A seasonal job is a great way to supplement your income, grow your network, and gain new skills.
Businesses need extra hands during their peak periods, and seasonal workers get to earn and learn without committing to a long-term role.
But seasonal job hunting can be intimidating. With thousands of seasonal jobs available, from summer camp activity planning to customer service, where do you start?
In this article, we’ll get into the extensive range of seasonal jobs at your fingertips – from ones you already know to ones you might never have considered. We’ve also put together a step-by-step guide on how to approach seasonal job hunting to get you started.
Why a seasonal job might be the right fit for you
Seasonal work is a great way to:
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Earn some extra income: Whether you’re saving up for something or paying off a debt, seasonal work is a great way to boost your income for a short period of time.
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Learn new skills: Are you looking to upskill, change careers, or gain a foothold in the job market? A seasonal job in a related field can help you learn technical skills like AI applications in finance or soft skills like good communication.
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Network: A seasonal job is an opportunity to network with people and make lasting connections.
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Boost your resume: You can add seasonal jobs to your resume.
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Gain permanent employment: seasonal jobs can sometimes lead to a permanent role. If you’re interested in a specific career, seasonal work at a relevant business can get your foot in the door.
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Earn while travelling: Seasonal work can support you through short-term or long-term travelling. Whether you’re backpacking for a while or living a completely nomadic lifestyle, seasonal work is everywhere. It’s seasonal! You could be teaching kids to swim in summer in one city and working retail through the busy winter holiday season in another.
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Try something new: Seasonal work comes in all kinds of flavours, many of them non-traditional working environments that can push you out of your comfort zone. You might end up working in a summer camp, wrapping Christmas gifts, or riding roller coasters for morning safety checks.
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Try something without the commitment: Seasonal jobs have predictable start and end dates. You’ll always know how long the work will last, and the arrangement has no strings attached.
Types of seasonal jobs
When you think of seasonal work, you might assume it’s all summer camps and stacking shelves at Christmas.
But seasonal jobs are everywhere, and there’s something for almost every job hunter. It might surprise you to learn that you can even work seasonal jobs remotely.
We’ve put together a list of seasons and their most common seasonal jobs, including both in-person and remote work.
Spring and summer
Spring and summer bring an uptick in the travel and hospitality industries, activity-based outdoor work, and certain retail events. We’re grouping them together due to their similarities.
In-person:
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Summer camp work
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Park jobs, such as rangers, caretakers, and guides
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Theme park attendants
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Retail assistants for businesses that see more business during Easter
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Hotel and hospitality workers
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Farm jobs like picking, packing, and tending produce
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Gig work during festival season
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Airport attendants
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Exam monitor for spring exams
Remote:
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Booking management for hospitality, travel, tourism, etc.
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Travel agents
Autumn
The leaves are turning gold, and the days are getting shorter. Autumn is the last push for the harvesting season and every parent’s least favourite time to shop.
In-person:
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Agriculture work like picking, weighing, and packing fruit and vegetables, as well as preparing farms for the winter season
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Lawn care, such as mowing and raking
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Retail during the busy back-to-school rush
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Halloween work in haunted houses, theme parks, and other venues that celebrate the spooky season
Remote:
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Tutoring work during the back-to-school period
Winter
Winter brings another hospitality and tourism boom, Christmas, and a whole lot of sniffles.
In-person:
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Healthcare during cold and flu season
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Cold-weather hospitality, such as ski resort attendants and activity instructors
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Airport attendants
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Christmas retail jobs, from cashier work to gift wrapping
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Christmas-themed jobs, including event planning, working in or on shows, or even dressing up as Santa to work in a grotto
Remote:
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Tax preparing and accounting
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Hospitality and travel booking management
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Healthcare admin
Year-round
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There are some jobs that come up all through the year, as businesses hire during a variety of peak periods. They’re essentially temp jobs but more predictable as you can learn their patterns.
In-person:
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Warehouse work, like scanning and packing
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Delivery driving
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IT roles
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Reception work
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Education, such as year-round tutoring and temporary teaching
Remote:
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- Customer service across a variety of industries
- HR and payroll
- Data input and analysis
- Admin
- Web and app development
- Copywriting
A step-by-step guide to seasonal job hunting
If you've decided seasonal work is for you, here’s our handy guide to get you started:
Consider your circumstances
There are lots of personal factors to consider when you’re seasonal job hunting.
Some things you should take into consideration are:
Why you’re looking for a seasonal job
When searching for a seasonal job, it’s important to consider why you’re looking for seasonal work. Do you want a seasonal job so that you can:
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Earn extra income? If so, you can be less picky about the roles you choose as long as they’re ones that provide the level of income you’re seeking.
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Build a future career? In this case, you’ll need to focus on more relevant roles, skills, and networks.
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Learn new skills and have new experiences? To find a job that allows you to do this, you’ll want to look outside your comfort zone.
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Travel? You’ll need to plan ahead for location and timing or look into fully remote work.
Defining your goals is the first step in planning your seasonal job hunt.
Your availability
You might be a stay-at-home parent, a full-time worker, or a free agent. The amount of time and energy you can commit to a seasonal job will vary depending on your circumstances.
Some seasonal jobs are more rigid than others and might require you to move to an on-site location like a summer camp. You can also work some seasonal jobs remotely with flexible hours to suit your schedule.
A seasonal job should fit into your lifestyle, so your time availability, personal responsibilities, and location are important considerations.
Your skills
The skills and experience required to work seasonal jobs can vary.
Working a retail job during the run-up to Christmas requires soft skills like patience and fortitude. A seasonal healthcare worker will require official qualifications in the healthcare field. If you can speak multiple languages, seasonal hospitality work abroad can be a great fit.
It’s all about knowing which skills you have and searching accordingly.
Consider the time period
Seasonal work is, of course, seasonal. You won’t get much summer camp work in the midst of winter. When looking for a seasonal job, it’s important to research which jobs are available during which times of the year and the hiring periods for those roles.
Look in the right places
There are a few places to start seasonal job hunting.
Job sites
Like most jobs, seasonal jobs will often appear on job search websites, like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor.
These sites let you search for terms and use filters. So, for example, you can search for “seasonal jobs” and specify the location, pay, and other factors you’re looking for. If you know which industry you’d like to work in, you can search “seasonal jobs” + “healthcare” or “hotel” to find more relevant roles.
Seasonal job websites
There are also websites specific to seasonal job hunting, both general and specific.
For general searches, SeasonWorkers lets you search for jobs in a variety of industries. If you’re looking specifically for summer camp jobs, you could search the International Camp Network.
You can find these websites using a web search for “season job site” and add your preferred industry or location for more specificity.
Ask around
Networking is still a great way to get work, and seasonal work is no different.
Do you have kids enrolled in a local school? Ask if they need any classroom, cafeteria, or tutoring help. Is your friend an accountant at a big company? Ask if they need an extra hand during tax filing season.
Workplaces often need a temporary helping hand without the burden of hiring a long-term employee, so asking around can put you at the front of the queue.
Apply early
Businesses will start advertising for seasonal roles well in advance. You can keep on top of new roles by regularly checking job websites or setting up notifications for the roles you’re interested in.
You can also research when certain seasonal roles start hiring. For example, stores will often start recruiting for retail roles for Christmas around September and October. Hospitality recruitment often starts three to four months before peak holiday seasons.
Learning these recruitment trends lets you know when to start looking and allows you to apply early.
Get ready to start seasonal job hunting
Seasonal work can help you earn extra income, develop skills, meet people, and try new experiences. And you can do it all without committing to a long-term role.
To get started, remember to:
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Consider your circumstances, availability, and requirements.
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Think about what you want to achieve.
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Research recruitment patterns for industries you're interested in.
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Use job websites and web searches to hunt for jobs.
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Check websites regularly and set up notifications.
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Polish up your resume and get ready to apply.
Once you get into the swing of seasonal job hunting, the sky’s the limit.
