Many job seekers face this dilemma: take a seasonal job in hopes that it will lead to something permanent, or continue searching for a full-time job during the holidays?
So how does seasonal employment really affect your career and job search?
1. Show Off Your Stuff to Turn a Seasonal Job Into a Full-Time Career
If you want to turn a seasonal job into a more long-lasting opportunity, make this clear right from the hiring process. Go into the interview, whether it’s in-person or through online video, the same way you would for a full-time job. Stress that you’d be open to working at the company after the season ends and make sure to work hard when you actually get your seasonal job. Then, when it’s time to bring on a few new full-time employees your name will be at the top of the list.
– Josh Tolan, Spark Hire
2. Seasonal Employment: A Soft Skills Christmas Stocking
Working in retail? You just gained critical sales and closing skills. Food-service or banquets: you just acquired problem-solving skills you wouldn’t have otherwise. Tourist-related industries: your customer service skills are in high-demand. Even warehousing skills show a commitment to achieving deadlines at crunch-time. Properly positioned on your resume and LinkedIn profiles, seasonal employment is the gift that keeps giving…through development of soft skills.
– Mark Babbitt, YouTern
3. Positioned Properly, Seasonal Employment Shows Soft Skills
Seasonal employment does not impact job opportunities if the resume is positioned appropriately. In other words, don’t let your resume signal a “job hopper.” Your resume should reflect your ability to onboard quickly, learn new companies/cultures/processes fast, and your willingness to work hard.
– Stacey Hawley, Credo
4. Opportunity to Upgrade the Workforce For Managers
Seasonal hires provide a much better opportunity for evaluation of an employee’s abilities and attitude than a job interview. Managers should be looking for star performers among seasonal employees and use opportunities to upgrade the workforce. Managers should also stress to current employees that the holiday season is important and they are expected to perform.
– Edward F. Harold, Fisher & Phillips
5. Think of it as Auditioning For Full-Time Employment
In short, if you stand out as a seasonal player, you can consider this an audition for a full-time role in most cases. Hard working, smart employees are hard to find. Focus on standing out for the right reasons in your seasonal job and it could lead to full-time employment.
– David Lewis, OperationsInc.com and AllCountyJobs.com
What do you think? How has seasonal employment affected your career?
Heather R. Huhman is the founder and president of Come Recommended, a content marketing and digital PR consultancy for job search and human resources technologies. You can connect with Heather and Come Recommended on Twitter and Facebook.
Read more posts on Come Recommended »