Jobs in Demand During the Holiday Season

With the holiday rush comes an increase in jobs in certain sectors. Here's how to capitalize!

If you think the holiday season is a tough time to find work, think again. While this may be true for certain careers and professions, there is a huge demand in many job sectors that see a significant increase in their activities from November to January.

To locate these holiday work opportunities, you need to know which types of industries and jobs regularly hire during the holiday season. In this article, we'll help you identify those potential opportunities by highlighting some of the best places to work during the holidays.

Holiday work can get you through tough times

If you are unemployed or in need of some extra cash, this type of holiday work can be a short-term solution that can meet your needs as you wait for more companies to resume hiring early next year.

Moreover, holiday work, including part-time holiday jobs, can provide a great opportunity to add more experience to your resume or avoid gaps in your work history. In addition, it's important to recognize that seasonal jobs don't always remain temporary. Sometimes, people who are hired for the holiday season continue working for the company as long-term employees.

Related reading: The Holiday Hiring Freeze: Fact or Fiction?

Retail Sales and Customer Service

This one should be obvious. The retail sector typically experiences a major boost in sales and customer queries during the holidays. Toy shops, clothing and department stores, perfume shops, jewelry stores, shoe stores, and home decoration centers are just a few of the many examples of businesses that will require more staff during the lead-up to the holidays. If you have experience as a cashier, stock clerk, product promoter, or in maintenance and security, you will be well-positioned to land one of these jobs.

Distribution and Delivery

With online sales becoming more and more popular, the need for more couriers to cover routes and guarantee timely deliveries increases considerably over the holidays. Companies like UPS and Amazon routinely hire extra drivers during the holiday season to ensure their customers receive holiday orders in a prompt and efficient manner.

Travel and Hospitality

The holiday season is also a time for travel and tourism. Many people travel to celebrate holidays with their loved ones. All of that activity can result in an increase in restaurant dining, hotels and resorts, and visits to exotic locales and vacation getaways. The boost in demand in the travel and hospitality industries typically translates into an increase in seasonal job opportunities for roles ranging from hotel front desk clerks, travel reservation agents, and flight attendants to waiters, guides, and chefs.

Transportation and Logistics

As company sales increase, inventory needs to be replenished in a timely manner – which can translate into heightened demand for transportation and logistics services. Some examples of personnel required are drivers, inventory managers, logistics supervisors, and supply chain specialists.

Warehouses

The modern online sales process needs more than just reliable product manufacturing and quick delivery services. To satisfy customer expectations, companies rely on efficient warehouse operations. These warehouse operations enable companies to process customer orders, package them, and prepare them for prompt delivery. Typical holiday work in a warehouse can include roles like machine operation, packing, receiving inventory, handling shipping, sorting, and inspecting.

Event Coordination

From private parties and corporate events to New Year's Eve celebrations, the holiday season offers endless opportunities for event coordinators and professional party planners. Other holiday work can include bartending and concession roles, parking attendant jobs, food preparation and serving positions, and more.

Find the holiday work you need

Even though many sectors of the economy slow down hiring during the final months of the year, there are still holiday work opportunities available if you know where to look. Just maintain an open mind, try to identify industries that need extra help to get through the holidays, and focus on leveraging your abilities and talents! Good luck!

Need to update your resume to maximize your chances of landing lucrative holiday work? Request a free resume review today!

This article was originally written by Yaritza Scott and was updated by Ken Chase in November 2024.

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