Here in the UK, we have a booming seasonal job market.
Part-time work not only allows you to earn cash around your studies, but it also allows you to gain skills and experience future employers will be looking for; teamwork, communication skills, the ability to organise your own time and confidence in the workplace, to name a few.
So, how do you start looking for part-time seasonal work to fill your time in the summer holidays? Here are some areas that you could look into:
Hospitality
Hotels, restaurants, bars, and catering companies often require extra staff during peak tourist seasons. Seasonal hospitality jobs may include roles such as servers, bartenders, kitchen staff, and hotel housekeepers.
Tourism and leisure
Tourist attractions, theme parks, and holiday resorts frequently hire seasonal workers to cope with increased visitor numbers during the summer months and school holidays. Jobs in could include ride operators, lifeguards, tour guides, and retail staff. Have a look at the leaflets in supermarkets to see what tourist attractions are nearby.
Outdoor events and festivals
Event management companies often recruit temporary staff to assist with setting up and running outdoor events, music festivals, sports tournaments, and exhibitions. Roles may include event stewards, ticket sellers, and merchandise vendors.
Agriculture
The agricultural industry relies heavily on seasonal workers for tasks such as fruit picking, harvesting, and planting. These jobs are particularly prevalent during the summer and autumn months when crops need to be picked.
Holiday and travel
Travel agencies, airlines, and cruise companies may require additional staff during peak holiday periods to handle bookings, customer inquiries, and administrative tasks.
Childcare and education
During school holidays, there is often a demand for temporary childcare workers, tutors, and activity leaders to organise holiday clubs, camps, and educational programs for children.
Where to start…
A good place to start is by exploring our resources on finding part-time work and don’t forget that you can view part-time vacancies on mycareer too.
Some seasonal roles will be advertised on job sites. Others will rely on applicants reaching out in response to a website or social media announcements. Some may depend on word of mouth or even an advert in the window, so ask and look around and you might want to see if anyone can put a good word in for you.
It might also work for you to put a speculative application into the places that you know will be looking for people to fill roles in the summer. You could send them your CV alongside a cover letter explaining why you’d like to work with them, so that when a position becomes available, they can get in touch with you.
Top tip: Track your seasonal work experience and the skills you’re developing on My Skills so that when it comes to applying to other jobs or interviews, you;ll be able to clearly articulate your skill set.
The Careers Service is open throughout the summer and able to offer you information, tailored advice and guidance, including CV and interview support.
We aren’t, you’ll be pleased to know, a seasonal thing!
Written by Amy Lee, Faculty Employability Advisor for Economics