Temporary and part-time employment spikes as retailers and other businesses increase staffing to accommodate their seasonal growth in business. Seasonal staffing allows for businesses to supplement existing staff for a specified duration to support spikes in business. Seasonal work also provides job seekers with options to earn extra income parallel with their full-time career without committing to long term employment. Some work seasonal jobs to pay for holiday shopping, school expenses, traveling costs or even to just build experience for their resume. Most people work seasonally for the reasons just provided but there are others that make a career by mixing and matching seasonal jobs, so they work when and where they desire. While the Summer and Winter months are hot for seasonal jobs, there may be more opportunities for seasonal work throughout the year than you thought.
Retail
An obvious and most familiar seasonal job is certainly retail work during the holiday season. For many retailers, the holiday shopping season is a "make or break" period which can define their bottom lines for the entire year. These jobs tend to open during the fall and continue just after the holidays to also support purchase exchanges and returns. Retailers look for seasonal workers for cashiering, merchandising, customer service, gift wrapping and greeters. There are even night shifts to restock shelves and tidy up product after a busy holiday business day. These jobs typically require strong customer service skills and flexible schedule to work evenings, weekends and sometimes holidays. Typical seasonal retail work pays at the local minimum wage but can also be higher to compete with fellow retail businesses.Hospitality
Depending on location, there are opportunities throughout the year to find seasonal employment within the hospitality industry. Hotels, restaurants, conference facilities and casinos are just a few examples of types of businesses looking for supplemental staff. These businesses are not exclusive to Summer travel hot spots but are in need throughout the year. Winter resort locations, Spring conferences, hotels in the Fall. Businesses need seasonal workers for waiting and bussing tables, bartending, concierge, kitchen staff, bellhops, housekeeping and more. Hospitality seasonal work typically depends on tourism and travel spikes for that location. Income for these jobs depends on the specific position.Tour and Travel Guides
Do you have amazing social skills, have superb organizational skills and enjoy learning and sharing information? A tour or travel guide may be a perfect fit. Depending on the location, seasonal opportunities increase throughout the year for various tourism spots. Summer is most definitely the largest peak in seasonal tour and travel guide work for national parks, historic sites, museums and popular areas of interest. These jobs require strong social, communication and organizational skills. A great sense of humor is also always helpful. Some of these jobs may require a specific license for driving tours, to be physically fit for outdoor walking/biking tours or just being knowledgeable for museum type tours. Seasonal work may start at the local minimum wage or could be as high as $30 per hour.Camp Jobs
For someone with an educational background, seasonal camp jobs could be great. This option may be perfect for a teacher or high school/college student for additional income during the Summer or Spring break. There are many opportunities during the Winter months as well that accommodate youth groups, ski/snowboarding schools and couple retreats. The camps have a variety of seasonal jobs available such as camp counselor/director, activity/adventure guide (hiking, boating, kayaking, swimming, horseback riding etc.), nature/educational guide and food prep positions. Many camps offer free room and board to reduce expenses and get the most out of your seasonal income. Wages range based on type of job, skills required for specific position and prior experience.While we've provided just a few examples of seasonal work, there are certainly more seasonal opportunities than listed above. Search for seasonal openings through online job boards and inquire directly with the retailer, resort or place of business.