Temping stinks

Once again, I'm out of work. This job lasted about 9 weeks. I left work Friday, and everyone was all smiles and "Have a good weekend" and "See ya' Monday!". At 6 pm, the temp agency called and said the assignment was over. Just like that.

I've never been one to define myself by my job, mostly because I've never really liked any job I've ever had. Either the people I work with/for have been awful, or the job itself was odious, boring, dangerous or otherwise dismal. But in a world where occupation equals identity, it's hard to not take this personally.

My rational mind knows that this is just how business is done, especially in smaller companies where margins are much thinner. Business cycles go up and down, and a full staff can't be supported when times are slow.

On the other hand, when I am one of 3 temps in the same position and I've been there the longest, why was I let go? When things started to slow down, I asked to learn other tasks. I did billing entry, research into lost payments, even making sure the printers were full of paper. As a child I was taught to learn everything I could; to make myself indispensable; that employers respected that "go get 'em" attitude. I have yet to see any evidence of this.

Experience has shown that when I work hard, employers want more. When I take on extra tasks, there is no reward or recognition but the expectation of taking on even more work. When I finally achieve an unrealistic goal set by a manager who has never done my job, instead of a pat on the back, the goal is moved further away.

With more companies relying on temps to do a majority of the work, I don't see this situation getting any better. Temps have always been at the bottom of the food chain. Here today, gone tomorrow. Don't bother to learn our names or take an interest in us as humans, for we are no more important than the stapler on your desk, and just as replaceable.