Seasonal careers are a good choice if you want to make extra money or work during a certain period. Seasonal jobs are available during various times of the year, meaning you can get one at almost any point in time. Seasonal positions are also available in many different industries.
If you are thinking about starting a seasonal career, you may have some questions about how working seasonally works. You may be wondering what type of seasonal jobs are available or how to find a seasonal career. In this article, you will learn more about seasonal careers, including qualifications and skills you may need, and tips for finding seasonal career opportunities.
What Makes a Career Seasonal?
Some industries temporarily require extra staff during peak periods because of the surge in demand from customers. These are seasonal careers. During these periods, companies will hire more people to ensure that operations continue to run smoothly with the heightened demand.
The time of the busiest season will vary depending on the industry. Although many companies experience this in the summer and winter months, peak periods can also fall in spring or autumn. For example, farms that run pumpkin patches will be busier in the fall than during other times of the year. Seasonal employment can include full-time or part-time work. This depends on the type of industry and the extent of demand from customers.
Top 10 Seasonal Careers You Should Consider in 2023
There are a wide variety of seasonal careers available to those from a range of educational backgrounds. So it is likely that there will be an opportunity in your area of interest. Below, you’ll find a list of seasonal jobs that you might be interested in.
Tax Examiner
Tax examiners inspect federal, state, and local tax returns filed by people and small businesses on behalf of the government. They reach out to taxpayers to discuss any problems noticed with the returns and let them know if they have underpaid or overpaid.
Tax season hiring usually starts during the fall because the IRS is always on the lookout for help to process returns that start to come in after the new year.
Tax Preparer
A tax preparer works for people and businesses helping them prepare, calculate, and file income tax. There are various types of tax preparers. Some have credentials from third-party organizations while others don’t.
If you have some accounting skills but wouldn’t like a full-time role, you should consider becoming a tax preparer. The tax season usually starts from January and runs through April.
Event Producers
Event producers coordinate every aspect of an event including the event space, the talent, event operations, the quality of the attendee experience, the vendors, and other logistics such as production timeline and budget.
During festive periods, there is a sharp increase in the need for event producers as many events are usually planned during these periods. The job is not easy and requires experience. If you’re clear-headed, hard-working, and meticulously detail-oriented, it might be a great fit for you.
Tutor
Tutors assist children, young adults, and college students with educational material that they have a tough time understanding. Tutors are mostly hired through an agency, though they can work directly with family and individual students as well.
Tutors are responsible for discussing the content of school assignments, reviewing the assignments, and assisting with homework. They may also help students to prepare for the ACTs or SATs. As such, the demand for tutors is higher during the school year when students need help studying for important exams. In addition, tutors will often be paid more and get better jobs if they already have a bachelor’s degree.
Audio and Video Technicians
If you have some audio/visual knowledge, and can easily get to a major event center, working as an audio video (A/V) technician might be a good seasonal job for you. In many areas, demand increases during event seasons, like the summer festival season. This creates a need for additional temporary hires.
The duties of an A/V technician include setting up or adjusting pieces of equipment for different kinds of presentations. A/V technicians can also work at concerts and sporting events.
Retail Supervisor
A retail supervisor is responsible for overseeing the affairs of other retail employees and primary sales staff. Supervisors work under a manager although in some cases, managers are also called supervisors. Supervisors train, motivate, and possibly discipline employees. They also serve as a medium between management and sales staff.
Retail supervisors must exhibit good leadership skills to be successful. They must also be able to carry the whole team along at all times. Sometimes extra supervisors are needed during a busy holiday shopping season to supervise additional staff.
Referee
Sports referees officiate games to ensure fairness and balance. There is a great job opportunity in this field because sports leagues are popular in almost every city. Referees are integral in helping to make sure leagues run smoothly no matter what type of league it is. You must know the rules of the sport well and be open to working evenings and weekends.
This is a solid option for seasonal work as most leagues will last for at least a few months. However, depending on the level of competition for the league you wish to referee for, you may be required to get additional certification and training.
Summer Camp Counselor
Summer camp counselors are recreational workers who are in charge of making sure campers enjoy their experience. Counselors are role models to kids and oversee a group of campers while directing them on their scheduled activities. You must have a great attitude and the ability to work with and encourage children.
Many summer camps hire high school students and other part-time workers. Some camps may ask you to go through first-aid or other safety training.
Lifeguards
Lifeguards are responsible for supervising patrons of an aquatic facility or beach and keeping them safe. Lifeguards prevent and respond to emergencies. Lifeguards must be skilled swimmers who can advise patrons on water safety. The need for lifeguards increases during vacation periods as more people come out to enjoy the water.
Lifeguards need six months to one year of experience for employment. Requirements include a valid CPR certificate and a recent certificate from an accredited training program.
Ski Patrol
Those on the ski patrol take responsibility for promoting and maintaining the safety of skiers. They are responsible for providing first-aid to accident victims on the ski hill as well as the transportation of injured skiers. They play a large role in making a ski area run efficiently and safely.
While there is no degree required for this position, Ski patrol professionals must have a National Ski Patrol’s (NSP) Outdoor Emergency Care certification or an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) license.
10 Seasonal Careers That Don’t Require a Degree
If you don’t have a degree but would like to be a seasonal worker, don’t worry. The majority of career opportunities within seasonal employment do not require formal education. Below you can discover some of the best opportunities and find the seasonal role that is right for you.
Santa Claus
If you are great at interacting with children, have the natural look, or have no problems wearing a costume to fake it, then working as a seasonal Santa Claus might be the right option for you.
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Be prepared to smile, because one of the main duties of Santa Claus is to take lots of pictures with guests. They also have to emit convincing jolly laughter and make sure they appear authentic. In this position, you may work in malls and various events. The season for working as Santa usually runs from the end of November to December 25th.
Truck Driver
A truck driver transports goods from one place to another. Most truck drivers are long-haul drivers and operate trucks weighing over 26,000 pounds. These drivers deliver products across long routes that often cut across several states.
Truck drivers are usually in high demand during holiday periods because of the heavy flow of product movement. However, even if you only want to work as a truck driver during peak months, you will need to have the proper license to operate such a large vehicle.
Holiday Display Creator
Many retailers create beautiful store and window displays during the winter months to celebrate the season and draw in more customers. If you’re passionate about decorations and wish to spend some time putting up holiday decorations, you should look out for season display creators and window trimmer opportunities.
This job can be a fun option for creative people. If you approach businesses early in the season, you may be able to make good money creating window displays, as many businesses go all out on displays during the holidays.
Landscapers
Landscapers do a lot of things, from planting flowers and trimming trees, to building garden structures and installing irrigation systems. This is a very physically-demanding job and, depending on the project, often requires quite a bit of strength.
Due to the nature of this work, landscapers primarily work in the summer. As such, it is a great seasonal job if you don’t mind working outdoors and are looking to make good money from a summer job.
Tour Guide
Tour guides lead tourists who are visiting a tourist attraction or area. They help them get familiar with the surroundings, explain historical facts, and give direction when needed. Tour guides must have excellent knowledge of the environment and local history as well as great interpersonal skills.
The demand for tour guides in cities usually increases during the summer months as many people visit different tourist sites during their summer vacations.
Warehouse Worker
Warehouse workers move materials from production and storage areas to ships, delivery trucks, containers, and loading docks. The duties of warehouse workers vary. Some warehouse workers transport products to loading areas while others load and unload cargo from a truck.
There is an increase in warehouse worker positions during the holiday rush in November and December. Seasonal warehouse associates may be able to work full-time and even some overtime for a couple of months. Stamina is needed for this role as it involves a lot of physical activity.
Floral Designer
Floral designers, also known as florists, sell and arrange flowers and plants for events and occasions. They also assist customers in selecting flowers, vases, ribbons, and other accessories. Floral designers must have knowledge of different varieties of flowers and other plants. They must also be skilled in color coordination.
During the summer months, there is an increase in demand for floral designers as there are many weddings during this time period. As such, contact your local floral shop during this time to see if they need additional support.
Sales Associate
Sales associates assist customers in searching for the products they need and also help process customers’ payments. They sell merchandise such as automobiles or clothing. Good people skills and basic computer skills are requirements for this role.
Many students work as seasonal sales associates during the holiday period as more retail workers are needed due to the influx of customers in retail stores. Especially during the months of November and December, many companies look to hire seasonal sales associates.
Amusement And Water Park Attendants
Amusement and water park attendants perform a range of duties at an amusement or recreation facility. Tasks include scheduling recreation facilities, maintenance and provision of equipment to guests, and operation of rides and concessions.
Attendants must be very articulate, detail-oriented, and responsible. In many cases, they are also in charge of keeping guests safe and enforcing safety regulations on rides.
Cashier
A cashier processes payments from customers purchasing goods. In some cases, cashiers have to verify the age of their customers when selling age-restricted products like tobacco or alcohol. Some cashiers may have other duties like taking out the trash or mopping floors.
During peak tourist seasons or the holidays, cashiers may be able to find temporary jobs that pay well as seasonal workers.
How to Find Seasonal Careers
Getting a seasonal job may not be a walk in the park, but there are many opportunities for seasonal work available. Plus, there are certain steps you can take to make your job search easier.
Perhaps most importantly, you must apply on time. This means that you should begin looking for a job before the season you want to work in actually begins. To find a seasonal job that pays well, check out some of the available options below.
Retailers
Retail hiring happens mainly in the busy fall season just before the holiday shopping season. Retailers hire for different positions including cashiers, customer service representatives, merchandising workers, and gift wrapping experts.
Online retail giants such as Amazon also hire during the holiday season just like physical retail stores do. You can also complete in-store applications as it’s acceptable to many retailers.
Resorts
Living in summer or winter resort communities, or being willing to relocate for the season, allows you to access opportunities to get hired at a seasonal resort. You can work in a ski resort without even being a skier. Job options include concierge, ticket attendant, cashier, waiter, and more. The same type of hiring happens at beach resorts, offering work over two opposing seasons each year.
Classified Ads
Many seasonal employers look to hire local workers, as such you can search through classified ads for job openings. If a local business is expecting to be busier during the summer season, they may place an ad in the paper advertising the position. So, you can keep an eye out for openings and then follow the instructions within the ad to apply.
Event Agencies
Summer and early fall are peak seasons for outdoor music festivals, fairs, and special events. If you’re close to or willing to travel to a festival venue, you’ll have plenty of opportunities for seasonal jobs. These events are often huge operations that require hundreds of workers. If you know of an annual festival in your area, you can also go to their website to reach out to them directly about employment.
Online Job Boards
Though you may think of online job boards as a way to find steady 9-to-5 positions, they are also a great resource for finding seasonal work. Many job boards have features that will allow you to filter specifically for seasonal positions. If not, you can always use “seasonal” as one of your keywords to find those types of jobs.
Why Finding a Seasonal Career Is Important
Seasonal careers are important as they can benefit you in various ways. They help you augment your finances by allowing you to earn extra money. You can also use seasonal jobs as a stepping stone to get permanent positions, meaning it can help your career possibilities. You also get to work flexible hours in many cases which give you more time to be with loved ones and create the perfect work-life balance.
Seasonal Careers FAQ
An advantage of being a seasonal worker is the temporary work period and the ability to earn extra cash while working part-time. Whether you want to earn as a student before going back to school or just want to complement your regular job, the demand for seasonal employees will mean opportunities to work in whatever capacity is right for you.
Yes, seasonal jobs are a great way to gain more experience, develop new skills, earn extra income, or fill a gap in your resume. In addition, working a seasonal job is a good opportunity to get your foot in the door with an employer. Seasonal staff who have distinguished themselves during the busy season may get the opportunity to stay on the team as year-round employees.
The duration of a seasonal job varies significantly between both industry and location. Seasonal workers in most states work about 35 hours a week for six months or less. A lifeguard in the northern states may only work a few months during the summer while a lifeguard in warmer, southern states may work for eight months out of the year.
As a seasonal employee, you should treat resignation in the same manner as you would a permanent job. Prepare a resignation email or letter showing appreciation for the opportunity to work with them and stating when you plan to stop work. Remember, it is common practice to give at least two weeks of notice when leaving a job. You may also give reasons behind your decision to quit but it’s not mandatory.
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