The holiday season brings a temporary employment boost every autumn, and 2015 is no exception. In fact, the outlook for seasonal hiring this year is already favourable, says a new CareerCast report.
Whether you’re unemployed and seeking a full-time job or just looking to earn some extra spending money over the holidays, now is a good time to apply for one of the many seasonal jobs available. Jobs needed to meet the holiday rush include customer service representatives, parcel deliverers, retail sales and distribution warehouse staff.
Many of CareerCast.com’s best seasonal jobs are tied into traditional customer service and retail but restaurants also become busier as they meet the demand for office holiday parties and refuel shoppers.
Retailers are expected to add about 755,000 jobs to their payrolls from October through December, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Online retailer Amazon intends to hire 100,000 seasonal employees this year.
Retail salespersons are always in demand this time of year. And, with Amazon, the largest online retailer bulking up for process of orders, people are needed to help handle the influx of deliveries.
Parcel deliverer is a great holiday job with plenty of opportunities. Industry-leader UPS expects to hire 90,000 employees in the next two weeks. In line with Amazon, that’s an increase over recent years’ employment.
See: Unemployment rate rises to 23.7% in Q3
Retail and food service are obvious cornerstones of holiday employment, but this time of year is a boon for entertainers, as well. We all grew up with Santa Clauses at malls, department stores and pop-up outlets, but the traditional Santa Claus is just one in-demand performer at the holiday season.
And, as many seasonal job-seekers pursue long-term employment at the end of the holiday season, part-time gigs can turn into more opportunities for the future. But whether your goal in finding seasonal employment is a longer term deal, or just the chance to make some additional spending money, know what is expected of you up front.
Holiday jobs don’t always end on Dec 24. Many continue beyond throughout the return and price-cut season. The following are some of the best options for seasonal employment in 2015:
UPS is hiring for 95,000 seasonal positions this holiday season, and FedEx is looking to fill 55,000 winter seasonal jobs across the United States. This industry is benefitting from the boom in online consumer spending, which has catapulted delivery demands across the country. Furthermore, both companies favour promoting from within, and much of their full-time staff began as seasonal or temporary employees.
Wal-Mart aims for 60,000 and Target is looking to hire about 70,000 employees, to name a few. According to Kiplinger.com, “More than one-third of employers expect to increase pay for their seasonal staff. Nearly three-fourths will pay $10 or more per hour, and nearly 20% will pay $16 per hour or more.” The article also estimates a ten percent increase from last year in holiday hiring for retailers overall.
To increase the chances of seasonal work leading to a full-time job, let your manager know from the beginning that you are interested in becoming a full-time employee, and be as flexible as possible with the hours and days you are available to work.
“This trend should not only present more hope to jobseekers, but also motivate them more since the likelihood of a seasonal job turning into a career gives it more meaning overall,” states Michael Derikrava, President of Jobdiagnosis.com. “At the very least, even if your winter seasonal job doesn’t turn into something more long-term, many of these roles are excellent opportunities for learning new skills, networking and building your resume.”
Also read: How to Close the Skills Gap and End Youth Unemployment
Image credit: resumecrusade.com
