Spring Fling: Season Brings Tens of Thousands of Temporary Jobs
Spring is the hottest hiring season for some industries, expert says.
Feb. 21, 2011 — -- Most people think of seasonal jobs as part-time positions during holidays.
But just as Christmastime is a traditional retailer's busiest time, spring is the hottest season for many industries. Look at some obvious clues for where the jobs are.
Nice weather. As the weather improves, everyone wants to get outside, which means we spend money to make our yard useable and beautiful.
Home improvement companies need workers to handle the rush. Home Depot announced that it will hire 60,000 seasonal workers, and Lowe's will bring in some 50,000 seasonal hires.
In both cases, the positions last about 90 days, depending on region, and some people will be able to stay on based largely on performance -- the store's and their own.
Those are national chains, but you can take that as a sign for other opportunities.
If Home Depot needs workers for its garden departments, it's a sure bet that local businesses -- from nurseries, lawn care and landscaping business to stores selling and servicing barbecues -- are ramping up, too, and will need seasonal employees.
Be creative in your thinking. If a landscaping business is hiring gardeners, it will also need support help in the office to book clients and handle the orders.
Check with local companies and national chains such as TruGreen for such positions. Additionally, suppliers such as Scotts Company, makers of Miracle Gro, need people to sell and deliver their products to retailers.
To help identify what opportunities exist, go to Monster.com and search for "seasonal jobs." You'll see thousands of positions; some you can apply for now and others that will help you with your research as you identify the local employers in your area.
To Find Seasonal Jobs, Use Social Media, Read Local Paper
Taxes. The giants like H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt have done the majority of their seasonal hiring for tax time, but opportunities still do exist especially for support staff throughout the country.
You can also research independent accounting firms and also look at a national staffing firm such as Accountemps, which has 250 offices nationwide.
Accountemps says many tax prep firms wait to add staff into March, and they hire for everything from telesales, which is calling former clients to ask them to come back to have their taxes prepared, to bilingual tax preparers (especially Spanish speakers) and tax preparers who are certified and registered with the IRS.
Sports and recreation. While there's still snow on the ground in some parts of the country, amusement parks such as, Six Flags, Hershey Park and Disney World, among others, need seasonal employees.
City, state and national parks and local recreation programs are hiring now for spring break and they're getting ready for the summer, too. Many hold their own open houses and job fairs, while others post their seasonal openings on sites like SnagaJob.com.
If you can commit now to a spring job, you'll improve your chances of having your employment extended into the summer.
People start traveling in the spring, so hospitality businesses are picking up. Think about where you've been for spring breaks or summer vacations, or even where you would love to go, because those are the places that staff up seasonally. Plus all the surrounding businesses that feed off those vacation or recreation areas need workers, too.
From vendors in ballparks to security in convention centers and everything in-between, event staff companies are hiring part-timers now.
Social media and local paper. Use social media and read your local paper. Post on your Facebook wall that you're looking for a sensational seasonal opportunity and ask your friends and followers for suggestions in your area.
Also you can bet that when there's significant hiring in your area, the local paper covers it. The business pages can offer a wealth of information on how employers are performing and who's staffing up for spring. The time to do it is now. Get your foot in the door first.
Tory Johnson is the workplace contributor on "Good Morning America." Connect with her at Facebook.com/Tory or Twitter.com/ToryJohnson or www.womenforhire.com.