If you rule out receptionist jobs then yes, ANY temp agency will be less inclined to work with you these days. I’m sorry, but that’s reality. I understand - I HATE phones with a passion, always have. I also first worked for a temp agency as far back as 1983 and off and on since then (between permanent jobs), I have YEARS of experience working for temp agencies, and I don’t care WHAT you do, you have to be able and willing to answer phones.
Even after I got to the point with an agency where I was sent on assignments where I NEVER had to touch a phone I’d still be willing to take a short term receptionist job in a pinch to help the agency fill an order. (Usually around the Christmas holiday - not being a Christian I have always been willing willing to work Christian holidays, which has occasionally made me an asset to an employer).
Yes, it’s because you’re a women. Back when I started temping it was common for customers to specify they wanted a “pretty” woman for reception work. In fact, it wasn’t uncommon back then for them to specify a thin, young, WHITE woman for temp work, sometimes even “ordering” a particular hair color or bust size. The workers sent on assignment usually didn’t see that part of the order taking, by the way, but it did occur. It’s not even whether you’re good or not in some cases, sometimes it’s men wanting something pretty to leer at, or for their customers to leer at.
This has become less common (thankfully!) although as recently as three years ago I was told at one interview that, being over 30, I was too old to be a receptionist (I’m actually over 40, but didn’t want to mention that) and in another case I was told by a potential employer that if I’d get a breast enhancement he’d consider hiring me. Clearly, these people are not, actually, looking for phone skills. At least, it’s not the top of the list. And equally clearly these men (it’s always men) do NOT want a male receptionist.
Temp agencies get a LOT of orders for receptionists because it’s a shit job, especially as a temporary. It’s called paying your dues.
If you really can’t stand doing receptionist work then either seek out an agency that specializes in something else, or seek other work. If you MUST take receptionist work grit your teeth but when you call for more work say “While I am capable of working as a receptionist I’d REALLY like something else - what is available that doesn’t require phone work?” Will that always work? No. But it keeps reminding them you want to do something else
Ha. Ha- ha- ha. AH-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
You have OBVIOUSLY never worked as a receptionist!
No, it’s a difficult, shitty, often stressful job. I’m serious. You have NO idea how abusive people can be over the phone. It’s appalling. And you have to smile and be polite even when someone is saying something appalling to you or asking you if you like to fuck dobermans and how much do you charge for him to video tape you doing it. Aside from mere profanity and sexual solicitation, I’ve also had callers threaten violence (“I’m going to come down there and shoot everyone, starting with you, bitch!”) or threaten to sue me (“What? I’m just the temp!”). You get yelled at because, it being your first day on the job, you just don’t know that Charlie’s wife should NOT be put through because at 2 pm Charlie is in his office fucking the Mexican lady who scrubs the toilets, and Zeke Smith should NEVER be put through but take a message and discard it immediately and tell the OSHA inspectors the boss is on vacation and not expected back from lunch at 1 and all the other details you’re somehow supposed to magically know (and YES - I have had to deal with ALL of the above!) - for damn sure NO ONE will tell you these things but you’re supposed to be a mind reader. And if you don’t know them you’re lucky if all you’re called is just “stupid”. And don’t bother attempting to defend yourself - no one likes an uppity cunt receptionist, just admit you’re hopelessly incompetent, you’re a terrible human being, apologize profusely, promise never to do it again, and brace yourself because this all repeats in a half an hour.
On top of that, I’ve worked places where you’ve got 10 lines, you are NEVER to let a line ring more than once, and NEVER to put anyone on hold to answer another line. I’ve been expected to sit at a desk for 8 hours with NO BATHROOM BREAK, much less lunch, despite the labor laws that violates. You are expected to remember and pronounce everyone’s name perfectly, and spell it correctly without asking how to spell it every time. You are expected to make every who calls deliriously happy yet you have no authority to do anything, even pee without express permission from your supervisor.
Then there are the reception jobs where you aren’t busy. You are supposed to sit at a desk for 8 hours ready to instantly answer the phone… and it never rings. You are NOT allowed to do anything else while waiting for the phone. You are not to read, fidget, look out the window, anything other than wait, all perky-looking, for that goddamned phone to ring.
Now - not ALL receptionist jobs are that bad. But a lot of them are. Particularly, a lot of them you get as a temp are, because clearly no one is going to put up with that shit permanently. I can’t count the number of times such sadists have lamented that they can’t get anyone to stay in their receptionist job, and they just don’t understand because OBVIOUSLY that is such a stress-free and easy job to do. Well, yes, answering the phone is easy, a toddler can do it, it’s all the other shit that makes the job such a hellish experience.
On top of that - it’s “women’s work” and thus gets no respect. Way back in the stone age (up until around 1975) you might get at least polite respect if you were, say, a college student trying to get an education or a young mother working part time or something of the sort because a lot of jobs weren’t open to women and so it wasn’t considered too unusual for a smart, talented woman to work as a receptionist because it was a job that was open to women. Now, though - if you’re behind the front desk answering the phone it’s assumed you’re TOO STUPID to be doing anything else, something more “meaningful” or important. Because, you know, if you were a competent woman you’d be a manager or something and not trading on your looks and youth for an “easy” job just coasting by.
Oh - and if the receptionist is male a lot of people assume he’s gay. I’m not sure why, maybe because it’s traditionally “woman’s work” and in the back of their heads they assume a “real man” would never take such work.
Not only that - but I’ve temped at companies that NEVER hire a permanent receptionist, they rely on the agencies to supply them one. These are usually some of the worst places to work.
God, I HATE receptionist work. And I hate answering the goddamned phone. Really, I loved it when e-mail showed up. Don’t get me wrong - I’ve cultivated excellent phone skills, if you’re on the other end of the phone you will NEVER know how much I loathe the telephone (I once admitted to a senior VP of Blue Cross Blue Shield that I HATED using the phone. He said “Really? But you’re so good at it - so professional and polite.” Well, yeah, it’s a useful job skill but just because I’m good at it doesn’t mean I like it. I’m good at wiping my ass, too, but that doesn’t mean I seek out more opportunities to do it than necessary)
(That combination of letters is not one that comes easily for me…good thing I’m not German, huh?)