It’s true: New York is one of the best places to live if you want to jumpstart your career (the city is bursting with networking opportunities and startups). But when your rent is due, and you want to go shopping, it’s nice to know you have money in the bank. Before you consider turning your secret talent or hobby into a business of your own, consider sending your résumé to a temp agency.
NYC has plenty of staffing resources that can place you in a job for either a week or up to a few months, if needed. And you’ll feel better about spending your hard-earned dollars at one of the best restaurants or clubs in NYC when you know there’s fresh moolah coming in. We’ve ranked some of the city’s top agencies by profession, so it’s easy to choose the one that’s right for you, from career changers to recent graduates and folks looking for pocket change.
Artisan specializes in placing talent on a permalance basis. Job hunters with digital and marketing experience are encouraged to apply, but other creative types (like social media editors, videographers and visual designers) will also have good luck finding hourly work for an indefinite period of time. You can also request full-time jobs, so it doesn’t hurt to ask if that’s what you’re after.
Contact: 212 475 5009
This Massachusetts-based agency has been around since the 70's, and they've won multiple awards for their swift recruiting abilities. They pride themselves on making sure all candidates have the best experience possible. Past clients include powerful Fortune 500 companies, to cutting-edge startups.
Contact: Through their online portal.
Atrium interviews 12,000-plus candidates per year and is able to place approximately 65 percent of them, mainly in fashion companies, marketing and advertising firms, pharma/biotech companies, not-for-profits and finance firms. Job lengths tend to vary (along with the heft of the paycheck). “Over 84 percent of our applicants are referral-based,” says Atrium’s marketing director, Jamie Parks.Fit the bill? Apply online.
Contact: 212-292-0550
When someone is moved to write a flattering haiku on Yelp about a temp agency, chances are the group has something going for it. CG deals with finance, advertising, real estate and fashion companies and places its temps in office, clerk, assistant, customer-service and managerial positions. President Susan Levine has more than 30 years of experience in employment agencies, and while she won’t divulge names, she assures us that CG has “very desirable clients.”
Contact: (212) 750 - 8188
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. 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.
Contact: +1 248 362 4444
The last time you went to a really memorable event, you probably weren’t thinking of the work it took to pull it off. Enter All Aces: This agency helps staff events for a huge range of industries, from food and beverage to technology, toys and gaming to gain exposure. They also help larger clients—like Google, Sierra Mist, and television shows like Batman vs. Superman—with event staffing and marketing. Commitment time ranges from one to several events, so consider this your opportunity to try something completely new (while earning cash in the process!)
Contact: 646-829-1602 or email at info@acespromo.com
The 100 to 200 resumes 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. 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.
Contact: 212 924 8300 (Head's up – we've heard that calling is your best bet at being noticed)
Adecco receives thousands of resumes annually from job candidates in the United States, and it finds work for about 500,000 people nationwide each year. The global agency specializes in a range of industries, including marketing, creative, finance, publishing, fashion and administrative services. “Our clients are virtually every single Fortune 500 company,” says public-relations specialist Vannessa Almeida. Visit the company’s website to search current job openings and upload your resume.
Contact: Via this form.
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. PNP’s list of clients includes Doctors Without Borders, the American Red Cross, United Way and the American Museum of Natural History.
Contact: 212 546 9091
With offices in London, Asia and throughout North America, Aston Carter specializes in helping people in the financial industry—including governance, risk and compliance—find jobs. And you can be sure that wherever you’re placed is well-vetted: They screen companies worldwide to learn about the culture and values of each place, and use a referral-based sourcing strategy to ensure a perfect employee and company match.
Contact: (212) 588 5836
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