What do you do when you have accepted a position thru an agency and you continue to look on your own. You then find one that best fits you. What do you do?

I was temping and landed a great job, but there were two other temps who were harassing me and after 6 weeks I had enough. I filed a complaint with my temp agency who later told me I was very unprofessional. HUH? I also told my Team Lead what was going on. That same day that I filed with my temp agency is the same day they fired me. I was told it was "just a coincidence" but they would "still like to work with me." This makes no sense. My Team Lead was always telling me what I great job I was doing and she also told me that the two others had a lot more mistakes than I did. They really liked me. I slipped into a depression and my anxiety was thru the roof. The temp agency told me that the Company I was temping for decided to let me go 'cuz I had left some forms lying on my desk and we aren't supposed to do that. It just doesn't make any sense. So now I'm looking for another job and I'm just so angry over how everything went about. Does anyone have any advice?

I wanted to share some of the off-beat ways myself and people I know have found work. Possibly it is not that unusual to some, but in case it might help some, I'd like to share. And I am sure there are other users here who can chime in with their own ideas and experiences to help us all broaden our minds in our job search approach.

When I was young, I found more than one really excellent job in what I call "the easy way". I think of it as "easy", because you pretty much bypass all the stress anxiety and waiting of the usual job call back and interview process. I am probably stating the obvious, but something that is really big these days is working temp jobs. I know some may experience this or view it as being a dead end, but for me it was quite the opposite. Yes, you have to pay your dues, but the plus side is that people are more relaxed around a temp, they are not trying so hard to impress you. You don't have to impress them to get in the door, either. You do need to impress upon them that they need you to stick around, and so taking temp jobs seriously can lead to much bigger and better things you didn't anticipate at first.

I also like the temp job option, in that you get to see if you would really BE happy in that position, in that company's culture, under its management, etc. I was once offered what some might have considered a very desirable job, due to some of the fringe benefits and other aspects, but after being there a couple weeks as a temp, and seeing how miserable the staff was working under the woman in charge, I was so thankful I had gotten a peek into their world and knew to run, not walk, away.

Another job I managed to get at a great company that really treated its employees as royalty, was also as a temp. The man I worked for really took to me in the position, and told HR he wanted to keep me. The trick is to find jobs where there may be more of a potential for hiring on, and then dazzle them with your greatness. Hold nothing back, act like you belong there, show you care about what they are doing, and about your part in it, and give it your all. And if you end up in a temp position and feel like you are not being given enough instruction in the job, don't hesitate to go to HR or the supervisor to get more input on how to better perform the tasks, because each company has different methods and expectations. Tell them you really want to do the best job possible for them and that will help open up the discussion.

Another way I have seen a person get a job as a private contractor (which gave him good pay and valuable experience at a really hard to get into company), was by contacting one of our manufacturing engineers directly. He began to get to know him, ask him about his job, and for advice in working in his chosen field. Eventually, this led to him shadowing the employee at the office, and they were so impressed with his knowledge and drive, they gave him a position for a while. This is also a great method for any line of employment - get to know someone who does that type of work, and pick their brain as to how they got there, what they did before that job, what they like about their work, what is most challenging, what type of training it took to be qualified, etc.

Another way I got a job that gave me some valuable, higher level experience was by accepting a job with a smaller company, where I could be in charge of more, and really expand my resume - wear many hats at once, but without all the stress. I also found this job in an unexpected way. The man owned his own successful modern clothing store, and needed a personal assistant/bookkeeper/office manager. He didn't trust just anyone, but he got to know me at a church Bible study and that is how he came to trust me, and offered me the job. That took away the "stranger danger" aspect of hiring me - for someone like him who is really protective with his business. Churches, social clubs, sports activities, volunteer groups, community service of other types, there are so many great ways to network. Be vocal that you are looking for work, and what type of work you prefer, or qualifications you have, and plant those seeds. Some people feel more comfortable working with someone they see as a friendly acquaintance. So, if you want to move up in your career but cannot find a way to get the experience, working for a really small establishment for a while can do just that for you.

There are often also low cost training programs, such as employment training through a local county Career Center, Adult School, or other program. You can earn certificates quickly and easily that will help bolster your resume and help make you more marketable. Sometimes they also offer some assistance with job placement, as employers are looking for workers who are motivated, open to learning, and up to date in their skills.

It can be hard to find job listings in your area, but there are sometimes local classifieds online that really are more focused in your locale, and you can have a better time actually connecting with an employer. One such example is Craigslist. It is free to use and employers post all sorts of jobs there that you might not find elsewhere. Your area may have something similar. You can also post your resume there, too. (forgive me some of you if I am stating the obvious).

Another place to look, is on the job boards at local community colleges, usually in the student center or career center.

I have also found offbeat jobs in free local publications, such as The Reader here in southern California. I found a job assisting a court reporter that allowed me to stay home with my kids and work on the computer, editing his work. I also took on a couple bookkeeping clients that were friends or friends of friends, utilizing the skills I had learned on my previous job, allowing me to work at home and bill as an independent, making my own hours. If you can learn accounting, you will always be in demand.

Lastly - I will leave you with some links that might be of interest - on finding those "unadvertised" jobs:

Forbes article - Six Ways to Crack the 'Hidden' Job Market http://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2013/08/12/6-ways-to-crack-the-hidden-job-market/

How to Find Unadvertised Jobs and Use Unofficial Recruiting http://info.theladders.com/career-advice/how-to-find-unadvertised-jobs-unofficial