Top temp agencies in New York City

Kelly Services
This national agency was founded in 1946, and opened its first NYC office in midtown 12 years later. Today, Kelly Services receives thousands of applications from the New York metro area annually. "Approximately 20 to 25 percent of our jobs convert to full-time employment through our temporary-to-hire option," says Tom Lawrence, vice president of the New York City territory. "It provides the advantage of determining if the candidate and the employer are the right fit for each other." Kelly Services has placed people in Fortune 100 companies (based on the ranking from the annual Fortune 500 list) for positions including executive administrative assistants, receptionists, accountants, financial analysts, designers, desktop and help-desk support technicians, software developers, attorneys and paralegals. To review job openings or apply, contact a local office. 237 Park Ave between 45th and 46th Sts (212-949-5313) * 420 Lexington Ave between 43rd and 44th Sts, suite 200 (212-949-8545) * kellycareernetwork.com

Merlin Associates
Each month, Merlin hears from around 500 job hunters, and calls in about 100 for interviews. The staff finds jobs for 40 to 50 percent, in fields like administrative support, advertising, financial services, nonprofits, law, consulting, marketing and entertainment. To schedule an interview, e-mail your rsum and cover letter to info@merlinassociatesny.com. To get a leg up, executive director John Lyons recommends reaching out to someone who has found work through Merlin before. "About 50 percent of the people that come into the office are personally referred," he says. "If they don't fit the openings we have, we may be able to counsel them and direct them to another staffing firm more suited to their needs." 545 Fifth Ave between 44th and 45th St (212-983-3533, merlinassociatesny.com)

Professionals for Nonprofits
Those looking to save the world (and themselves, from bankruptcy) should check out Professionals for Nonprofits, an agency that's been placing temps in museums, universities, NGOs and philanthropic organizations since 1996. Positions are wide-ranging, and include fund-raising, finance, executive management, human resources, marketing, communications, information technology and administration. Once you're in, you can expect to get frequent calls, offering fill-in work for a day, a month or even six-month stretches. Lucky for you, temps in the nonprofit sector are currently in high demand, a trend that Rick Bressler, PNP's business development director, attributes to the "improving health of the economy." PNP's list of clients includes Doctors Without Borders, the American Red Cross, United Way and the American Museum of Natural History. Register online at nonprofitstaffing.com. 515 Madison Ave at 53rd St, suite 1100 (212-546-9091, nonprofitstaffing.com)

Temporary Alternatives
"Finance is leading the way here, but we'll [consider] anybody," says Temporary Alternatives account representative Regis Canning, and he's telling the truth. The company guaranteed face time: Anyone who submits a rsum is invited to the office for an interview with one of the reps. TA is able to get about a third of each month's 100 applicants placed somewhere, and the staff also offers rsum and interview help so that you can present yourself in the best light. "The rsum is paramount to getting people placed," Canning says. Submit yours to regis@tempalt.com or phil@tempalt.com. 295 Madison Ave at 41st St (212-779-7169, tempalt.com)

Temporary Staffing by Suzanne, LTD
Anyone who's looking for a nonmanagerial office support position (across the board, except for legal) should give Suzanne G. Davis's company a call. Founded in 1999, this proudly "100 percent woman-owned" agency is mainly fueled by word-of-mouth recommendations. College grads with prior office experience are preferred. "We're one of New York's most nurturing and supportive agencies," Davis says. Meetings are by appointment only, so e-mail info@suzannenyc.com with a rsum, cover letter and how you heard about the company to book some face time. (212-856-9500, suzannenyc.com)

TemPositions
This Midtown East outfit has been open since 1962, and receives about 100 applications each week. "We try to respond to all of them," says marketing production coordinator Brian Rosenblatt. "If [someone] takes the time to apply, we give them the courtesy of responding with a phone call to see where their talents lie." About one in three applicants are hooked up with jobs across a dozen divisions. TemPositions finds candidates for general office support staff, and the company's affiliates work on the rest: IT jobs are filled through CompuForce; school staffing with School Professionals; social service and nonprofit staffing with TemPositions Health Care; and waiters, bartenders and culinary  placements are through TemPositions Eden Hospitality. A branch on Long Island also deals with warehouse and engineering positions. Send rsums to info@tempositions.com; the agents will contact you if there's an availability that fits your skill set. 420 Lexington Ave between 42nd and 43rd Sts, 21st floor (212-490-7400, tempositions.com)

Taylor Hodson Inc.
The 100 to 200 rsums submitted through Taylor Hodson's website on a daily basis are reviewed within 24 hours, and at this fast-paced agency, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. According to Ed Reagan, director of temporary staffing, following up with a phone call after a few days will increase your chances of being one of the 50 job hunters asked in for an interview each week. Hodson's placements include temporary, permanent and temp-to-perm positions, concentrated in administrative and clerical support. The average length of a gig is a week or two, but they range from a day to a month. 133 W 19th St between Sixth and Seventh Aves (212-924-8300, taylorhodson.com)

Wall Street Services
As the name implies, Wall Street Services is geared toward finding its applicants jobs in the finance industry. But if that's what you're looking for, be warned: You have to be on your game from the start. Anywhere from 10 to 30 applicants are called in for interviews out of the 400 to 700 rsums submitted per week. Talented job hunters can expect to get hired for positions in banking, trade operations or project management. WSS is prohibited from disclosing exactly which companies it works with, but CEO Peter Laughter says WSS has done business with nearly every major investment bank on Wall Street. Upload your rsum to the website, and someone will contact you if you're suited to an opening. 11 Broadway between Battery Pl and Morris St, suite 910 (212-509-7200, wallstreetservices.com)