4 Ways You Might Fall into a Seasonal Job

It’s no trick, and maybe a treat: From now through Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, this is the most wonderful time of the year to land a seasonal job. If you’ve been laid off, you can buy yourself some time between careers. And if you already have a job, you can earn extra cash to buy whatever you want.

The biggest seasonal employer right now is Party City, the country’s largest party-goods chain. Halloween is a hot time for the company, so it’s hiring a whopping 10,000 temp workers to help sell costumes – 15 to 50 employees per store, and there are 600 of them nationwide.

“The creation of new jobs is critically important in today’s market as the economy continues to recover,” said Lisa Laube, President of Party City. “Our efforts to create jobs serve a dual-purpose: to provide people with opportunities to productively utilize their skills in today’s downtrodden job market, and to provide shoppers with exceptional customer service during the busy Halloween season.”

Interested? You an apply online or just walk into one of the stores. (Here’s a store locator.)

If you’d rather wear a Halloween costume than sell them, here are three seasonal jobs that pick up as the autumn leaves drop…

1. Security guards: During the holiday season, stores hire them either directly or through a security service to keep the peace as stressed-out shoppers fight over the dwindling supply of the year’s Hot New Toy. Sometimes, no training is required. And when it is, some places (like this one is California) offer to do it in one day. For details where you live, check out this list of requirements in your state. Average pay for unarmed guards, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics: $11.28 an hour.
2. Hotel and resort workers: If you live near a tourist location, the hotels and resorts want you. No, they need you. Winter travel, whether up north or down south, is the busiest season of the year, as families crisscross the country to gather for Thanksgiving, Christmas or both. While some jobs (like desk clerk) may require experience with retail or customer service, others (like baggage porters) don’t. Hauling bags up to rooms can earn you an average of $9.49 an hour.
3. UPS package delivery drivers: The holidays means shipping. You must be able to lift packages weighing between 25 and 35 pounds, so a physical exam is required. And since those iconic brown trucks don’t have automatic transmissions, you need to know how to drive a stick shift and have an excellent driving record. If you work in a sorting facility, you earn less than a driver.

Of course, temporary work is a year-round activity. If you’re not sure temp work is for you, check out 3 Reasons to Try Temporary Work. If you find that appealing, here are the 5 Best Temporary Jobs.