Is this a public or private firm?
As someone who has worked in a few long-term temp jobs, I will tell you that you just need to do your best on the job and let the chips fall where they may.
If you decide you like the place, and they like you, then let it be known that you're open to going permanent. I've done 5 long(er)-term temp positions within the past 3 years.
Last summer, I landed my current job, which I was not a temp at. Of those 5 previous positions, let me just say that there was only 1 that I would have considered working at
on a permanent basis. It was at a medium-sized law firm (about 20 attorneys, some of whom weren't working much) and I filled in for roughly half the year while the AP coordinator
was out on medical leave. I loved the place. They liked me, and I'm sure if the lady hadn't come back, they'd have offered me the position. But, in retrospect, I am glad it didn't happen.
The compensation would have been at least $10,000 below what I currently make and I would have been crunching AP forever and not really using my brain. That's also an important thing – don't take a job that will let your brain go into a vegetative state! Anyhow, this is just my nickel's worth of free advice based on my many years of working – mind you, I have only worked as an accountant for 3 years.
The company I work at now uses temps for sometimes 3-6 months per temp. Why, I'm not sure, as they do not work in my department (theyr'e in AP and AR mostly, and I'm a bit higher on the ladder.)
But, they rarely if ever hire them on after the temp period is completed because the agencies usually want too much “finders fee” money.
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