioned she worked for a temp agency. So pretty much the ad on Monster didn't exist. It was a lure to score new cliental for her temp firm.

I went in the next day and it was one small room with various desks (My livingroom is bigger than their office). I'm thinking I won't take a job here as a admin. So the receptionist greets me hands me an application, I fill it out and finallly Jennie walks me over to her desk and interviews me. She's really friendly and upbeat and tells me I'm gonna take these tests to show how well I would do in an office setting (Blah Blah Blah). The computer they give me has a filthy old keyboard and the tests aren't hard, but eveything is so keyboard oriented. I mean grew up in the 90s so all I know is shortcuts and point and click. I never learned the old fashioned ways of doing things (it was like testing you on WordPerfect or something).

She says I did ok, but I hear everyone does awful on these things anyway. She says to call her everyday to check and see if they have a job for me. Word of advice call everyday, becasue even if they say they'll call back, they won't.

So finally after two weeks she calls me Tues, Oct. 28th and tells me she has a job for me working in admissions in a med school. It's $10 an hour, but its only a 20 minute train ride so I'm ok with it for now. She described it as heavy phones, word, excel, writing acceptance letters, etc, and its for 2 1/2 weeks.

My first day she calls me at the buttcrack of dawn to wake me up for my job (ok I don't need a mother to wake me up, but I guess she was trying to do her job, whatever.

After 3 weeks my placement, the people there love me and ask me if I'd consider being permanent. But to make a long story short, because of the huge finders fee they'd have to pay the agency, they couldn't hire me. Oh also I got to be chummmy with my boss and HR at my placement and found out they were charging them like triple what I was getting paid. My placement ends next week and I called Jennie 3 weeks ago to let her know I would need a new placement. Now I'm just calling her every other day to remind her that I need work soon.

Um the good thing about this agency is when you call they remember who you are, and by know they know me by my voice. It's not the worst agency, but it was the first one I ever came across. I am looking for another agency. Oh I'm temping until I start grad school in the Fall, otherwise I'd be looking for permanent work again.

Good Luck

Reporter:
Rachel Myers

Email:
jcqui99@netscape.net

Date:
Fri Jan 23 12:10:03 EST 2004

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The Red Guide to Temp Agencies is copyright 1994-2004 by Angus B. Grieve-Smith.
It may be reproduced in its entirety, but may not be sold for profit or reproduced in part without written permission of the Editor.

Feel free to email me with questions or comments. Please do NOT email me your resume. I am not an employer, and I cannot get you a job. If you send me your resume anyway, I will report it to your internet provider. My email address is grvsmth@panix.com.