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When you work for a temp agency, you are assigned to go out and do various kinds of work at client companies for varying lengths of time -- as short as a few hours, a few days, a couple of weeks, all the way up to several months or longer.

Job-hunting is tough. The current job market is still quite frustrating. We’ve seen a lot of new job creation, but many of them are lower-wage positions. But guess where the other new jobs are? They are temporary positions, as businesses hedge their bets on whether they need to re(hire) more full-time permanent employees or meet the increase in demand with temporary positions.

Not only do you need a job to pay your bills, but you also need the necessary experience to make your career change into marketing and sales… so, the key is finding the temp agency that has the types of clients and jobs that fit your needs. Most communities have numerous staffing firms, so call around and find the one that best fits you.

And when you attend career fairs or go on interviews, the key is to sell yourself – your unique mix of education, accomplishments, and (transferable) skills. Don’t think about your benefits running out, don’t think about whether there could be more qualified job-seekers out there. Instead, focus on the positive. If you are desperate, employers will spot it a mile away.

Once you get placed on a temporary assignment that you enjoy, your next step is working your way to a full-time offer from the employer. You can attempt to accomplish this feat by becoming invaluable, by networking with co-workers and bosses, and by taking advantage of every opportunity (to shine) that comes your way.

Find lots of great resources, including several articles on temping, in this section of Quintessential Careers: Temping Resources for Job-Seekers.

No one needs a dependable babysitter? While I find that hard to believe, I find it even more unlikely that folks have spotless houses that couldn’t use a little help from two industrious teens.

So, how can you get the word out? How can you get more jobs? It’s going to take a little creativity, a little marketing genius, and a little help from your families. I suggest you develop a flyer touting your availability. If possible, include some testimonials from previous customers.

Give copies of the flyers to your family, friends, and neighbors. See if your folks and adult relatives will take some flyers to their work to hang or handout.

Remember to always have your parent’s approval to do these jobs, and I would also suggest you have them screen potential new customers to protect you.

Find more key rules – as well as some other great ideas for jobs – for younger teens in this article published on Quintessential Careers: Job Ideas for Teens 15 and Younger: Beyond Babysitting and Lemonade Stands.

Assuming the position was eliminated in close proximity to your dismissal, I would simply state – but only when the issue arises – that your position was downsized. Don’t offer any other information and quickly move on to how you can make a contribution with the prospective employer. The key is never offering any negative information – and never dwelling on it. Also, don’t blame yourself, your boss, or your former company for the dismissal.

I don’t know how long ago you were dismissed, but if it was longer than a few months, a bigger issue may revolve around what you’ve been doing in the interim… so be sure you have something positive (and truthful) to say about the time, such as getting additional training, freelancing/consulting/volunteering, or gaining new (and invaluable) skills.

And if you have been out of the job-market for a while, be sure to sharpen your resume-writing and interviewing skills. You should also talk with folks in your network to learn of new opportunities – as well as look for opportunities to expand your network.

Finally, while you don’t sound defensive or negative, you might want to conduct a mock interview with a trusted associate to see if any negative feelings are bubbling near the surface. Getting fired is traumatic – and big hit on our egos – and sometimes it’s not as easy to let go as we might think.

Get more tips and suggestions in this article published on Quintessential Careers: Getting Fired: An Opportunity for Change and Growth.

Acknowledging the stiff competition for these jobs – especially from younger job-seekers – how can you break into the field? You certainly have the medical expertise and know-how to handle the technical side of the job – and how to interact with doctors, but what about the sales side? Do you have any experience in sales?

My best advice for you is a two-part strategy – both designed to help you learn more about the field and expand your network. The first part is to begin networking with the pharmaceutical reps that call on your workplace. The second part is contacting your former college and getting a list of alums who work in pharmaceutical sales – and network with them. Hopefully your get friendly enough with a few of them so that you can go further in depth by conducting informational interviews, and, ideally, going with them for a day as they make their sales calls.

Learn more about networking in this section of Quintessential Careers: The Art of Networking.

I also recommend using our job board, where you can search for pharmaceutical jobs – as well as post your resume.

Dr. Randall S. Hansen is currently Webmaster of Quintessential Careers.

Dr. Hansen is an associate professor of marketing at the School of Business Administration, Stetson University. He has been a published career expert for the last 10 years and an employer and consultant with hiring/firing decisions for the past 15 years.

Through his experience as a professor of marketing, Dr. Hansen uses proven marketing techniques and applies them to job-hunting. He is currently working on such a book. Some of his work can be seen at his personal Web site.

He and Katharine Hansen co-wrote the very successful job-hunting book, Dynamic Cover Letters, published by Ten Speed Press. You can order copies from Barnes and Noble of this cover letter bible. He is also author of several career-related magazine and journal articles.

Finally, Dr. Hansen has been an employer and has firsthand experience in the hiring process. He also stays active in the field by reading magazine and journal articles and by talking with employers on a regular basis.