Best Places for Temporary or Seasonal Work in Akron, Ohio

My dad is a retired teacher and he works part-time at an auto parts store. He goes in to work at 12:30 and is finished by 5. When he goes home, he's finished. No homework to grade, no problems.

One of the best parts of Dad's job is the camaraderie he has with his co-workers. They are all in their 50s and 60s, so they have a lot in common. They even have turned Dad on to NASCAR, which he never cared about before.

If you are retiring from a high-tension job, consider something low-stress like this. It may add years to your life.

BJ's

This is a warehouse store located at the Chapel Hill Plaza on Howe Ave. This store seems to have a job for just about anyone. You can be a cashier, customer service specialist or snack bar cashier. If you can lift heavy boxes, you can stock the shelves and check out all the cool merchandise.

If you aren't physically capable of moving around too much, you can use your effervescent personality as a greeter. As long as you're capable of punching a hole in customer's receipt, you'll be fine.

YMCA

If you love children (including babies), you can work in Child Watch. If you are into sports, you can coach a youth sports team. You get the idea - you can do just about anything at the Y.

The best part about working at the Y is the free membership. This means you can work out or shoot hoops whenever you want. Even better, you can get discounts on classes. This is great if you want to learn different exercise methods, or if you have kids who take classes there. You can save a lot of money. Unfortunately, everyone knows this; so it can be difficult to get your foot in the door.

SWIMMING and SKIING

The Natatorium is a gorgeous swimming and workout facility in Cuyahoga Falls that is open year-round. The two-story building has a track, basketball courts, racquetball courts, a kids' treehouse, and of course a huge swimming area for all ages.

This is another place with a variety of jobs for just about everyone. If you have skills to pass along, this is the perfect place to teach a class (swimming, music, dancing). If you are a helpful person with people skills, you can work at the front desk.

The city also has an outdoor facitlity called WaterWorks, which is only open in the summertime. Like the Nat, it has been remodeled in recent years and is in outstanding shape. This can also be a fun place to work.

On the other end of the seasonal spectrum, there are Brandywine and Boston Mills ski areas. If you're into skiing, that would be the perfect place to work for a few months.

TEMPORARY Agencies

Getting a temporary job can be perfect if you are a student between semesters or a worker between jobs. Often, a temporary gig can lead to something permanent. These can be divided into factory jobs and office jobs. I wasn't really cut out for factory work. I did it for a week through a company called Lake Land Labor. My mind turned to mush as a made blue paintbrush handles and red hot-water dispensers at a plastics factory. I quickly learned that I would be called on to drive a bunch of strangers around since I had a car. Nothing against factory workers - but I just couldn't continue.

Superior Staffing is the premier office staffing place in Akron. One of my gigs led to a full-time job at a bank. Another temp job helped me to meet the woman who would become my wife. Incidentally, she too had used that same service which placed her at the site for a full-time position which is how we met. Not every temporary job leads to such a happy ending, but it is a great way to avoid sitting at home feeling sorry for yourself.