6 Great Reasons to Give Seasonal Employment a Chance

'Tis the season to be busy, and so many businesses are. The classifieds quickly fill with employment offers, many tainted with the dreaded word 'seasonal'. So what is a job hunter to do? Shall we throw down our papers in collective disgust at the idea of temporary employment? Perhaps we should consider that there are six great reasons to try seasonal employment.

6. Work is Better Than No Work

It is both the most obvious and the least exciting reason to take a chance on seasonal employment. We all have bills; we all need jobs. If the responsibilities sound like what you are looking to do, why let the fact that it is seasonal stop you from applying? Even if it is not you ideal opportunity, there's always the thought that something is better than nothing. At least you know from the start that it is temporary, and you have an idea of how long you will work.

5. The End Date is Usually Predictable

There may be something daunting about knowing that your days are numbered from the second you walk in the door. Slip on the 'glass-is-half-full' glasses, though, and we see that we are actually getting something that we are rarely offered in life: the chance to see into the future. Most businesses have a fairly good idea of when their busy time will end. Though they may not be able to give the exact date right from the start, seasonal employees are generally given an accurate idea of how long the position will last, and a close or exact date in advance. The great news about that is that we know when to start flipping through the classifieds again, and we can reduce or eliminate our time between jobs.

4. The Look of a Seasonal Position on Your Resume

Reducing time off between jobs has more than just an effect on your checkbook. Potential employers like to see consistent employment much more than a spotty job history. When we use the fact that we know our end date to line up our next opportunity, we strengthen our resumes. Potential employers look at the length of employment, too. Having a seasonal position is one of the most accepted reasons for short-term employment. Also, seasonal employment is easily explained by a variety of positive characteristics, such as being motivated and ambitious. The fact that you took a position you knew to be temporary doesn't look like settling. It shows that you do the best you can for yourself, and that you are responsible enough to have a job that is necessary, rather than being unemployed.

3. Practice at Interviewing and Writing Your Resume

Seasonal employment can do more for your resume and future interviews than fill employment gaps and give you a chance to showcase positive attributes. We all get better with practice. As we have more experience interviewing, we grow more comfortable with the process. We not only appear more at ease and more confident to interviewers, we also learn what to expect. Knowing what kind of questions will be asked, as well as what sort of questions we should ask, helps us be more prepared and make a better overall impression. Interviewers may give unintentional hints that can help with your resume as well. Their questions, comments and reactions can show what information should be included, removed or highlighted. The great part of this is that applying and interviewing for a seasonal position gives you these benefits, even if you don't get hired!

2. The "Foot in the Door"

Taking a seasonal position does not have to mean that you are just another payroll number. We may not ever get a second chance to make a first impression, but we do have the chance to make that first impression spectacular. Some companies hire seasonal employees with the intention of keeping the very best. Other may not have that in mind, but they may decide to find room for 'the right person'. Even if a seasonal position does not immediately become permanent, a great impression will linger. This means a good reference to other potential employers, as well as more favorable consideration for future openings with that company - full-time, part-time, temporary and permanent.

1. Experience

It is always good to be open to the chance to better yourself. We are but the sum of our experiences, after all, and this is true both professionally and personally. Besides the literal experience of the duties we perform, work experience offers the opportunity of personal growth. Even if a position is outside our chosen career path, there are probably some aspects of it in which it will help to have experience. There is also the potential to learn from the new people we meet. If we are open to considering it, we will probably see both behavior we want to emulate and mistakes we would hope to avoid.

Whether full-time or part-time, in addition to regular employment or on its own, seasonal employment has the potential to be an extremely rewarding experience. It is a great way to try something new or different, and if it turns out to not be fore you, it is temporary and soon over anyway. Also, the benefits of seasonal employment definitely make it worthwhile to give it a chance. Remember that we get out of an experience only what we put into it, and get more out of seasonal employment than a paycheck!