Depends what group they stick you with. However, I can say from experience that almost no groups will offer training. There are 3 pools of talent that firms draw from: consultants, employees, temps. They each cost the firm a certain amount, and temps cost the least. People get temps when they need bodies to throw at a project. You will not be high up on the food chain.

In terms of exits, it depends on what you did. Make sure to work hard and put yourself on some worthwhile projects while you're there. The big question you'll repeatedly have to answer is "why didn't they convert you to FT?" That's assuming you don't get an offer.

 
Best Response
  • I worked for a top BB in NYC doing middle office work right after college graduation
  • I was unable to convert due to a variety of reasons, politics + cost effectiveness (for the firm) being the top reasons
  • Options for lateraling are indeed preset. You have to really get to know people and put yourself out there however, as you're still viewed as an outsider despite working at the firm. The most important part of a temp gig, now that I've been through one, is how much exposure you get to other teams and to more senior-level stakeholders within the firm. If you're insulated or if you don't put yourself out there (which was my mistake), then you won't land anything.
 

there is absolutely no reason for the adcoms to know that you were a contracting temp rather than a full time, full benefits employee. you should just keep it off your resume. "temp" has a very negative connotation, even though you aren't going to be doing secretarial work in this case.

Money Never Sleeps? More like Money Never SUCKS amirite?!?!?!?
 

yea i was a temp this yr for a while after i graduated and I never told anyone I was a temp. I got into all the msf programs i applied to and even landed an ER internship with only the temp work on my resume. I was always afraid I was going to get discovered during interviews though lol. Keep in mind the actual work exp is prob going to be excruciatingly mindless and boring. I had to exaggerate the job exp quite a bit on my resume to make it sound somewhat respectable. I learned basically nothing during my stint and I had a non-business related major so that says a lot. It's better than nothing and could def lead to a better position, but i would try not to have it on your resume by the time you apply to business school. In interviews it was hard for me to talk about the exp for more than a minute or two lol.

 
BicepBrah:
yea i was a temp this yr for a while after i graduated and I never told anyone I was a temp. I got into all the msf programs i applied to and even landed an ER internship with only the temp work on my resume. I was always afraid I was going to get discovered during interviews though lol. Keep in mind the actual work exp is prob going to be excruciatingly mindless and boring. I had to exaggerate the job exp quite a bit on my resume to make it sound somewhat respectable. I learned basically nothing during my stint and I had a non-business related major so that says a lot. It's better than nothing and could def lead to a better position, but i would try not to have it on your resume by the time you apply to business school. In interviews it was hard for me to talk about the exp for more than a minute or two lol.

keep in mind that "temp" isn't a job title. if OP is working in FP&A, i doubt he will be doing a lot of compeltely menial work. in fact, i work in fp&a and one of our senior ops managers is a temp whose filling in for someone on maternity leave. and he ain't getting anyone coffee.

Money Never Sleeps? More like Money Never SUCKS amirite?!?!?!?
 

Thanks for the advice BicepBrah and sayanarula. I'm not worried about the work being menial or "mindless". That is mostly because it would really confuse if they were seeking someone with forecasting, modeling and reporting experience as well as paying what they are offering, for a glorified secretary. What I am worried about though is that since they are not the company technically paying me (they pay the recruiting firm to pay me) that I wont get monthly, quarterly annual reviews etc and wont have a record of working for the company should an Adcom look into it.

I guess my question is to what extent the Adcoms look into ones work experience. Will they look to confirm that I indeed worked directly for said company?

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell
 

I don't think they actively check to confirm work exp. However, since you're technically an employee of the recruiting firm then you can't get references/recommendations from the ppl at the F500 company. At least that was the case for me. If the temp job is a significant part of your work exp then adcoms are going to expect a reference/recommendation.

 
BicepBrah:
However, since you're technically an employee of the recruiting firm then you can't get references/recommendations from the ppl at the F500 company..

Ok so I've never really worked as a temp and applied to bschool, but why couldn't you? If your work was meaningful, you did a good job, and have a good relationship with your manager, what's stopping you?

Money Never Sleeps? More like Money Never SUCKS amirite?!?!?!?
 

say youd have to be super lucky. Not to say this doesn't happen. A family friend of ours graduated from Bing in 01 or so (during that whole shitty market situation). She ended up taking a year off and then was a receptionist at a BB. Got to know one of the MD's pretty well, he liked her and thought she was bright, he had her register for the series 7, she passed easily and she was put onto a sales desk.

I think this is a one-off situation though

 

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