Do you want to get from temp to hired? Cathy Reilly, author of “The Temp Factor: The Job Seeker’s Guide to Temporary Employment,” makes temp etiquette your friend (Universal-Publishers, $21.95).
Reilly says to ask what “business casual Friday” means. Flip-flops?
Eat lunch, carefully. You’re entitled to a 30-minute break, but don’t “check your personal email or Facebook, or text on your phone,” Reilly recommends. “Your supervisor’s boss may walk in, not know you’re on lunch break and see that you are sitting there on company time.” Whoops!
Don’t post updates on LinkedIn or Twitter, except at the company’s request. “And don’t download ANYTHING onto your computer, even new versions of work-related software,” Reilly adds. “If you need Flash or Google Chrome, ask your supervisor the protocol on downloading new software. But don’t ask to download Pandora or iTunes or Bejeweled.”
Inspired though you might be during downtimes to “read or write your life’s story on company time, don’t,” she says, and stresses letting your supervisor VOLUNTEER that you may do personal work.
Meanwhile, do something less disruptive, such as organizing files or the supply closet. If it’s the first day, though, restrain yourself. This isn’t the moment to rearrange your furniture or decorate your cubicle.
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