Time-Management Tips for Temps
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by Margot Carmichael Lester 
Whether you're a temp or contractor, time is of the essence, because you only get paid for the hours you actually work. Here are seven tried-and-true tips that will help you maximise your minutes.
1. Keep It Organised
Busy temps can spend a lot of time trying to find the right document at the right time. "Keeping each project's paperwork separate from other projects is the number one time-saving tip," says Bill Bliesath, who has made a business out of organising offices and homes. "For people on the go, the most efficient way to do this is to use three-ring [D-type] binders, which facilitate paper flow, save time and ensure accuracy."
Keep a notepad for each assignment and use it to record deadlines, meeting notes, etc. If you're more attached to your PC, establish a folder for each project and put every relevant email and document in it. Take notes at meetings directly on your laptop or PDA to keep all the information in one place. Then back up religiously.
2. Stock Up
If you share a desk, "take a second to find pens, paper clips, a stapler, sticky notes and whatever else you frequently use at your own desk," Bliesath advises. This will save you time later on when you actually need them. Bring your own if you don't mind schlepping.
3. Just Say No
Sometimes temps are considered dumping grounds for projects nobody else wants to do. And that can create more work than you can do in a day. Guard your personal time. Do what you can in the number of hours you are being paid for, says Erik Myers, who frequently temped before landing a full-time job. It's better to decline an assignment than it is to overcommit, as it is hard to be fantastic when you're frazzled.
Don't want to say no? Try to set up the project in stages that will give you a little more room to move. But if you don't have time to do it right, don't do it at all.
4. Identify Daily Priorities
Identify three daily priorities for each assignment. Then put each number-one priority on a central priority list. "This keeps you from forgetting about a priority item or deadline due tomorrow for Project A when you're working on Project B," says Leslie Godwin, author of From Burned Out to Fired Up: A Woman's Guide to Rekindling the Passion and Meaning in Work and Life. "This will lower your stress level and keep your bosses happy."
End each workday by writing tomorrow's to-do list. "Then schedule time to tackle to–dos," Bliesath says." The ‘I'll do it later' syndrome really bogs you down."
5. Make Your Meetings Efficient
If you're working from home, allot a specific amount of time for meetings. Tell the host you have X minutes for the meeting and ask that agenda items requiring you be handled first.
Leave a little wiggle room in case the meeting gets interesting. Alternatively, attend via conference call and simultaneously tackle other tasks like filing or clearing out your inbox, if you can type quietly.
6. Be an Active Team Member
"Regularly check in with others working on the project if you are part of a team," Godwin says. "Update your main contact to let them know how your part of the job is going. This way, if there are changes to the project that they forgot to tell you about, you'll find out sooner and waste less time."
7. Avoid Interruptions
"I'm only in the office a few hours a week, so I have to make the most of my time there," explains Sandy Brooks, an on site contractor. "When things get too loud, I'll gently ask the offending co-workers to move to another location, or I'll try to move to the conference room or something." If it's a friendly colleague, Brooks will suggest a later time to chat, like lunch or a coffee break, so she can focus on work.
