Seasonal jobs may be the foot in the door job seekers are looking for in a competitive job market, according to a new survey from CareerBuilder. Two-in-five employers (40 percent) who are hiring seasonal workers in the fourth quarter this year said they will likely transition some into full-time, permanent employees, up from 31 percent in 2009.
The top five areas employers are recruiting holiday help for include retail (33 percent), customer service (31 percent), administrative/clerical support (17 percent) shipping and delivery (12 percent) and hospitality (10 percent). The survey was conducted among more than 2,400 employers between August 17 and September 2, 2010.
Workers can also find opportunities in other store-related or office-related job openings. Employers reported they would also be hiring seasonal employees for inventory management, accounting/finance, non-retail sales, marketing, technology and public relations.
In terms of pay, nearly half (48 percent) of hiring managers expect to pay $10 or more per hour and 9 percent expect to pay $16 or more per hour. Thirty-two percent of hiring managers plan to pay between $8 and $9 per hour and 19 percent expect to pay between $6 and $7. While some hiring managers (13 percent) reported they plan to increase pay for seasonal workers compared to the same period last year, 14 percent are planning a decrease.
When asked how workers can turn a seasonal position into a full-time, permanent role, employers shared the following:
- Provide great customer service by offering help instead of waiting to be asked for it – 31 percent
- Let the hiring manager know up front that they’d like full-time employment – 28 percent
- Proactively ask for more projects and responsibilities – 23 percent
- Present ideas on how to incorporate something new or do something better – 20 percent
- Ask thoughtful questions about the organization – 15 percent
“Seasonal work can be a valuable opportunity for job seekers to not only gain new skills and experience, but to also land full-time, permanent positions,” said Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America. “Job seekers looking for seasonal work should prepare their resumes and look into open positions sooner rather than later, as a significant number of employers start hiring for seasonal positions in October.”
Rasmussen offers the following tips for landing a seasonal job:
- Apply now. Forty-five percent of employers said they’re not accepting applications for seasonal jobs after October. Eighty percent are not accepting applications beyond November.
- Show that you’re excited about the opportunity. A lack of enthusiasm is the No. 1 pet peeve of seasonal hiring managers as indicated by 59 percent of respondents.
- Don’t say you want the job for the discount. Employee discounts are a great perk especially during the holiday season, but 31 percent of hiring managers said they are turned off by workers who appear to want the deal more than the opportunity.
- Get to know the company before the interview. Thirty percent of seasonal hiring managers said they were deterred from hiring a candidate because that person had little knowledge of the company or its products.
- Follow the dress code. If you are interviewing for a job in a retail clothing store, it’s a good idea to show up dressed in an outfit from that store. Fifteen percent of hiring managers were deterred from hiring a candidate who showed up in a competitor’s ensemble.
