Dear Cindy – Temp Troubles

My résumé is full of years of temping jobs as an administrative assistant, and some of these temp positions were out-of-state. I did these temp jobs because I needed to keep my child and me from ending up homeless after my husband left us without support. Also, throughout my long marriage, I had done temp jobs while his career advanced.

Now we are divorced and I have been looking for a permanent full-time job with benefits. So what's the problem? I have my résumé posted on the internet, but the only companies that have called me are temp agencies. When a rare call comes in from a company looking for someone permanent, they immediately question me about all the temping. When I try to explain it was either temp or end up homeless, they lose interest in me. They also hint that they do not like all the moving around and the one-year-in-this-state-and-one-year-in-another. I did that because I had to move in with friends or relatives wherever they lived. Even the temp agency has asked me why I had been temping all these years! When I tell them the reason they say, "You don't have to get so personal!"

So how do I handle all this? Should I be listing all these agencies on my résumé? Should I explain why I temped in my cover letter, and if so, how, without getting personal?

Sincerely,

Looking for Permanency

It sounds as if you have a convincing story for why you were temping for a long period, but rather than stressing the positive aspects of the work, you're making excuses for having done it. Explain, but don't make apologies! And keep in mind the message the HR staff members have been giving you about your story, by remembering the near-cliché phrases: "that's more than I needed to know" and "that's too much information."

Regarding the personal part of your story, you don't have to lie, you just have to keep details to a minimum – and put a positive spin on them. So, for example, say (and/or write in a cover letter) something like: "During the last X years, I have worked as a temp administrative assistant. Initially, my family moved a lot due to my husband's career. While I would have liked to have had a permanent position, because of our moves, the only way I could have my own career was to temp. After my husband and I divorced, I found temping the best choice because it paid well and gave me the flexibility I needed to raise my child, who is now grown. Now, I'm committed to finding a stable, full-time, permanent position."

And also make sure you stress the pluses that a temp admin assistant brings to a permanent position, such as: flexibility, adaptability, knowledge of a variety of software programs, knowledge of different workplace environments, willingness to learn.

As for the résumé itself, you may want to cite the temping as a general reference that can be explained in more depth in an interview. For example, something like: January 1990 to Present, Administrative Assistant, Various Temporary Agencies (Details provided on request). To accompany this, you would provide a summary of the various skills and responsibilities you held in these roles, the types of hospitals/companies/industries in which you worked, etc.

Also, while I don't normally recommend stating an objective on a résumé, to further stress that you're making a change and seeking a permanent position, you may want to include one, saying something like, "Objective: Obtaining a full-time, permanent position as an administrative assistant."

Good luck!