Table of Contents Show

Companies frequently need to hire extra workers during the summer and in the run-up to the holidays.

However, This is especially common in the retail, transportation, and tourism industries, where business typically picks up during the summer and holidays.

This article provides an overview and answers the question, “What is a seasonal job, and how does it work?”

What is a Seasonal Job?

Seasonal work is temporary work that occurs at the same time each year.

Businesses that primarily have more customers during specific seasons, for example, hire seasonal employees to assist them during their busiest times.

Other seasonal jobs are attributed to the weather influencing shopping trends and employment requirements.

Snowplow companies, for example, only need drivers in the winter when there is snow, and pools only need lifeguards in the summer.

For example, a person may choose to work seasonally for various reasons.

One of such reason is to supplement one’s income. For example, a person with a part-time job may choose a seasonal job to supplement their income.

Hence, Some college or high school students may choose seasonal work because it often aligns with their time off from school.

A seasonal job is a great way to supplement your income without committing to a full-time position. A seasonal job, like a temporary job, is short-term and has a set end date.

What are the 6 Benefits of a Seasonal Job?

Seasonal work is ideal for most people because it gives them the freedom that a non-seasonal role does not.

However, They might enjoy working as a ski instructor in the winter and having their summers free to explore and travel.

Some people prefer to work outside all summer, devoting the winter months to school or other obligations.

Depending on the severity, a seasonal job could be an excellent next step in your career.

It’s a Resume Builder (and Gap Filler)

If you don’t have any work experience, a seasonal job is a great way to start.

Seasonal jobs are also an excellent way to fill in gaps on your job application or gain additional experience, whether in your current or new career field.

Helps You Gain Experience

Seasonal jobs can help you develop your skills section as well as your job experience section.

Even if you only worked for three months, you most likely learned and used various skills.

While you most likely gained some hard skills, there’s a good chance you also improved your soft skills. Include these on your resume to help you stand out.

Obtains a Foot in the Door

Seasonal jobs can assist you in getting your foot in the door at a specific company.

While there are no promises, if you are available to work when the work is completed, the employer may be willing to continue your seasonal employment after the regular season.

Even if the seasonal job does not lead to long-term employment at that company, you are broadening your network and increasing your odds of obtaining a non-seasonal job elsewhere by making new contacts.

However, your boss might be willing to serve as a model or connect you with people looking for non-seasonal workers.

You Can Test Drive a New Job (or Career)

One ignored advantage of seasonal work is that it enables you to try a new job or career field before committing fully.

Assume you have always wanted to be a teacher. Working as a camp counselor may be the ideal seasonal job for you to acquire experience working with children while earning money.

Hence, If you discover that you enjoy working with children by the end of camp, you may have a more straightforward path to becoming a teacher.

However, if you discover that you don’t enjoy it as much as you thought, you probably have plenty of time to reconsider your career plans.

Schedules are Flexible

Seasonal jobs are sometimes the best flexible schedule jobs. Retail jobs are a good example. Stores, delivery companies, and fulfillment centers frequently extend their hours during the busy shopping season.

This allows you to work early morning or late night shifts if that is your preferred schedule.

It provides you with additional funds (and Maybe Discounts)

However, seasonal jobs are excellent ways to supplement your income.

Seasonal jobs are the ideal way to earn money quickly, whether supplementing your regular job or making money over the summer before returning to school.

However, seasonal jobs are excellent ways to supplement your income.

Seasonal jobs are the ideal way to earn money in a short time, whether it’s to supplement your regular job or earn money over the summer before returning to school.

Note:

Seasonal jobs may not be suitable for all job seekers. However, depending on the “season” of your job search, a seasonal position may be the best fit for you.

Hence, It can help you learn new skills, try out for a new job, and even lead to full-time permanent employment.

When Should You Get a Seasonal Job?

Winter and summer are the best times to look for a seasonal job.

Hence, Because many employers need to hire additional employees to handle holiday shopping demands and winter tourism for snowy vacation spots, the holiday season is an excellent time to get a seasonal job.

However, Retail and ski resort jobs are two popular winter seasonal job types.

Summer is a tourist season in many vacation destinations across the country, and many resorts, amusement parks, and outdoor activity employers require additional staffing to handle the increased traffic.

Why Should You Get a Seasonal Job?

Here are some benefits of getting a seasonal job. A seasonal job:

It helps you build your resume. A seasonal job is an excellent way to fill gaps on your resume and demonstrate that you have additional job experience.

It allows you to experiment with a new business. Seasonal jobs provide an inside look at how a company operates. This can assist you in deciding whether or not to pursue full-time opportunities with them. If you like the company’s structure, goals, and culture, you can inquire about long-term or permanent employment opportunities. If you dislike the company, you are free to leave at the end of your seasonal employment.

Allows you to try out a new business. Seasonal jobs give you an inside look at how a business operates. This can help you decide whether or not you want to pursue full-time opportunities with them. If you like the company’s structure, goals, and culture, you can inquire about permanent or long-term employment opportunities. If you don’t like the company, you can leave at the end of your seasonal employment without penalty.

Provides scheduling flexibility. Seasonal jobs do not usually have set schedules. This may allow you to negotiate your weekly schedule, giving you more flexibility. Many seasonal jobs will enable you to experience and work on something new daily.

It gets you ready for your next job. A seasonal job may assist you in developing the skills required for your next job. Once your job is finished, you may also request a reference letter from your employer.

7 Types of Seasonal Jobs

Here is a list of some common seasonal jobs you may consider:

Delivery jobs
Retail jobs
Festival jobs
Resort jobs
Tax season jobs
Outdoor jobs

1. Delivery Jobs

During the holiday season, package delivery companies typically hire more employees to help them deal with the increased volume of packages. Drivers, handlers, and package delivery helpers are among the seasonal package delivery jobs available.

Food delivery and service are other seasonal job options. During the holiday season, many people eat out and order food, which means more employees are needed to take care of customers.

2. Retail Jobs

Retail jobs include positions at malls and shopping centers for stores of all sizes and specialties. Hence, Many retail stores experience a surge in foot traffic during the holidays, necessitating the hiring of seasonal customer service representatives, sales associates, cashiers, and other employees to keep operations running smoothly.

However, If you’re looking for jobs in retail that pay well, many earn over $40,000 annually and up to $80,000 and beyond for leadership and senior management roles.

4. Festival Jobs

Festivals are held during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Events marketer, social media specialist, audio technician, public relations specialist, sales manager, bartender, food service technician, and vendor are just a few of the festival jobs available.

Beer, wine, music, arts, and other festivals are examples of festival types you might consider working at.

5. Resort Jobs

If you live near a community that is a winter or summer vacation spot, you may consider getting a seasonal job at a resort.

Seasonal jobs in retail, hospitality, customer service, social media marketing, and other fields are available at resorts.

6. Tax Season Jobs

Professional tax firms hire many employees at the start of tax season to assist clients with tax preparation and filing.

Data entry, administration, auditors, and marketing are just a few jobs available for tax preparation services.

7. Outdoor Jobs

Many outdoor attractions hire seasonal workers in the winter and summer to help with the influx of tourists during those seasons.

In the winter, you could work as a ski instructor at a resort, water park, or another amusement park. Seasonal outdoor jobs may include boating and fishing in coastal or lakeside areas.

Tips for Getting a Seasonal Job

Here are some pointers to help you find the best seasonal job for you:

Apply early: Most employers who need seasonal workers begin the hiring process two to three months before the season for which they are looking. If you are looking for a retail job for the holiday season, you should apply in early September or October.

Search online: When looking for work, online job search engines are a great resource. To attract more applicants, many businesses post seasonal and long-term job openings on these sites.

Network: Let your friends and family know you are looking for seasonal work. They may be able to refer you for a job opening they know of, which may increase your chances of getting a seasonal job.

Be flexible with your work hours: Many employers need seasonal employees who are flexible with their work schedules. Sometimes they may have to call you on busy days or cover when other employees are unavailable. They need employees they can rely on to work whenever needed, sometimes with little notice.

Check out jobs other than retail. Many retailers hire seasonal workers for distribution and call center positions. Seasonal jobs are more plentiful than sales floor retail jobs.

Take the process seriously. To increase your chances of being hired, treat the seasonal job application and interview process as if it were a full-time job.

3 Seasonal Job Examples

Here are some common seasonal jobs to consider, along with average salaries and job descriptions.

Sales Associate

National average salary: $11.32 per hour

Primary duties: Sales representatives assist customers in locating the products they seek. A sales associate assists customers by answering questions, demonstrating products, and ensuring a smooth sales process.

Tax Preparer

National average salary: $15.45 per hour

Primary duties: Tax preparers meet with clients and counsel them on the tax preparation process. They complete all tax forms for their clients and submit them to the IRS. They also audit all forms to ensure that they are filled out correctly in order to avoid penalties.

Package Delivery Driver

National average salary: $16.24 per hour

Primary duties: Delivery drivers load packages onto company trucks, transport them, and safely deliver them to businesses or clients.

3 Tips for Success at Your Seasonal Job

Here are some ideas for making an excellent first impression, having fun, and gaining valuable experience at your seasonal job:

Consider your job to be permanent.

While a seasonal job is only for a short time, the impression you make on your supervisors and coworkers is important.

Hence, You can still perform professionally if your primary goal is extra cash and you are not interested in gaining experience.

Treating a temporary job as if it were permanent can help you stand out to your employer, which could result in a great recommendation or even an offer for a full-time position with the company.

Maintain a flexible schedule.

Consider structuring a flexible schedule so that you can work when your temporary employer needs additional help.

However, If you have another employer, let both know the schedules for each job.

Also, It’s important to keep in mind that if you’re working a seasonal job alongside a permanent position, you may want to prioritize your full-time work to avoid issues with that employer.

Ask questions

Ask as many questions as possible if you want to learn new skills while working a seasonal job.

Many supervisors and coworkers are eager to assist seasonal workers with their tasks and to answer any questions they may have.

This will allow you to learn more about the job and industry while also expanding your transferable skill set for future positions.

What is a Seasonal Part-Time Job?

Seasonal part-time jobs are found in most industries and offer a flexible schedule.

These opportunities may come as freelance work, where you offer your services and time to one or multiple clients with no expectation of a permanent position.

A seasonal time job might also involve seasonal employment, in which you are recruited to work a shift at a busy period of the year when the company needs more personnel.

Contract work is another option, and it comprises a variety of obligations depending on the sector. Temporary part-time jobs pay by the hour or by the project.

How Can I Get a Seasonal Part-Time Job?

The requirements for seasonal part-time work differ according to your activities and responsibilities.

Seasonal part-time jobs may require prior experience, whereas firms seeking contract workers may demand relevant degrees.

However, Working as a freelancer necessitates some business knowledge and the ability to advertise oneself.

However, You must be able to adjust to changing situations if you intend to work part-time for seasonal jobs.

When communicating with clients, essential talents include effective written and vocal communication, attention to detail, and efficient learning of new information.

What is a Seasonal Job at Target

Every year, from mid-October to early November, seasonal opportunities for Target become available through job fairs at over 1,800 shops.

These recruiting events allow customers to stop by almost any store in their neighborhood to meet hiring personnel and interview on the spot.

Target will stage its sixth annual event at every store in 2020, which appears to continue yearly. Target plans to hire approximately 130,000 seasonal workers across its stores and logistics locations in 2019.

When Do Target Seasonal Jobs Start?

Seasonal work starts around the middle of October and lasts through the holidays and into January of the following year.

Working as a seasonal employee and impressing management is one of the most efficient strategies to finally get employed as a full-time staff member at Target. This isn’t all that difficult to accomplish when you think about it.

The ideal way is to arrive on time and prepared to work every day, to be extremely dependable, and to be prepared to step in for any staff member who misses work. Of course, there are no promises that you will be hired after three months of seasonal labor.

However, it is not uncommon for a few employees to stand out as great workers and be employed full-time due to their efforts. At the absolute least, a few seasonal employees are hired part-time.

What do Target Seasonal Jobs Pay?

Target is currently hiring for seasonal positions starting in October 2020 at a minimum wage of $15 per hour. If you haven’t noticed, this retail business pays its employees significantly more than the national minimum wage.

This suggests that there will be a large number of candidates. So, I advise applying as soon as the employment procedure for seasonal workers begins.

How Long Do Target Seasonal Jobs Last?

Target seasonal jobs typically last three months. They will be available from mid-October through mid-January. The requirements of the stores also determine this.

You may be working at a store where a large number of items are returned after the holidays, which may allow you to continue on for 1 to 2 weeks longer than usual.

You’ll have to work hard and be dependable to keep this employment. Even so, there is no guarantee of a spot.

However, in my experience, someone who sticks out from the crowd has the highest chance of being employed full-time following the holiday season.

Even if you do not get hired after the season, you will have obtained valuable experience that you can apply for elsewhere. Better yet, you can use it with your current management team.

You may apply elsewhere and then call a Target manager and tell them you desire to work at Target rather than the other store!

How to Apply for Target Seasonal Jobs

When you apply for seasonal jobs at Target, you will visit the store during the job fair and follow the recruiting staff’s instructions.

It will be straightforward. Just make sure to bring all the personal information you will need to submit in the application, such as your social security number, driver’s license, personal references, and education and career background.

If you are looking for an hourly job, try to dress casually. Dress for a salaried position in business clothing. If you are applying for a professional position, please bring your résumé and CV.

Stay away from wearing jeans or sloppy clothing. You’ll have to dress to impress because they will be sizing you up from the moment they see you.

Conclusion

Having a seasonal job gives you room also to achieve other career paths and still earn a living while you work. You can either choose to work as a part-time staff or a full-time staff.

Either way, there is room for improvement and growth on the job/career.

Frequently Asked Questions on: What is a Seasonal Job?

What Does it Mean When a Job Position is Seasonal?

Seasonal work is temporary work that occurs at the same time every year. Businesses that generally have more customers during various seasons, for example, recruit seasonal employees to help out during their busiest times.

Can a Seasonal Job Turn into a Permanent One?

Seasonal labor is sometimes required after the original termination date because plans alter.

If you make it clear early on that you are willing to work until the end date. You have a strong chance of extending your position and possibly converting the seasonal role into a permanent one.

What are the Advantages of Working Seasonal Jobs as an Employee?

It’s a resume builder (and a gap filler).
You can try out a new job (or Career).
Allows for flexible schedules.
It assists you in gaining experience.

Is the Seasonal Worker an Employee?

Seasonal work is temporary employment tied to specific times of the year and sectors (for example, fruit pickers in the agricultural sector or the tourist business) (for example, cleaners in holiday resorts).

Can You Get a Mortgage with a Seasonal Job?

Inconsistent seasonal income will almost certainly preclude you from obtaining a mortgage loan.

Mortgage lenders want reasonable certainty that your seasonal income will remain. Having one consistent employer is more beneficial than working many jobs throughout one season of the year.

FAQs

What does it mean when a job position is seasonal?

Can a seasonal job turn into permanent?

Seasonal labor is sometimes required after the original termination date because plans alter.

If you make it clear early on that you are willing to work until the end date. You have a strong chance of extending your position and possibly converting the seasonal role into a permanent one.

What are the advantages of working seasonal jobs as an employee?

It’s a resume builder (and a gap filler).
You Can Try Out a New Job (or Career).
Allows for flexible schedules.
It assists you in gaining experience.
Allows for flexible schedules.

Is seasonal worker an employee?

Can you get a mortgage with a seasonal job?

Inconsistent seasonal income will almost certainly preclude you from obtaining a mortgage loan.

Mortgage lenders want reasonable certainty that your seasonal income will remain. Having one consistent employer is more beneficial than working many jobs throughout one season of the year.