Seasonal jobs appeal to people of all ages and life stages. For students, seasonal jobs are a great way to earn extra money and gain valuable work experience during summer and school breaks. In addition, teachers often take advantage of school breaks to find summer jobs to supplement their income, and retirees sometimes seek seasonal jobs to supplement their retirement income while keeping active in their communities.
Some working professionals have even created a lifestyle around seasonal job opportunities, combining their love of travel and adventure with careers that lend themselves to seasonal work.
Regardless of your purpose in seeking a seasonal job, this article covers:
What is a seasonal job?
A seasonal job is of finite duration and available during certain—and usually recurring—times of the year. Seasonal jobs can be part or full-time, offer unskilled or entry-level opportunities, or require an advanced degree and/or years of experience.
Some year-round businesses bring on extra workers to take care of the increase in customers during certain predictably busy times of the year. Familiar examples include the winter season in a warm-weather vacation destination, the holiday shopping season, and the tax season. Other year-round businesses are looking to fill gaps in their workforce when regular workers are on vacation, such as during the summer months when many workers take vacations while their kids are out of school.
Other businesses are only open during certain months—November until mid-April for some ski resorts, for instance—and only need workers during particular times of the year. But, regardless of the reasons and offerings of seasonal jobs, they can benefit workers in several ways.
The benefits of seasonal jobs
Depending on your circumstances and needs, seasonal work offers great benefits while requiring only a short-term commitment. Seasonal employees can:
Gain new work experience
Seasonal employment is a great way for students and job-changers to gain new work experience in their field of study or interest. Perhaps as importantly, seasonal work can help the student or inexperienced worker develop soft skills—like time management, how to follow a supervisor’s instructions, and providing customers and clients with exemplary service. All of this can serve them well, regardless of the profession they ultimately pursue.
Experienced professionals can take advantage of seasonal job opportunities to gain knowledge of a new field or add to their existing portfolio of work. Seasonal work can also provide an opportunity for professionals to make important contacts that could help open the door to new opportunities. In addition, some seasonal jobs turn out to be a stepping stone to an offer of repeat or ongoing work.
Earn extra income
Even if you have another source of income—such as a steady stream of freelance work, a regular full- or part-time job, or vested retirement income—seasonal jobs offer a way to supplement this income without jeopardizing your primary source. For example, many seasonal workers engage in moonlighting—taking on additional evening or weekend work while maintaining their day job—or use their vacation time or paid time off (PTO) to work a seasonal job side hustle.
Support a nomadic lifestyle
There is a growing community of workers who eschew the tether of one job or one place. Instead, these modern nomads sometimes follow seasonal work opportunities.
Some workers live in their recreational vehicles full time, and many regularly seek work when on the road. These seasonal workers can be essential to business owners who operate in remote locations—like small seaside towns and mountain ski resorts—where finding locals to staff temporary positions during the busy season is next to impossible.
Meet new people
Working temporary jobs on a seasonal basis is a great way to meet people. Not only can it be easy to make new friends—after all, many others may be seasonal temp workers who, like you, may not know anyone—but you can find networking opportunities for future jobs.
Industries that commonly have seasonal jobs
There are more varieties of seasonal jobs than most people think. Many of the jobs people associate with seasonal work—retail sales staff, restaurant wait staff, or ski lift attendants—are only the tip of the iceberg regarding seasonal jobs.
The retail industry
When it comes to seasonal jobs, much first think of retail, warehouse, and other on-site positions. However, there are a lot of behind-the-scenes roles that also ramp up at the same time. In the case of retail, more retail customers bring a need for more merchandise on store shelves. That means the entire retail store infrastructure—including warehouse workers, shipping and delivery personnel, cleaning staff, and stock persons—will require a seasonal staff boost. Temporary human resources (HR) professionals may be required to handle the recruiting, screening, hiring, and onboarding of seasonal staff.
Since every aspect of the retail supply, ordering, and fulfillment chain may be automated, seasonal increases in retail trade can result in the need for information technology (IT) professionals who can keep the digital trains running on time. Point-of-sale (POS) systems, inventory control systems, payroll systems, and every other computerized and digitized aspect of retail sales could require additional seasonal support. Many of these jobs are ripe for members of today’s independent workforce to pick up.
Long before the retail buying frenzy begins, there may be a pre-season demand for professionals who can construct and manage omnichannel sales and marketing campaigns promoting the items offered for sale. Professionals proficient in website development, content strategy, social media marketing, graphic design, and email campaigns may see an uptick in demand for their services.
The insurance industry
Insurance companies often need extra customer service representatives to help out during open enrollment periods. This type of seasonal job is not only great for those seeking a way to establish themselves in the insurance industry, but it also provides a solid experience for anyone wanting to gain practical skills, like how to handle telephone inquiries and troubleshoot customer issues.
The increase in website and call center traffic during open enrollment periods means that insurance companies will need technical support of all kinds—from VOIP system support to computer hardware and software troubleshooting to website support.
The financial services industry
Accounting and other financial services firms find themselves in a frenzy for temporary workers during tax time. While many brick-and-mortar firms seek additional accountants and other certified professionals between January and April of each year, there are numerous self-service tax software programs, websites, and other tax-related online services that look to hire people proficient in using online programs and services and troubleshooting issues for their customers.
The hospitality and service industry
Any business that provides its clients and customers with leisure services falls under the hospitality industry category. Like retail and other industries, there is a long list of additional behind-the-scenes workers who businesses may only need temporarily during predictable peak times. These include IT professionals to keep computers and communication software running smoothly and hardware professionals to keep all the necessary equipment functioning properly.
To manage the HR-related functions that come with a surge in temporary hires, human resources professionals are needed to take care of hiring, onboarding, and ensuring that staffing is handled properly. Similarly, marketing and customer service representatives are needed to keep tourists happy and follow up with guests.
The health care industry
Health care professionals can find seasonal work opportunities at different vacation and travel destinations throughout the year. While hands-on health care providers are typically top-of-mind when thinking about the health and wellness industry, many support services also need shoring up during peak season. These include customer service, billing and finance, and marketing professionals who are needed to ensure that the health care organization stays on track with its financial and service-oriented goals.
How to find seasonal jobs
Finding the right seasonal job can be easier if you follow a few steps. First, figure out what type of work you excel at and what meets your goals. Next, tap into the right resources to locate the type of work you are seeking. Finally, apply in plenty of time to be considered for the position.
Know what work you are a good fit for
Before beginning your job search, consider your skills, education, stamina, and personality. Are you someone who can troubleshoot website issues and communicate clearly with users? Do you have experience working with e-commerce or accounting systems? Are you available to work nights and weekends if required?
You also want to think about your goals. Do you want or need to make a certain amount of money? Are you interested in acquiring new job skills or meeting new people? Is there a particular location in which you want or need to work, or do you prefer to work 100% remotely and online?
Make a list of the types of industries and specific work you are qualified for or drawn to and align them with your goals.
Best places to find entry-level seasonal jobs
Whether you’re a student, an adult who has returned to school, a veteran just separating from service, or a stay-at-home parent re-entering the workforce, you can search job boards for entry-level seasonal work using terms like “summer camp jobs,” “outdoor adventure jobs,” “seasonal summer employment,” or “seasonal holiday work.” You can also check out job placement centers at schools and community centers and, of course, let family and friends know you are searching for a temporary position.
If you are looking for a way to get started as a freelancer, Upwork can help you jump-start your career.
Where to find skilled seasonal jobs
Just because most people think of seasonal labor as leaning toward a lower-skilled workforce does not mean there are not plenty of options for skilled professionals. Upwork has thousands of listings for freelance jobs—including temporary and seasonal jobs—that cover many categories of seasonal work, including:
- Development and IT
- Design and creative
- Finance and accounting
- Administrative and customer support
- Engineering and architecture
- Sales and marketing
- Writing and translation
When to apply for seasonal jobs
It’s best to apply for seasonal jobs well in advance—weeks or even months—because companies want to ensure they have enough staff lined up before the season starts. But that doesn’t mean all opportunities are filled in advance.
For some jobs, demand might be high once the season begins. Some people will leave their short-term positions mid-season, and sometimes, demand will be higher than the company initially anticipated.
Can you put seasonal jobs on your resume?
Seasonal jobs can be a great addition to your resume, especially if you can isolate specific hard or soft skills you acquired or perfected. If you’re looking for a job in your field, seasonal periods are a great time to look because there are a lot more of them available then.
Is a seasonal job right for you?
Whether you are seeking seasonal work to make extra money, have some fun, see a different part of the country or world, acquire new skills, meet new people, or any or all of the above, you can find the right seasonal job with some effort and planning.
