Everyone would like that full-time, 9-to-5, make-a-career-outta-this job to drop right into their lap.

But if the job hunt is taking longer than you expected, or if you’re just killing some time between now and graduate school, you might want to consider a temp agency as a good way to gain some real-world experience without the long-term commitment.

Yet like anything in life, a temp agency comes with cons as well as pros. This article examines both, and then you can decide if being “the temp” is for you.

Pro: They do the job search for you

Instead of spending hours surfing online job postings, just send in your resume and a temp agency will match you with a position. (Sometimes they also make you come in for an interview and give you a series of tests to measure your office skills).

The agencies know where to look for job openings, and some have exclusive access to certain big name companies. Even better, some agencies specialize in certain industry areas (for example, PsychTemps), so you can find a job in the area you want.

A good resource is the American Staffing Association, where you can search for agencies based on location and occupational category.

Con: The agencies take a cut.

Temp agencies don’t just find you a job out of the goodness of their hearts; they do it to make money. And their revenue comes directly from your paycheck.

How it works is this: the company you work for pays the agency, and the agency pockets their share of your earnings before giving it to you. When you first go through a temp agency, it is smart to ask how big of a percentage the agency takes so you have an idea of how much you will actually be getting.

Pro: Flexible scheduling

Because of the way they are structured, temp agencies can be accommodating if you have an unusual schedule. They can either split an assignment between you and another person, or send you on small assignments that fit your needs.

Con: You have to be ready at a moment’s notice.

Keep your cell phone glued to you at all times because temp agencies don’t give you a whole lot of advanced warning. They usually call you to go on interviews that day, or at the latest, the day after.

And work on turning on your professional voice after just waking up, because they will call you early in the morning. 

Pro: Temp jobs can lead to permanent jobs.

Some lucky people get put in temp positions that they excel at and enjoy. If you get along with the boss and circumstances align in the company, you may get hired if a full-time position opens up.

Also, temp agencies can look for positions that are temp-to-perm, which means that you work at a company for a probationary period and if the company likes you, they can put you on their payroll. 

So there are just a few reasons you should/shouldn’t consider temporary work. It might be a good, non-traditional job search method, but then again, it may not have the permanence that you want.

Either way, considering a temp agency will help you narrow down the type of job you are looking for, the type of job you want, and whether or not you are ready to start a career.