Let go from temp to hire job after one month, but in good standing. So what happened?

I was given a job by my recruiting agency to work for a government contracting company. My duties were to prepare expense reconciliation spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel based on invoices for contracted projects from workers at the site. I was part of their billing department. Billing supervisor told me she selected me because I had done some bank reconciliations in one of my internships listed on my resume.

1st week I made no errors. 2nd week I made 3 or 4 mistakes in my spreadsheets in regards to per diem calculations for meals and hotel lodgings. I was taught the proper way to calculate them and I wrote notes down. 3rd week made 2 mistakes for per diems again. I corrected them and made additional notes to myself. On the weekend I rewrote my notes and studied them, I felt awful for making the same per diem rate mistakes.

4th, 5th, and 6th week I made no mistakes. Everything was starting to “click” and come together for me. I would still ask clarifications questions though every once in a while. Friday of my 6th week I was given a call from my agency that the company has decided to let me go. I asked my recruiter if there was something wrong with my work performance. She told me I am in good standing and got positive feedback from supervisor, it was a budget issue.

On my last day I asked my supervisor for feedback. She told me I did a good job and told me she gave good reviews to my agency about me. She said it was the project manager who decided to not retain me because of budget issues. I asked her on what could I have done to improve myself as a working professional. She told me I should try to understand a company’s role and business better so that way I am not trying to “force things to make things work/numbers work/match” and not” over think” too much when preparing spreadsheets. I think she was referring to my 2nd&3rd week struggles. However I had it addressed and fixed.

I am not buying the budget issue. During my 5th week the company hired two new other people to do the exact same thing as me. According to my supervisor the project manager felt that we were backed up and needed more help. One of the new hires had a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Czech Republic in economics and financial banking. The other had bachelor’s in biology and was taking online classes for master’s in accounting. Both had done some form of budgeting& government contracting job experience.

I was very social and got along with my co-workers. Whenever given a new task I would get it done before workday ends of that day or the following day in the afternoon, and then ask for more tasks. My recruiter has not called me back. Company hired two new temps for same position as me week before I got dreaded call.

For those reading please tell me what do you think is the reason I was let go.

Was it because of budget, work performance (not “clicking” fast enough?), or something else?

I graduated with a degree in Accounting. The recruiter told me it was a indefinite contract with opportunity for permanent offer. I do not like making mistakes and take it personally. As a result I immediately rewrote my notes and studied them in an effort to keep myself there, but it didn't work.

If anyone has been in my position before or have done temp to hire jobs please provide/deduce what probably caused me to be let go based on my story/experience.

Please, I have been distressed and uneasy since this has happened to me. I need some answers on what caused this to happen. I feel like such a moron/failure to be let go after only 1 month.

To be honest, I used to work for a recruiter. They lie about an assignment being "temp to hire". Its usually only temporary, but they don't want the worker to know that. The reason why, is they feel the worker might not do their best if they know the job has no chance of becoming permanent. You did not do anything wrong, you were just misled from the beginning. Most temporary service agencies lie like crazy. Sorry but that is just the truth.

Thank you for your response. However there is something that still troubles me the most. During my 5th week, two new temp to hires were brought in to do the same task as me. I was told there was a contracting project in New Jersey that the project manager felt was backed up and needed additional workers.

Then in my 6th week I was let go, while the two new ones stayed. Why would they let go of me when I was starting to "click" and keep two new ones who were still asking questions and learning the tasks for the exact same job I was doing?

One of the new hires had a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Czech Republic in economics and financial banking. The other had bachelor’s in biology and was taking online classes for master’s in accounting. Both had done some form of budgeting& government contracting job experience.

In the first place, the fact that a business hires a lot of temporaries is always a red flag. Why can't they hire someone permanent? Budget problem (as they said) could be the reason.

The two people they kept will probably be let go too, at some point. The more you learn at your job, the more than permanent workers might get uneasy that you will replace one of them, or replace one of their friends.

If your temp agency offers any kinds of benefits to you once you've worked for them for 90 days, they may (the temp agency) have decided to let you be the one to leave, so as to not have to start putting you on their benefits plan. I've seen this happen with temp agencies who offer benefits to their temps after 90 days. Very few temps ever wind up getting those benefits because they are let go from an assignment before the 90 days is up.

If I were you, I would look for perm only jobs. Or temp, but keep sending out resumes for perm jobs.

I honestly think it has to do with the degree, I'm assuming you don't have? I worked temp to hire for a major company and was never offered a permanent position and believe it had to do with my lack of education. Even though I did the job quite well, that didn't seem to matter. The degree was the only "ticket" to permanent employment. try not to beat yourself up over this!

I have a bachelors degree in accounting. The other two new temps did not actually have an accounting degree. One of them was from the Czech Republic and had bachelors and masters degree in economics and financial banking. The other graduated in 2014 with a bachelors in Biology but was taking online courses for a masters in accounting. Both had done some gov't contracting experience/work before.

My supervisor told me when I asked for feedback not to "overthink" or "force/make things work" if I do spreadsheets at my next job under similar tasks. I think she was indirectly referring to my 2&3rd week struggle with per diem rates. However I made notes, rewrote, and studied them to ensure it did not happen again in my 4,5,&6th week there.

Do you think the other two new temps and their qualifications, or my spreadsheet problem in 2&3rd week had anything to do with me being let go?

A degree is not an automatic ticket anymore. I don't think it has anything to do with that. I think this company is like most other companies that hire lots of temps: they have no intention of keeping all of them.

I know someone btw, who does have a degree, but she's temped for over ten years now. I guess you could say this is a cautionary tale about long term temping and contract work. She was only offered a perm job once, and worked perm for a while but the company tanked. She went back to temping. Her agency told her every single assignment was "temp to hire", but she never got hired, despite temping at one of these places for two years. After ten years, its made a horrible mess of her finances because she never knows when she'll be abruptly let go somewhere. And she hasn't had any medical or dental insurance for years. Her teeth are rotting out because she can't afford to get them fixed. I told her even working retail would be better because it would at least be permanent work, and some retail places offer benefits to full time workers. At this point, its now hard for her to get a permanent job because employers always ask why she's been temping for so long. She keeps believing that one day, one of those temp jobs will go perm. The agencies tell her how great and promising that each assignment is. They will tell her about all the benefits she can get at these companies if the job goes perm. The job never goes perm for "budget reasons", "you weren't a good fit" or something else.

My point about this is that temp & contract work can be a huge trap to fall into. Most temp-to-hire jobs do not go perm (and yes of course, some of them do, but most do not). It has nothing to do with you, your education or your work habits. The company could not or did not wish to hire a permanent person. By hiring contractors and temps, they can avoid employee lawsuits and having to pay benefits.

Were the two new people from the same agency?

I don't think you will get to the bottom of this. There are too many possible reasons. Maybe part of the NJ project got canceled. Maybe they are paying the new hires less than you were making. Maybe they cycle through temps quickly to avoid benefits. Maybe the mistakes you made in weeks 2+3 were the reason. It's just impossible to guess their motives.

The two new people were from the same recruiting agency. I checked craigslist a few days after I was let go. There is a job post for the same company I was working at for its billing department. It was created on craigslist around 1 week after my first day. I'm almost certain its from my recruiting agency for the same position at the company I was assigned to!!!!!!

I was paid $17/hr. The new job post for same place/job had it at $18-$21 based on gov't contract exp.

Would it be normal for an employer to let go someone who was learning, making mistakes, and learning from them in their 2nd&3rd week? I made note of it and ensured it did not happen again in the later weeks. Makes no sense to me to let me go when I "got it" and invite two new people who would be asking for help/questions....like what I did during my first few days.

I'm sorry you had this bad experience.
I agree with hvert that you might not find out the reasons why this assignment ended.
A few years ago I had some 'temp to hire' jobs too and unfortunately...a lot of companies just want to avoid paying benefits so they keep a certain number of temps around. I don't think this is right but it is reality.

It seems like you are having a hard time to let go of the mistakes that you made in the 2nd of 3rd week of the assignment. I have the same problem with making mistakes; it is not easy to accept that anywhere humans work mistakes are made...and try to move on. Try to see it as a learning experience though; hopefully future assignments will work out better for you!

I think that you should realize that temp agencies are slime and leave it at that.

Your recruiter isn't going to tell you the truth. You're merely the commodity and the temp agency/recruiter is rewarded for providing you to the business. Sad but true.

Sometimes companies have incredibly unrealistic expectations about job candidate performance. They search for a perfect candidate who doesn't exist. That really sounds like the case for this organization!

Another possibility is that the people in the organization who are responsible to hire for this position cannot agree on a candidate... or that the hiring manager wants someone with a completely different skillset than they are advertising/interviewing for.

What other people have said about this being fairly common with temp agencies is very true, too. This has a lot less to do with you than it has to do with the way this organization does hiring. Making mistakes, especially early on, is normal.

I so very much needed to hear this. I am so completely sad about this. I was recently temp to hire, and hired for 1 month and let go. No complaints, no nothing. I was doing a great job. I believe this happened to me at another job, as well as the one where I was let go. But why? I see other gainfully employed people, why can't I be one of them? I am aware of the need to accept this as possibly better things down the road,...but really?

Something similar happened to someone I know. They abruptly let her go, just before the holidays of all times, but she was the only one in the bunch of temps that got the ax. She did notice the others are much younger, but other than that they did the same work. She wasn't given a reason as to why they didn't renew her contract but they renewed others.

She worked hard, working on weekends too as they eventually required.

The thing about recruiters or temp-to-hire is that no job is really "permanent" anymore. A "perm" position can be just as "iffy", as you can get let go at anytime for any reason pretty much. Permanent jobs aren't what they used to be-----yours until YOU left, as long as you did your job & well enough. That's not enough anymore.

A degree isn't enough either, and it doesn't guarantee anything either.

We have few protections for employees or workers in this country. People are like objects or things, a commodity. You're supposed to tell the company what you can do for THEM, not wonder what they can do for YOU. And these stupid companies wonder why they can't get the perfect candidate who sweats blood and tears for them. Low pay, no benefits, long hours, no flexibility, etc. And they ***** about why can't they retain or find anyone. Employers don't get it. People are not machines but they are treated like they are.

Why should people give it their all when they know how disposable they are? I've had one dear friend lose his job after 20 years with that $hit company. He then got evicted and is now working for low wages, part-time, back in his home state. He's living with a relative. That highly skilled man is being wasted on such work, and he doesn't make enough to even rent an apartment over there.

I think companies also lie when they say they'll keep you in mind, if you don't get the position. They then advertise the position again, looking for more candidates when they have a pool already.

Although its true that no job is permanent anymore, I still think permanent jobs still have more security than temporary ones. Employers often feel less guilty about letting go of a temp.

Also, permanent jobs have better benefits. The health insurance that temp agencies offer to temps are no good. I temped one time for 3 months for the same agency, and became eligible for the agencies "health insurance" plan for their temp workers. Well, I called around and found out that no doctors in my city anywhere, took this insurance. And I live in a big city. Most doctors offices had never even heard of it. It was pretty much a fake health insurance plan. I felt scammed. If I'd known what a scam their health insurance was, I would have worked harder to find a permanent job during that time.

What makes this matter even worse is that my parents are accusing me of being anti social. Which is not true. I shared an office space room with another person and we would sometimes chat about movies, TV-shows, and just life in general. I got along and talked to a lot of the other co workers. I would even chat with my supervisor and had a few laughs with her. During Oct. 30th my co-workers wore costumes, I did too so I could mesh with the workplace culture.

Recruiter said it was not work performance but budget, supervisor said the same thing. Both confirmed a positive feedback/ review of me. My father is the most cynical of all.
His belief was that the supervisor clearly did not like me because I was not polite, had an attitude, did not acknowledge people's presence by saying "hello" or "thank you" enough. Both my parents believe if I was really that social and productive then I would not have been let go after 1 month and a week later.

You could have been the most productive employee in the place, but if the organization's budget means they hire temps instead of permanent employees, it wouldn't make any difference. I would go with what the recruiter and supervisor said, since they were actually there and know about your work performance, unlike your father.

Your father wasn't there with you on the job, he is talking hot air. It sounds to me like you did a fine job; you have good skills, a willingness to learn and those qualities will get you another job soon. Don't sell yourself short.

You've had good advice and observations here from everyone. I agree with the others that permanent jobs are not so permanent anymore but they are still better than temp ones. The best thing anyone in the US can do is keep their skills sharp, try to anticipate what new ones will be desirable, realize your own value and worth, and don't let one stupid manager or supervisor or short-sighted company undermine your self-esteem. You have the power to say no; when you start looking for other work, look at it this way "Will this be a good fit for me?"

Today, I just got let go at my temp job which is an ongoing contract.

"Would it be normal for an employer to let go someone who was learning, making mistakes, and learning from them in their 2nd&3rd week? I made note of it and ensured it did not happen again in the later weeks."

I totally agree I just got of training and got let go because the employer wasn't too thrilled with me. It was for help desk my 2nd help desk job and I am making too many mistakes? I was fine in the beginning of the weeks during training and ****ed up later it was getting frustrating for me. Proctors felt I was too needy uhh excuse me never worked for an insurance company I am gonna raise my damn hand until I get it!

Unless your parents worked with you and witnessed these things, their perspective really isn't valid at all.

I agree....this reminds me of how my mom was critical and harsh about "why can't I get a job" when I was in my 20's. She acted like it was MY fault, like I wasn't even trying or making an effort. SHE had/has NO IDEA of what it's like out there.

AND she comes from a generation of women who didn't have to/weren't expected to work. It was a different time & culture for her. She doesn't know how much of it is like acting, playing the role in the right way to get the part.

I hate how so much in this country is about not being social enough, not working hard enough, not working long enough hours, wearing clothes out of fashion (okay, that last one is sarcasm)....

That's the mindset in this country, and I think it SUCKS. If anything is wrong, it's something YOU did or did not do.

And employers want the sun & moon, the Energizer Bunny with a perfect work history but aren't willing to offer anything in return, not even a living wage and certainly no job security.

You can't win with employers. They frown on you if you work just temp jobs, they frown on you if you're out of work a long time, they frown on you if you're out of work a SHORT time, etc. Employers don't want to acknowledge that THEY are the reason people work temp jobs---it's all they are willing to offer. And they think you're at fault for not working a permanent job.

I'm going to stop now or my BP will go up. And I've had some good numbers lately.

So true nothing in return I agree about that on employers. My mom goes back to her days **** times have changed who cares how it used to be!

When our country has a problem they can't/won't solve, (like homelessness), they blame the people suffering---easier to do. It's easier to blame the worker than face the fact that employers think of the bottom line and that's it---profit above anything else. You have to give them incentive (monetary) to hire people like the homeless or those with a record. And even that doesn't always work.

On a related note, people are made to take the same workshops over and over, on "how to write a resume", "how to dress for an interview", etc. etc. etc. Use spell check, don't lie, don't wear worn out clothes to the interview, etc. etc. etc. Just follow these steps.

I mean if people can't find work, they are always told they need to work on their resumes or what's "wrong" with them. It is NOT YOU, it's our system/mindset, along with so many other factors like Corporate America's obsession with their profits.


Stuff like "think positive" and "work hard" are oversimplifications of getting by and being successful here.

Hence, I devour my dystopian novels where the U.S. no longer exists, it's a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Even the rich don't exist anymore. I find these books to be an outlet, as I see the direction this country is going in as frightening to say the least. The stuff in these novels are plausible, really.

OMG so true! I have been saying this for a long time see when I say it, it's a huge *** problem from other people. Surprisingly, nobody hasn't chewed you out yet.

"On a related note, people are made to take the same workshops over and over, on "how to write a resume", "how to dress for an interview", etc. etc. etc. Use spell check, don't lie, don't wear worn out clothes to the interview, etc. etc. etc. Just follow these steps."

You'd think by following these steps one would have already landed a job, right? I was/still am being told to go back to the workshops or hand over a career counselor my resume not handing ****! I did give a career counselor made it clear I wasn't changing anything she just looked at me. I did have to add a job that was temp only lasted 10 days onto my resume to show I did do work on top of my current job. Other than that, those are the only changes I did.

I am still working on speaking better, clearly, and coherently in interviews I stumble way too much on my words it looks like English is my 2nd language when it isn't!

"I mean if people can't find work, they are always told they need to work on their resumes or what's "wrong" with them. It is NOT YOU, it's our system/mindset, along with so many other factors like Corporate America's obsession with their profits."

Thank you!! I still get told work on your resume, nope, nothing wrong with it! I still get employers either calling or emailing me, so what the hell is wrong with my resume? I get told by managers/recruiters that my resume is "so written professionally or beautifully," "that I should look an awesome match" which is why they offer manager jobs to me at times which I have zero interest in. All of that talk yet I am never a match for their position(s).

"Stuff like "think positive" and "work hard" are oversimplifications of getting by and being successful here.

Hence, I devour my dystopian novels where the U.S. no longer exists, it's a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Even the rich don't exist anymore. I find these books to be an outlet, as I see the direction this country is going in as frightening to say the least. The stuff in these novels are plausible, really."

I agree while there is nothing wrong with thinking positive why is it still taking a long *** time to get employed anywhere?! It took me over 30 interviews to land a job then they let me go in a short amount of time and now I am back to my part time job until I find another full time job. It does get to the point that I am so tired of hearing "think positive" when I should already be at the goal post by now! I need substance, answers, and some sort of direction yet nobody in the workforce can't seem to point me to the right direction of moving forward in a quicker amount of time. Still getting those I don't know answers or just find something - nah, I don't need to find something; I need something that is sustainable, attainable, with value, with something that will peak my interest and will provide me to live off. I want something that is new and interesting to me so I can move on quickly and not keep waiting - what part of that is hard for people to understand?

Those novels wouldn't doubt it might be true in those novels after all.

The best part is when the idiots say go see a recruiter....really? Saw quite a bit and had my time wasted like no tomorrow! All it was just talk I don't want to talk dammit get me a job today, in five minutes, or tomorrow so I can move on. Why are we wasting time talking and not putting any action to it?!? Why is this so damn hard?! So tired of this **** how many more headaches does one need to keep going? There's way too much time being wasted. I got advice from a campus counselor on my situation she said 'we gotta work harder than the whites,' I didn't come there to hear that! I need to go the extra mile in my dept really? I have already done that the extra mile for me is getting a full time job she knows it's very hard within a college environment now to get a full time and she knows I have zero plans on waiting.