Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Get Your Foot in the Door by Working as a Temp

Amber Elrod is the regional manager for Kelly Services, a human resources provider with three locations in San Diego County.

Is temp work picking up or slowing down in the current economy?

In San Diego, we are starting to see a steady increase in temporary and temporary-to-hire opportunities in the areas of customer service, marketing, manufacturing, and entry-level IT and engineering assignments.

What’s the process for getting temp work with Kelly Services? What do applicants need to provide before applying?

We require applicants to provide a current résumé highlighting their most recent work history and experience with sufficient detail regarding their core responsibilities, accomplishments, and acquired skills/training. For the convenience of our applicants, they are sent an online application and complete online testing to determine ability, skills, and experience levels. If an immediate opening is not available, applicants will be contacted when a job opening matches their skills.

What kinds of experience does the ideal candidate have?

Sponsored
Sponsored

The experience required varies by the type of position and the industry. Unless you are applying for an entry-level position, most employers today request one to three years of experience.

What kinds of skills does one need to have to work with Kelly Services?

The skills needed also depend on the specific job and industry. However, good customer service skills and proficiency in software technology are skills required for most jobs.

How many people do you send out each day? Each week?

In San Diego County, the number of employees on assignment varies daily. On a weekly basis, we send out more than 100 people on assignments.

Can you give me some examples of the companies you work with?

I cannot provide specific names of companies. However, Kelly works with a wide range of industries. In San Diego, Kelly employees can be found working in biotech, telecommunications, medical device, healthcare, and financial institutions, to mention just a few.

What’s the average number of hours per day that a Kelly Services employee works?

Our employees on average work the standard 8-hour shift with the exception of some industries such as manufacturing, which can range from 8-10 hours/day.

Who pays the employee? Kelly Services or the company they’re sent to? And what’s the average pay?

Kelly pays the employees we send out on assignment and we never charge a fee to job applicants. Pay levels depend on the type of position and skill levels required. They can range from entry-level to six figures for someone with a Ph.D.

What’s the average length of a temporary job?

The average length of a Kelly temporary assignment is three months.

How often do temp jobs become full-time?

Although employers are more optimistic about the economy today, they are still tentative about bringing employees on permanently. A greater portion of employers are opting to utilize our temporary-to-hire solution, which gives them the ability to evaluate an employee’s fit within their organization. On average, our employees convert to full-time employment 20-25 percent of the time.

Do you have any advice for job seekers who might want to try temp work?

Given the recent economic fluctuations, companies are cautious about hiring. Many are hiring temporary employees first because they want to be sure their business is sustained before hiring on permanent employees.

One of the best advantages for a candidate working through Kelly is the ability to get a foot in the door with many of the businesses Kelly partners with in the community. Temporary employment offers an opportunity to increase your experience.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

3 Tips for Creating a Cozy and Inviting Living Room in San Diego

Next Article

San Diego beaches not that nice to dogs

Bacteria and seawater itself not that great

Amber Elrod is the regional manager for Kelly Services, a human resources provider with three locations in San Diego County.

Is temp work picking up or slowing down in the current economy?

In San Diego, we are starting to see a steady increase in temporary and temporary-to-hire opportunities in the areas of customer service, marketing, manufacturing, and entry-level IT and engineering assignments.

What’s the process for getting temp work with Kelly Services? What do applicants need to provide before applying?

We require applicants to provide a current résumé highlighting their most recent work history and experience with sufficient detail regarding their core responsibilities, accomplishments, and acquired skills/training. For the convenience of our applicants, they are sent an online application and complete online testing to determine ability, skills, and experience levels. If an immediate opening is not available, applicants will be contacted when a job opening matches their skills.

What kinds of experience does the ideal candidate have?

Sponsored
Sponsored

The experience required varies by the type of position and the industry. Unless you are applying for an entry-level position, most employers today request one to three years of experience.

What kinds of skills does one need to have to work with Kelly Services?

The skills needed also depend on the specific job and industry. However, good customer service skills and proficiency in software technology are skills required for most jobs.

How many people do you send out each day? Each week?

In San Diego County, the number of employees on assignment varies daily. On a weekly basis, we send out more than 100 people on assignments.

Can you give me some examples of the companies you work with?

I cannot provide specific names of companies. However, Kelly works with a wide range of industries. In San Diego, Kelly employees can be found working in biotech, telecommunications, medical device, healthcare, and financial institutions, to mention just a few.

What’s the average number of hours per day that a Kelly Services employee works?

Our employees on average work the standard 8-hour shift with the exception of some industries such as manufacturing, which can range from 8-10 hours/day.

Who pays the employee? Kelly Services or the company they’re sent to? And what’s the average pay?

Kelly pays the employees we send out on assignment and we never charge a fee to job applicants. Pay levels depend on the type of position and skill levels required. They can range from entry-level to six figures for someone with a Ph.D.

What’s the average length of a temporary job?

The average length of a Kelly temporary assignment is three months.

How often do temp jobs become full-time?

Although employers are more optimistic about the economy today, they are still tentative about bringing employees on permanently. A greater portion of employers are opting to utilize our temporary-to-hire solution, which gives them the ability to evaluate an employee’s fit within their organization. On average, our employees convert to full-time employment 20-25 percent of the time.

Do you have any advice for job seekers who might want to try temp work?

Given the recent economic fluctuations, companies are cautious about hiring. Many are hiring temporary employees first because they want to be sure their business is sustained before hiring on permanent employees.

One of the best advantages for a candidate working through Kelly is the ability to get a foot in the door with many of the businesses Kelly partners with in the community. Temporary employment offers an opportunity to increase your experience.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

East San Diego County has only one bike lane

So you can get out of town – from Santee to Tierrasanta
Next Article

Big kited bluefin on the Red Rooster III

Lake fishing heating up as the weather cools
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader