Using a temp job offer as leverage for being hired at another job

My situation is that I have pigeon-holed myself for the past ten years by "gigging" as a substitute teacher and contract-temp worker. Not because I wanted to pursue these paths, but because circumstances in my life steered me into this pigeon-holed existence of living week to week, wondering where my next paycheck will come from, where will I sleep, what will I eat, etc.

For the past month, I've been in a temp job that I was told upfront, could potentially turn into a full-time job BUT that regardless of how great I'm doing, the company would NOT pay the fee required to break my temp contract with the temp agency that placed me, so that the company could pay my salary and benefits for the full-time role.

Today, I was submitted to a new 2-month gig starting through a different temp agency, with a different company that starts in 2 weeks that pays $5 more than what I'm making hourly now. The catch is that this company also has a ton of job openings -- some of which I qualify for outright -- that are different than the 2 month gig which is just your typical receptionist gig which they are not hiring for b/c their receptionist is on maternity leave.

So, I'm thinking of using this as an opportunity to leverage myself in the following ways:

1. Tell the company I'm temping with now that I was offered another job that starts in 2 weeks, but that I'd like to stay with them and will only stay if they offer me a full-time job.

Pro: I get a full time job through this leverage.
Con: If I take the 2 month gig, and leave this company b/c they won't hire me full-time, I can never use this temp agency again b/c technically I'll have quit this temp job which is not allowed when you are a temp on an active assignment.

2. Tell the company hiring for the 2-month gig, that while I appreciate being interviewed for the front desk 2-month gig, I'd really like to be considered instead for the several full-time jobs they are hiring for.

Pro: If I'm offered the 2-month gig, I'll only accept it if they will hire me for one of their job openings.

Con: I may not be offered the 2-month gig if my leverage is, "hire me full-time afterward for [other job advertised on the company website]."

Does anyone have any thoughts?

What is your contractual obligation with the current company and the current temp agency? Did you commit to be there until a certain date? Did you receive this new offer knowing that, should you choose to accept it, you would be required to violate the preceding agreement?

As for the new company, if there is a position you qualify for, I so no reason not to try to secure one of those for yourself, assuming a full-time spot is what you are really after.

I would, myself, be cautious trying to overtly leverage any of this. Leverage is by definition, the exertion of force. Some people react very angrily and confrontationally when they sense someone is trying to leverage them. Your HR lady would seem to potentially be a prime candidate. I guess what I am saying is, sometimes leverage gets results, and sometimes, it blows up in your face. I had someone once fail to make good on a commitment to provide me with a bunch of stock in a company I was consulting for. I did all the work, which included finding a company to acquire them. I did that, not her. Everything was roses. Then, their CEO told me to stuff it. I was fairly connected in this industry and I told her she didn't want to hose me. She told me again to stuff it. So, I got on the phone. I told everyone. From Tokyo to Manchester, and everywhere in between. Then, she sued me.

I ultimately won and I got the disputed stock, but because the CEO had done such a poor job, it would up being worthless. The company sold for pennies on the dollar.

I guess all I am saying is, be careful what you wish for. All bets are off when people stop making decisions rationally and instead, base them on emotion. You don't need that. You just want a stable job, or so it sounds.

This company is notoriously cheap. They won't commit with the recruiter for an end date for the front desk role I'm in. The recruiter has asked h.r. TWICE already when this position ends, and the response she receives is, "We're not sure yet." The previous receptionist left after one year. I can see why now.

Yes, I need a full-time job; it's not about 'want' at all. I NEED stability in my life. A full-time job is more stable than a temp job. This other company has a 2 month receptionist gig. Now, I hate receptionist work but it's all I do. I mean, I really really hate it. It's not what I want to do with my life but it's on my resume as contract work. I've been trying to break free from it for over 10 years and was a substitute teacher until I had to quit that to take care of my mother for a year before moving my mother to a nursing home. Now I'm back in the temp hell trying to find a full-time job. I had a full-time job this fall for 5 weeks but was then laid off or fired as the employer "merged" the position with another one and I was done.

I am interviewing today for that 2 month receptionist job. This is my leverage. Recruiters have no loyalty to temps. This I know. This company has other full-time job postings that I will use today's interview to ask about. Then, if I'm offered the 2 month temp job, I can go back to my other temp agency that placed me where I'm currently at and tell her upfront; "Look, I got a job offer with another temp agency and I will take it unless this other company agrees to hire me or increase my pay."

I will accept the 2 month job regardless of what the recruiter at my current temp agency says, to cover my butt in case she won't go to bat for me with this current company, who are dragging their heels about hiring me or giving an end-date to my contract assignment with them. They are meeting about me right now, about 10 feet away. They'll either fire me or not.

But if I'm not offered the 2 month temp job today and the other place fires me, meh, I belong to 6 temp agencies so I'll just contact them all and tell them I'm available for work and continue applying for jobs through LinkedIn.

Thanks for your advice and sharing your own experience with using leverage in the corporate world. You're right. There are not guarantees using leverage will have the desired outcome. But, I'm willing to take that risk as I have nothing to lose either way. I hate it here, they won't give an end date to my assignment, they won't hire me outright which means paying a break-contract fee so this current front desk job has no future anyway.

I just want a stable job. Trying to convince employers to interpret my resume to see the "me" beyond my contract-work has been an uphill battle. I feel like that mythological character Sisyphus, rolling that rock up a steep hill and never reaching the top.

Hi. I wish I had some clear advice for you, but it seems to be a tricky situation. As the previous poster said, there are risks involved. Without having a crystal ball and not knowing the people involved, it can be tough to say how they might react. From what you have said about the HR woman at the place you are temping, she does not sound exactly stable. She may not handle being given an ultimatum well. That's just my feeling due to how you have written about her in other posts.

I guess it's a matter of determining how much risk you are comfortable accepting, for a potential (but not certain) reward. Wishing you the best in figuring this out.

Hey rechu. Well, at this point, it's been made clear to me that hiring me is not this company's priority. They are just keeping me strung along, with no end-date to the assignment which I am not ok with.

While it's easier to get a job when you have a job, in my case, I don't have a job and I have a terrible resume and ageism and experienism going against me.

But, this other company, if they offer me the 2 month temp job I'm going to take it. Screw this current company. If they had given me and my recruiter a clear assignment end-date, I'd be more cautious. But, they are literally stringing me along. They KNOW how overqualified for this receptionist job I am. Have they made any effort to hire me? Nope. So, what do I owe them? Nothing.

I'm so angry that I"m willing to burn my bridges with the temp agency who placed me here if this other temp agency and this other company offer me the 2 month receptionist job for the higher pay, that have open job opportunities I am qualified to do that are NOT receptionist based but are more higher administrative roles.

I know bpcyclist advised not to make my decision based on emotion. That is reasonable and wise advice. Better to make my decision strategically. But I'm still so angry and fed up I can't help but feel like I'm screwing myself if I stay at this place (pending their meeting right now -- they could come out of it and fire me).

Yeah, it definitely sounds like that company is cheap and won't ever hire you if they have to pay. Sometimes bridges need to be burned.

Hopefully if you are offered the 2-month job you will have the chance to show what you know and it will help you to later apply for something better with that company. I have my fingers crossed for you!!

Well I was fired from my current temp job so this thread is a moot point now. HAHA

I still have that interview today at 4:30 pm for the 2 month receptionist job with that other agency. I hope I get it.

Well jesus, the recruiter called from the other agency to tell me the position I was scheduled to interview for this afternoon got filled by another temp.

Oh, man. So, what now?

Sending you positive employment vibes and strength.

Having lived hand-to-mouth for ten years off and on, I've become quite resourceful. Since my current roommate/landlord hasn't left her room since July (agoraphobia due to bipolar disorder, I believe, I have no clue what the cause is, she's been like this for 5 years accord. to her family and friends who enable this cycle to continue without treatment or medication), I am not in fear of losing the roof over my head. In fact, I bought myself some time, by paying for Orkin to come out and find the source of her mice infestation (those little bastards chewed a tunnel into her house from underneath her basement windows). I worked out a deal with roommate/landlord that she would discount my rent for December since she wouldn't chip in to co-pay the Orkin cost of $300.00. So, that means, my rent will only be around $400 so that works out in my favor.

I continue to apply like crazy for full-time jobs, and contact the temp agencies I belong to. So, hopefully, I'll get another temp assignment before the end of December.

My spring semester of grad school starts in January. But, I'm debating if I should continue in that program and instead, use what's left of the financial aid available to me (I used up a ton the first time for grad school the first time) via gov't student loans, and try to apply to a few different grad programs in areas I am passionate about (the current grad school program I am in is good but won't really help me get a job; it's one of the grad programs that doesn't lead to a license of any kind).

Thanks bpcycle. I appreciate the good vibes. I had an epiphany the other day about my life, at 48. So, I'm going to carpe diem the crap out of my sh*tty situation (accept where I"m at, make a plan for where I want to be) and see how long my plan takes. As, plans require preparation, steps, connection to resources, etc. yada yada yada.

I'm still giddy with myself, that I caught a recruiter in a lie and reported her to her temp agency about it. The fact that I had proof didn't deter the temp agency from blacklisting me from working with another recruiter. But I feel so vindicated. She lied about placing me for a job opportunity, so I went on that employer's website and applied for the same job opportunity and got a phone interview as a result, and then asked that hiring manager to verify with me that this recruiter contacted her about me, to which she said no she hadn't heard of that recruiter or that temp agency. So, maybe I need to go to law school and become a prosecutor. I'm good at calling people on their b.s., which is what prosecutors do to a certain extent. But I'll probably have to find a cheap law school abroad (haha) as what's left of my gov't financial aid cap wouldn't cover more than one year of law school.

Well, I suppose you should write those mice a nice thank you note.

I don't know you , so this is probably just a ridiculous thing to say, but what about business school? Ever consider something like that? Man, people with those degrees seem to do well. It's not a requirement, obviously, but it does seem to jump-start the starting salary situation. You sound like a go-getter, though. You probably don't even need that.

All the career gurus say to go with your passion. The problem is, sometimes that changes. Maybe that's where you find yourself. I went to school for 9 million years and then practiced surgery for a good while. But then I found out that what I was best at was running medical technology companies. Who would have known? They don't teach that in medical school.

So, anyway, carpe diem. And please keep us posted.

Honestly blanche, these people can go f**k themselves. They have no idea what they lost.

Yes indeed they can sarah! *hugs*

I'd write the mice a note but fear they'd just chew it up and turn it into a new nest.

I'm in grad school again, but so far it hasn't helped me get a better job. Age bias in the temp agencies (carried out by the recruiters) is my #1 barrier to getting a direct hire temp job, or a full-time job. It seems like recruiters are like cockroaches now -- they are everywhere. Even in academia's human resources departments and it disgusts me.

Yesterday, a 25 year old recruiter with a bad perm (I saw her photo online) sniped at me that my experience as an admin was "too old" despite the fact that I personally know 2 faculty members in the dept., where the admin role opening is. Let's just say, I screamed for about 4 minutes straight in my car, while at a stoplight. I'm sure the cars around me were stunned into surprise. Wondering, what is wrong with that woman?

Anyone who tells me "don't take it personally" needs to bend over and close their eyes and cover their butt b/c I will kick them hard for being dismissive and insensitive for saying such a thing. I have EVERY right to be angry, to be livid, to be flabbergasted. I don't need advice. I don't need a job counselor. I don't need another degree.

I just need a job. And not a crappy job.

I don't need anyone telling me dismissively to get over it, to keep my chin up or any of that hoey. Let me be angry. Let me be sad. Let me process this horrible reality because that's healthier than repressing it to please someone else who is uncomfortable with my pain and irritation. I'm done with those types of people judging me silently, belittling me with stupid religious platitudes and gaslighting phrases like "it'll be ok." How do they know? It may not be ok. It may get worse! So, shut up! I don't need ANYONE to tell me it gets better. It may NOT!

There's a difference between sympathy and empathy.

I hate people who offer me their sympathy because that is insulting to my intelligence and it belittles and demeans me. I'm going to be fuming about this situation until I can resolve it.

This diatribe is not directed at you either bpcyclist so don't read into it that way. I'm venting anger like lava exploding from an active volcano. You were only trying to be helpful. But I don't need help. I don't need sympathy. I need to hear from people who have been in my shoes, and how they coped, and how they found their job.

Got it...