So far, I really like this company. I submitted a resume, and they got back to me not too long after. Eventually they came to me with a position that seemed really great for where I was in my professional journey. We set up an interview, they gave me a quick prep interview and I felt decently prepared. At first, the assignment had decided to move on with another candidate, and Contemporaries offered me a new assignment almost immediately. Before we could make any moves on that position, I got an offer from the original position! So far, I love the position, and I hope to be permanent at the end of this assignment. Without Contemporaries I'd still be looking on Indeed so I am very grateful. read more

After a few assignments, Contemporaries found the perfect assignment for me in November 2014! It was a temp-perm position. When the assignment was over, I was hired as permanent! I've now been with my company for 3 years. I LOVE my job/career! If it was not for this agency and their connections, I would have never found this perfect fit! Be patient, work hard, be RELIABLE, and they will work with you to find exactly what you are looking for. It takes time. Show them that you WANT THIS and believe me, they will eventually find it for you! It takes two to tango. I highly recommend this agency and would definitely use them again if I am ever looking to change fields! read more

Fantastic experience so far. I emailed my resume and was called back within the week to interview for a specific position within a government agency. Perfect match for my skill set and personality. Low pay to begin with, but over 90% of people they have placed here have gone permanent, and it is a way to get your foot in the door to very well-paying jobs once you prove yourself. I was surprised by many of the bad reviews that I saw on here, but I have a sneaking suspicion as to what is really going on. This is not an employee mill, it is an agency that works like none other that I have ever worked with. If you work with them, they know who you are. They don't waste their time on people who have applied with as many agencies as they could, purely because that wastes their time and undermines the relationship they have with their clients. They determine your skills AND personality, and recommend just ONE person for each position, so not many people are chosen. The new generation of go-getters seem to have a hard time with this concept, and seem to expect to be pandered to. If you work with a temp agency - any agency, you are on trial. This means you are on your best behavior, you do not take sick days like the regular employees, you do not get paid like the regular employees, and cannot forget that you are more like a house guest, and not yet like family. But don't worry, if you work hard and persist, your time will come. If you are not prepared to do this, find a different agency. read more

If I could give this place zero stars, I most certainly would. Never have I been treated so badly at a staffing company! These women (and, I'm sure, men, though I only spoke to women) were rude and unhelpful to the extreme. I'm convinced that the good reviews on here are written by the people who work there, as the people I know who have worked for them have all said the same thing: they are awful. Simply put: stay away. If you haven't already applied to them, go to Monument or Hollister instead. If you have: run. Run as fast as you can. read more

Upon submitting my resume to Contemporaries and scheduling an interview, I met one of the recruiters, Donna. We immediately hit it off when I recognized her professionalism and diligence towards placing her temps quickly and when she saw my desire to get into the work field as soon as possible and to find a good match. I took a typing and word processing test and then spoke to her regarding what I was looking for and my available time frame. I originally wanted to work in the health care industry. However, Donna got back to me promptly the very next morning with a great paying job with a real estate management company that was just too good to turn down. I worked with the company for 3 months and loved every minute of it. My coworkers were amiable and funny and my boss kept me busy, busy, busy. When I wasn't occupied, I took the initiative and found some small project to work on. She was very energetic and the best boss I have had thus far throughout my employment experiences. A few tips: Dress business professional upon your interview, act professional, and brush up on your typing speed and word processing skills. Be honest with what kind of job you are looking for, but be open to a good opportunity when it comes along. Most importantly, show them your personality. If you are a bit timid, they will give you a slower paced assignment. But I think the worst thing is to be stuck in a position where you are just twiddling your thumbs. If you are eager and straight forward, they will assign you to a fast-paced environment and will be able to place you much more quickly. Their goal is to not only find you a job but to find the best fit for the companies that rely on them. I have already recommended the company to another friend who scored well on their preliminary tests and was placed quickly at different assignments. I am currently on vacation, but when I return to Boston I will be referring to them again for another wonderful placement. Contemporaries has an outstanding ability to place you with a company that works for both you and them, and if the fit is not right, they will be able to quickly place you with another company. Whether you are looking for a short term placement or for a temp-to-perm position, this is the right temp agency to work with! read more

I have been working with Contemporaries for about two years, and it's been a great experience. I had submitted my resume to them in the middle of July 2010, and was asked to come in and meet with the head recruiter within several days. After that, I was kept consistently employed for almost two years. I consider myself incredibly fortunate that I was kept working; I never had to worry about 'down times' or lags with Contemporaries from assignment to assignment. My last assignment, in fact, lasted over a year, and it was quite a plum job. Furthermore, I didn't have a bad match with any of the assignments I received there. I really enjoyed all the places/environments in which I was assigned, and made some good friends and acquaintances through them, on top of garnering a lot of unexpected skills. I was looking specifically for state and/or higher education administration-related jobs, and those were the jobs on which I was placed. The office was quick to help, kept me working, and helped me land a job for which I am absolutely thrilled. The office also makes sure to call and touch base with its employees to see how the job is doing. It was never hard to get in contact with anybody if I had a question, and they were always prompt in keeping me in placements. A million thanks to Contemporaries! read more

Worst employment experience I've ever had. I landed a temp job working for a government agency through Contemporaries - my time at the job itself was fantastic. I learned a lot, worked hard, and was highly regarded and respected by my colleagues, the permanent employees, and management. However, these folks don't have a clue about how to effectively communicate with their own clients. I was out sick one day, and called my manager at the government agency to let them know - but it had turned out that my managers, purely out of concern for me, had already called Contemporaries looking for me. A day later, I was terminated from Contemporaries and instructed not to contact anyone from my job, because of my "absenteeism". My director then called me directly, wondering why I wasn't in the office - I explained the situation to her, told her I was terminated by Contemporaries, and that prompted a conference call between the director at Contemporaries and my own director with me. They agreed to re-hire me, mainly because they were terrified of losing their amazing account with the government agency, since the director was extremely happy with me and my work. This happened once again, a month later, and I never went back after being terminated a second time. Overall - my employment experience with the government agency was spectacular, but I will never work with a chop-shop type temp agency again, no matter how desperate I might be to find work. The pay was measly, they treated me like a total piece of crap, while I had/have great marketable skills that landed me a much better job within the next few days. I sincerely hope that people that do business and treat employees like Contemporaries treated me go out of business as soon as possible, as I strongly believe organizations like this one end up setting people with highly marketable skills up for failure with a total lack of managerial or communicative skill. I've worked as a corporate professional for over 5 years, and there is nothing professional about Contemporaries. read more

I had amazing luck with Contemporaries. The only thing about them is you have to be a bit active with them while they're looking to find you work. If you just sit back and wait for them to call you with employment opportunities, I think they put you at the bottom of their list and you will be waiting for a very long time. That said, if you are active with them, they really do try to match you with a job that you might enjoy, rather than placing you just anywhere (like many temp agencies do). My experience is as follows: I emailed them my resume and called them right afterwards, as they suggested you to on their website. (According to my housemate, they say you should email or call to double check the status of your resume, but as she never heard back from them and I did within a week, I would suggest calling). When they first called me back to let me know that that my resume looked like I'd be someone they could find work for, they had me come in, interviewed me to find out the type of jobs I'd be interested in and the ones I would absolutely hate, had me take a typing test, etc. Then they had me call in for about a week, twice a day, just to see if they had any openings. This was a bit tedious, but communication is very key with this temp agency and really, in the end I think it's worth it. Also, a benefit of me calling was that they explained to me why they were taking a little while to find me work and were apologetic (they just had a company fire all of their temps, so they had a lot they had to put back to work), but also recognized that I was calling them and assured me that my efforts were putting me at the top of the list. They actually called me when they found me work...twice. They found one job for me and then, before the CORI check was even placed for that job, they called me back with another job that they felt was a better fit (also which began sooner, because it didn't require a CORI check). Also, after I began working, they asked I call a couple times just to let them know how it is going there, if I was enjoying it or if they'd rather place me somewhere else (and what I did/didn't enjoy about it). This is really what I think is so great about this agency: they really try to match you up with jobs that you are right for. So, basically, you get out of this temp agency what you put into it. If you talk to them and really let them know what you want, they will do their best to try to match you with something that fits you. read more

I had a fabulous experience with Contemporaries. They were incredibly diligent with calling me daily and finding me temp/temp-to-perm positions. Donna and Samantha were completely professional from start to finish and kept in touch regularly after I started my position to ensure the fit was right for me. They made sure my resume was tailored to the job I was applying for. They were detailed and responsive, and I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a position. read more

Sent my resume and called. This is how the conversation went: Me: I am following up to make sure you received my resume and to find out what the next steps are. I would like to come in to interview with one of your recruiters. Contemporaries rep: Yeah, we got your resume. Are you currently working? Me: No. Contemporaries; So what have you been doing all this time? Me: (thinking: Are you f8888ing serious? What do you think I've been doing all this time but looking for a job!!) I explained to her my situation honestly and she was not impressed and I could tell she probably threw my resume away right then and there. Contemporaries: Well, this is how it works, if someting matching your skills comes up, we will contact you. If we don't contact you, it just means that we don't have anything matching your skills. The impression I got is that they don't care. Oh, and by the way, it's been over three months and I have not heard from them. read more

I've worked with Contemporaries for several years, and the experience has been consistently excellent. As an artist, I have preferred the flexibility of temp work and have signed on with a number of agencies. Of all of them, Contemporaries has gotten me the best-paying, most pleasant, and longest running assignments. The great staff at Contemporaries have always looked out for my best interests. This agency assures temps of good working conditions, accurate job descriptions, and fair pay rates. They check in regularly to hear from their temps how things are going on a job, and they are quick to help their people resolve problems or change an assignment that's not a good fit. What's more, they support both temps and clients by matching the client's job to your skill set. If you are smart and hardworking, you can advance your career by working with Contemporaries. Like any agency, you have to call in often to get to the top of the list for new jobs. After all, in today's economy, there are going to be more people than available assignments on any given day, so if you are ready to work, make sure they know it. But once you get an assignment, just do your professional best, and they will keep working to support you. The more you prove your talents, the more you can rely on them to find you good work. They're not like other agencies that just fulfill a contract and forget you exist. Contemporaries works hard to keep their temps continuously employed and to provide many of the earned perks that come with long-term, full-time jobs. All temp work requires a lot of proactive effort by the worker, but in my experience, Contemporaries gives more back for that effort than any other agency. That's why I've stayed with them for years. I recommend them over all others for both jobseekers and companies looking for temp workers. Contemporaries rocks. read more

Comtemporaries is a wonderful temp agency! They got me working really quickly... I sent my resume over, interviewed the following day, and was working the day after that. In addition to being really efficient, the staff took the time to get to know me, my interests, and my concerns. They really look out for their staffers and all my placements have been fun and interesting. I don't hesitate to say that they are the best temp agency in Boston! read more

I did well in college, excelled in my extracurricular activities, and try my best to be a courteous hard worker....WHY WON'T ANYONE HIRE ME??? After sending resume after resume with no response, it was suggested that I give an employment agency a try. Contemporaries Inc. was among the businesses that popped up, and since their website was the easiest to navigate and the process seemed straightforward, (simply email your resume, indicate your job preferences and follow-up with a phone call) I gave them a try. And I'm so glad I did! I was asked to come in the same week for an interview, but unfortunately I was sick on the big day. They were very accommodating and allowed me to reschedule for the next week. That was a Thursday. On Friday morning I called the office and was offered a full-time position at a local university...this was just the type of position I was looking for! Actually, I had applied to some jobs at that same university and never heard anything, so I was really excited that I was going to start working there on Monday. It's clear that the staff really listened to my interests and gave me the opportunity to use my skill set. I have been at the same site for the past 4 months, and I must say I'm quite lucky. The ladies I work with are very sweet, and I have been introduced to the wonderful world of engineering, an area which I hope to pursue. Every so often I receive a phone call from the lovely Janet, who checks in with me to make sure everything is going well at my position. I appreciate this gesture because I know that I have someone supporting me who wants me to succeed. It gives me that extra motivation to try my best. In sum, Contemporaries Inc. will find you a job that matches your interests and skills in a quick and efficient manner. If you are open to new opportunities you could not only find a new job, but a new career as well! read more

One of the most frustrating temp agencies I have ever been to. Contacted them in late December after finding them online. Were very prompt in getting back to me and asked me to come in for an interview. Things seemed to be going well. At the end of the initial interview they informed me that I would need to call in twice a day to be considered for positions. Seeing as I had nothing else going for me, I accepted. Fast forward to almost 2 months later. Every week I was promised the market would pick up soon and that I just needed to keep calling in. Occasionally they would ask me if I was registered with any other agencies. I told them yes, but they hadn't gotten me a position yet, to which they would respond with mid concern. Also expressed concern that I would need a day's notice to accept an assignment. I don't know what they thought, but I got the impression they expected me to wait around all day to see if I would get a call and come in on a moment's notice. They did eventually offer me a position for one week at $10 an hour, telling me it was an excellent opportunity and I should definitely take it. I explained at this point (early Feb) that I had made appointments for that week and could not accept, to which they got very annoyed and said they couldn't guarantee when the next position would come up and I should try to reschedule my appointments. Long story short, I told them no, they never spoke to me again and I got a very well paying job through Kelly Services the next week. Avoid if you value your time! read more

Contemporaries has far exceeded my expectations. This was my first experience using a temp agency. Within two days of receiving my resume, they had called me to come into the office for an interview. Sam, who would later become my contact, conducted my interview to make sure they would be able to find a good fit for me. They had a full time position for me the following week. My first contract was an office operations position at a biotech start up and lasted three months. Contemporaries negotiated a good wage for me and Sam called weekly to make sure the position was a good fit. Once that contract ended, Sam and I kept in touch about upcoming opportunities. Within a couple weeks she had another position, this time 2 months, at a non-profit. This was in a project management role and she was able to negotiate an even better wage. I've been very impressed with Contemporaries' communication and response time. If Sam is unavailable (which is very rare) someone always takes the time to politely speak with me. They definitely expect the same from you too. They make it very clear that they expect you to make contact weekly and return calls quickly. Overall, my experience with Contemporaries has been very positive. read more

Boston Contemporaries is an amazing organization. I was in-between two job contracts this Spring, and had several months where i was unsure of where I would get income. I have lived in the Boston area for a few years, and I have felt like an item on an assembly line when I have tried other temp agencies in Boston for summer work. You will NOT have this experience with Boston Contemporaries. From the moment I heard Donna's voice on the phone, I knew this temp experience was going to be different. She has so many years of experience in the field, and is the definition of a professional. Her integrity is top-notch, and her bright personality immediately put me at ease. I went in for an interview within a few days of initially submitting my resume. Tuoyang facilitated my interview, and I was so appreciate of his ability to learn about my professional accomplishments and history without boring me to tears. He seemed genuinely interested in both supporting my goals and fulfilling the needs of their clients. I later found out, he is authentically connected to both the experience of the temp worker and the hiring organization. It has been a pleasure to work with him. I needed work before a contract starts in a few months, so Tuoyang and Donna both worked diligently to find the best location to meet my time line and the requests of their work orders. Throughout the process, I could count on always getting a live voice on the end of the line, and getting prompt responses to emails from them. If I had a personal or professional concern, Tuoyang and Donna were swift to get me whatever supports the situation needed. They have gone above and beyond any expectations I could have hoped for in my transitional professional time. Not only is this organization incredible to work for, they are terrific to hire. Their 20+ years of experience speak volumes for their dedicated and responsible practices. I urge you to be in touch with them for any temp work needs you may encounter! read more

I was re-entering the workforce after years of self-employment and thought it would be best to work temporarily for awhile to ensure my skills were top-notch. I applied to Contemporaries and am very glad I did. Within a week, they called and I went in for an interview. I liked the professionalism and honesty of all the staff, particularly Donna. I took some on-line skills assessment tests and was called within a few days for a position. The position was terrific, the client company was great and I stayed for five months (more than the two months we originally expected). I was sorry to leave but had a commitment to meet in another state. Throughout the five months, Contemporaries stayed in touch (but not too much), made sure I was paid, and balanced the needs of the client company with mine as their employee. I ended up moving out of state and have been looking for a temp agency as good as Contemporaries in my new location. If you have the opportunity to work with them, I suggest you do so. read more

I reached out to this agency in hopes of finding an administrative position. One female recruiter whom I spoke with was very enthusiastic and had high hopes to find me a position. We spoke on a Thursday and she asked me if I could come into the office the next day and I complied. I was on my way to the interview when I heard word of a family emergency and had to turn around and go home. When I called this recruiter and let her know that I needed to reschedule our meeting because of this news, I could tell she was less than pleased. But she calmly told me to give her a call the following Monday and wished me luck. Later that Friday afternoon, I received a job offer in an email from a company that I had previously applied to work for. This came as a surprise; they had not gotten back to me for almost a month so I was sure they had found someone else. I spent that weekend contemplating whether or not to take it. On Monday, I decided that I would send them a reply email accepting the position. Out of respect, I was also planning on informing my recruiter from Contemporaries that I no longer needed her assistance. Before I got around to it, I got a call early Monday morning from a different Contemporaries recruiter wanting to speak to me about a position (I assume the recruiters were sharing my resume, an act of teamwork which I respected and appreciated). But when I told her that I had received an unexpected job offer on Friday, she responded bitterly, "So why did you take a direct hire job if you were looking for temp?" I was so taken aback by her brazen attitude that I said, "Excuse me?" to see if I had actually heard her correctly. She repeated it in the same rude tone. I found myself justifying why I had taken an offer than I had worked hard to obtain. She made it seem like I was intentionally manipulating and sabotaging her service. It wasn't long before I came to terms with the absurdity of the conversation and told her that I did not want to continue working with Contemporaries and hung up. As someone who has worked for a Boston staffing agency, I understand that prospective candidates can be fickle. However, it is the recruiter's job to avoid getting wrapped up in the emotions of these situations and letting the prospect know that they understand unexpected factors can interrupt the process, and then move on with their business. In my experience on both sides of the industry, it is a good reflection on the company when a recruiter responds respectfully, even if that isn't their first instinct. Again, I understand that a staffing job can be stressful and frustrating, but it is very possible to maintain a certain level of etiquette when things do not go as planned. I know this because I have seen it firsthand on multiple occasions. Therefore if a candidate's decision is not to a recruiter's liking, maintaining a certain amount of politeness and professionalism in their reaction does not seem like too much to ask for. Apparently with this particular Contemporaries recruiter, it was. Judging by all of the positive feedback that I have seen on this website, I have no doubt that Contemporaries is a perfectly competent business. Unfortunately I was caught in the crossfire between this specific recruiter and her goal, and she made it very clear to me that my decision had inconvenienced her as she had already spoken to the client about me. While I do feel that I should've notified Contemporaries of the offer at an earlier date, it is not my job to hold their hand throughout my job search. These things happen often in this industry, and recruiters should know that. I can't imagine my news of accepting another job offer was the first time they heard such a response. In fact, in many instances a candidate does not even get back to their recruiter about a change in plans, therefore using the silent treatment to let the recruiter figure out that they no longer need assistance. Not only had I never spoken to this woman in my life, I also did not utter any word of disrespect towards her that would warrant such a volatile reaction. Although I did not appreciate the aggressive questioning, I would rather not state her name given the possibility that she might've had an off morning, something realize could've been a factor. But I did feel obligated to draft this post as it brings to light both the importance of having a professional filter as well as the fact that an emotional reaction of an employee could taint the reputation of the business they seek to represent. read more

At first thought they were great, very nice people, but it is ridiculous that they will call you for a job and expect you to to be ready at a moment's notice, and expect you to call twice a day to see if they have something. The point is for them to help you, not have to be reminded. In general found that i was treated poorly and condescended to. read more

Contemporaries had perfect timing for my situation. I was a recent graduate struggling to pay rent when a friend referred me to this company. They called me in for an interview, and the next day I had a position. That position has since transferred to permanent thanks to the efforts of Sam, Michael, Sarah, and Donna. Sam called me to check in once each week, and made sure that I was enjoying my stay at this position. When the company I was temping for offered me a full-time job, Sam and Donna helped to make the process as smooth as possible. I'm now happily employed with a salaried position, and I couldn't be more grateful. read more

Contemporaries is a great place to go if you are looking to be placed at a ready-to-be filled position. They don't take into consideration your major/career path at all. They have clients that they need to fill jobs for. My experience was as follows: I emailed them my resume, and called right after. I was told to call at 8:30 am the next day, and they asked me to come in. I had to do an online computer test before I was considered for any position. I went in for a rather long interview and was told the second I arrived that they felt they had a job for me already. I was confused, seeing as how they hadn't asked me any of my interests/career paths/dreams at all, but I was desperate for a job. They called me shortly after I left to tell me that they had indeed found the job for me! The lady threw a bunch of information at me in a five minute span, until I finally was able to mutter "where exactly is this job located" and she sounded irritated as she told me it was for the transportation system. Sure. Whatever. I need money. I showed up to the job the very next day, completely confused and lost because the location was difficult to get to. I was pushed into agreeing to stay at this job for an exteded period of time because they were "sick of people quitting" on them. Oh. Great. You want me to commit to this job before I start, yet everyone hates it and quits? awwwwwwesome. So I said I would try it out and see if it was for me but I couldnt promise anything at that point in time. The work was easy, annoying, and I felt stupid the whole time. The 'manager' was super busy and would just come in and throw things at me to do with literally no explanation. Most of my job consisted of putting name tags on folders. Yay college degree. I was making 12$ an hour. They asked me to come into work at 7 am every morning. I explained to them that my transportation took an 1 hr and 15 minutes but they didnt care. I tried it for two weeks and was miserable. I gave up and went to another staffing agency. While Contemporaries is a nice place with a really nice staff, they are pushy and don't really care what you are interested in. Not to mention the calling twice a day thing to make sure you're alright and that you still 'like' the job. I realized I was talking to them on the phone more than my own mother. They pushed the importance of "honesty" with me a lot so I was honest with the woman and let her know the job wasn't for me. She made me return the key that was given to me and was literally pushing me out the door. So much for honesty. So yes if you are looking for some chump change jobs (we all get desperate sometimes) then yes choose them. read more

I believe the five star reviewer mentioned luck. Luck must have a lot to do with getting a job through Contemporaries. Not skill, education or temerity. If you are looking for professionalism, prepare to be disappointed. I do not understand the experiences of the five star reviewers because it has not coincided with what little interaction I have had with this agency over three separate occasions, all of which were in reference to their instructions to me the job applicant. Everything seems quite disorganized and old tech. PSG, while not the best, has always successfully placed me in positions when I have sought them, in addition to the Beacon Hill Staffing Group and Boylston Staffing, both of which are superior choices to Contemporaries. read more

This company does not take even a moment to contact you to get to know you, what your skills are, or where you want to be placed. Even with calling them, they are VERY unhelpful. three star rating at this point... maybe it's more around 1-3. They might work for you but they didn't for me. Best of luck finding the right position and the right agency! read more

If you want to feel belittled, disrespected, and still jobless, Contemporaries may be the place for you. What did you say? That you'll endure incompetence and being treated llke you're nobody for a job? Yeah, unfortunately so would I. But how about all that plus you DON"T get that $10/hr job from them. They make it seem like the $10/hr job they offer is the holy grail. You go to their interview, submit your resume, take a computerized test, and then call them twice a day, specifically at 8:30 am and 4pm, for a chance at one of their crappy jobs. From the questions she gave me, it was obvious the twenty-something year old worker there, Emily, hadn't even looked at my resume nor cared. When I asked if I could call in anytime or if it had to be specifically at 8:30 each morning, the girl said quite flippantly that I did specifically at 8:30 and that other people do it. So I call them at 8:30am, and they're like "What? You're looking for a job?" After I say "yes, I am," they tell me right away without even checking who I am, that there are many people ahead of me looking for a job. No job offers, just more validation that they could care less with a condescending attitude. I am a polite, educated person and I refuse to be treated this way. It's bad enough being jobless, but to be treated like you're nothing? I'm going to look elsewhere for my job. read more