Traveling contractors are hired by contingency staffing agencies and relocated to their client’s facilities to bring them the experienced talent that they can’t hire locally. These projects typically include paid travel, lodging, per diem, and guaranteed overtime each week. Project durations can range from short projects of 6 to 8 weeks up to 2+ years. Regardless of project length, contractors are only required to stay on-site for as long as the employment contract states (90 days is common) and can typically stay for as long as desired.

If your life situation allows you to travel away from home for months at a time, then contract work is a great option for many reasons. Higher pay rates, guaranteed overtime, plus per diem enable contractors to make more money in shorter timeframes. Plus, this type of work opens up doors at widely recognized companies that look good on your resume and are great for professional growth. Other perks include flexibility to pick and choose assignments so you can work on your own terms and travel the country — you’ll get to work in different cities and states throughout the United States and meet great people along the way.

Many different industries use traveling contractors and the pandemic drastically increased the need for this type of staffing support. From manufacturing and warehousing to energy and healthcare — whichever the industry, at a minimum you’ll need to have experience within the industry and many positions will require certifications. Companies hire these types of staffing agencies to find the most experienced temporary talent available so that the workforce can acclimate quickly and get to work with minimal training needed. Companies can hire temp labor with no experience from a local staffing agency — when they’re paying to bring workers in from outside the state they’re paying a premium for and expecting experienced and skilled talent.

If you don’t yet have experience in the industry you’re looking to work in, it’s unlikely you will get hired. In that case, your best bet is to work for a staffing agency local to where you live and get some manufacturing or warehousing experience first. That being said, there is no harm in applying to the travel staffing agencies to get your resume, name, and number on file.

The first step for finding your first assignment is to get your resume, name, and number on file with multiple staffing agencies that have the types of projects you’re looking for. Our directories are a great place to start:

TCJ Industrial Directory
TCJ Healthcare Directory

Applying and uploading your resume is the first step in the process. Look at each agency’s job board and apply for any positions that you’re qualified for. Travel staffing agencies have a high volume of applicants as they’re typically recruiting across the United States and for that reason, some ask applicants not to call at all. Other agencies have a recruiting team available during business hours and if they do, it’s always a good idea to follow up by phone to confirm they received your resume, you can let them know you’re interested and available for work and you can ask if they have any ongoing or upcoming projects that you’d be a good fit for.

You can and should apply to several different agencies so that you increase the number of projects that you’re considered for. Each agency will have its own set of clients, some agencies tend to have more work in certain industries and sometimes you’ll learn of projects that involve multiple agencies at the same site. At the beginning, you’ll want to do what you can to get your foot in the door. Once you’re in and you’ve proven to be a hard worker, with good communication skills, and work ethic then that agency will know it can count on you for future projects and it will get easier to find your next project. If you’ve applied, are talking with recruiters, but still haven’t landed your first assignment, it may be one of these three reasons.

Yes, you can quit a contract job but doing so will jeopardize future assignments with the agency. In fact, most will not rehire you again; some have certain timelines, such as a year, before they will reconsider rehiring you again. Agencies often use the terminology DND or DNR – meaning do not deploy or do not rehire. For more information read our post What are DNR and DND lists?

If you dislike your supervisor or the company where you were placed, keep in mind that you’re on a temporary assignment and that you’re looking to build a relationship with the agency that placed you. You have committed to a certain amount of workdays within your employment contract, so it’s best to stay through the end of your assignment so you don’t jeopardize future projects with that agency. If there are issues with the project you’re on then try speaking with your direct supervisor first or you can reach out to the recruiter that placed you.