Re: Job Shops

["Vollbach, Elizabeth" <evollbach -at- CCLINK -dot- LOGICON -dot- COM>]

     I found out it works differently in different parts of the country.
     What part of the country, i.e., what state, are you interested in,
     Andrew?

     For instance, I lived in Michigan all my life where job shops meant
     permanent full-time work.  My first tech writing job was with a job
     shop that contracted with Fisher Body.  There were draftsmen (or,
     since we tech writers are concerned with political correctness, I
     should say "draftspersons"), designers, tech writers, and graphic
     artists all working in one huge room.  Some of us worked on site at
     Fisher Body.  We were hourly employees, but we were not temps, and we
     got the benefits of full-time work.  I assumed it worked like this
     everywhere.  (I was so naive, like I didn't know there was more than
     Michigan.)

     After I moved to California and after going through some culture shock
     and after I was laid off my job at General Dynamics Convair and before
     I was rehired at GD Electronics, I looked around to see what else
     there was in California.  I was astounded; no references to job shops
     in the want ads, just to temporary work, which sounded to me like
     Kelly Girl stuff, so I didn't respond to those.

     A few years later when I was again searching the want ads, I found out
     different.  In California, yes, temporary positions can, indeed, and
     often do lead to permanent work.  At the least, temp positions can
     give you more experience to add to your resume, and they pay pretty
     well.

     Beth