Employment Spot

Seasonal Holiday Jobs

Gift-giving and holiday travel make the fall and winter very expensive seasons.  Some take off work to spend time with family, while others look for seasonal holiday jobs to earn a little extra cash and get in the holiday spirit of giving.  Here are some ideas if you are looking for a holiday job and temporary seasonal employment.

Retail
The holiday shopping season begins as early as October, picks up after Thanksgiving and continues up until New Years with returns and exchanges.  In fact, the day after Thanksgiving is often called “Black Friday,” referring to the idea that this is the day when retailers get out of the red and begin making their profit for the year.  With all this increase in shopping traffic, most retailers hire extra seasonal employment for the holiday season.  For example, major retailer Target hires up to 80,000 additional employees during the holidays.  Holiday jobs in retail provide a great environment for enthusiastic, hard-working individuals.  Plus, there are opportunities to work on commission, which may bring you even more extra cash this season.  Work In Retail.com is a great online database you can use to search for retail jobs.  Finally, if all the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping is too much for you, there are still options in retail.  Consider working in the warehouse or stock room of a busy department store, such as Macy’s or JCPenney, or large discount retailer like Walmart or Best Buy.  One perk of working in retail is the employee discount!

Shipping and Packaging
The malls aren’t the only ones who are busy during the holidays.  Shipping, packaging, and delivery companies are also working harder than ever, swamped with gift-baskets, presents, and overnight deliveries.  UPS, DHL, FedEx and post offices are all companies that may need additional seasonal employment during the holiday rush.  You could be sorting packages to be sent across the world or driving a delivery truck and greeting happy customers.

Tourism
Airlines, cruise ships and hotels are overflowing with travelers during the winter months.  If you live in a popular tourist destination, you may be able to pick up some extra hours working at a local resort.  What if you don’t live near the ocean?  No worries — you can also find seasonal jobs at ski resorts in the mountains.  Even tourist agencies may need extra administrative help during this time of high demand.  Seasonal holiday jobs in the travel, tourism, and the hospitality industry would be a fun way to spend the last few months of the year.

Temp Work
If you are looking for temporary holiday employment, why not work for a temporary agency?  Many employees take vacations during the winter, so employers look to temporary agencies for help in filling weekly or month-long vacancies.  Temp work is especially great if you prefer an office atmosphere.  Temporary agencies may also specialize in industrial labor, healthcare, and technology.  Some temporary agencies are local, and others are nationwide, such as Kelly Services, OfficeTeam and Manpower.  Also, many temporary jobs are temp-to-hire, meaning that if you do well, the company may offer you permanent employment.

Holiday jobs are a great way to pick up some extra hours and cash in addition to your current job.  Often times employers hire the same seasonal workers every year, so this doesn’t have to be a one-time thing.  You will also learn valuable job skills during your seasonal employment, such as the ability to work in a stressful environment and people skills, so a holiday job is definitely something to add to your resume or talk about in a future interview.

Temporary holiday employment is also a great opportunity for those of you who are currently out of work, allowing you to earn some extra money during your search for permanent employment.  There is also the possibility that one of these seasonal jobs may become permanent.  Go above and beyond your job description, always arrive on time, seek out extra tasks, and express your enthusiasm about the job.  If you are really serious about continuing in this job, speak to your manager about your desire to stay with the company.

Now the most important question is, how do you find these holiday jobs?  Try searching on Internet databases and looking through newspaper classifieds.  Or, stop by the local UPS store or a nearby hotel.  By simply walking through the mall or driving past a shopping center during the holidays, you are guaranteed to see at least one ‘Help Wanted’ sign (if not ten).  One last thing to remember – these seasonal jobs begin hiring early.  They want their employees trained and ready before the holiday rush.  Get in on the excitement and earn some extra cash this holiday season!