Could you use some extra spending money this holiday season?
If your answer is "yes," and you're willing to work for it instead of waiting for Santa to bring you some, there are many ways to add to your income during the coming month.
Whether you want to buy more Christmas presents, hit the Boxing Day sales, or pay off the holiday charges on your credit cards more quickly, the most obvious way to increase your income is with a part-time or full-time retail job.
TIP: If you're thinking of starting your own business, a part-time holiday season job could give you hands-on experience with the type of business you're thinking of starting.
Fifty-eight percent of hiring managers surveyed by CareerBuilder.com for their Seasonal Hiring 2005 survey said they're going to need extra hands on deck to meet increased business demands associated with the holidays and end-of-the-year wrap-ups.
In addition to retail, the most popular positions identified for seasonal recruitment include hospitality, administrative/clerical, customer service, food preparation and sales.
There are lots of part-time opportunities in the food service and hospitality industry which need extra staff to help with holiday parties. Even offices need temporary workers to fill in for staff taking time off.
CareerBuilder.com's career advisors recommend the following tips for those seeking seasonal employment:
- Start applying early.
More than one-third of hiring managers fill their open positions within two weeks. - Show enthusiasm.
Saying the only reason you want the position is for the employee discount will not impress the hiring manager. Saying that you want to learn new skills, admire the company or product and enjoy working with customers gives you a much better chance of getting your foot in the door. - Dress the part.
For example, 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. - Plan for the future.
If you're interested in working for the company on a more permanent basis, let the hiring manager know early, so they can keep you in mind. Also, make sure to show initiative - keep busy, ask questions, volunteer for projects, etc.
In addition to getting hired for a traditional job, you could create your own holiday season job. Think about all the services that people can use at this time of year (help shut-ins, the elderly, new mothers...). Here are some ideas to get you started:
- shopping for gifts
- decorating homes and offices
- planning holiday parties
- creating gift baskets
- cooking holiday meals
- organizing homes to prepare for visitors
- any other service people need whether gift wrapping or putting up and taking down Christmas lights
Whether or not you decide to take on a holiday season job, we hope Santa is good to you all year long.
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Related Article: Improve Your Career with Holiday Parties
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Tag and Catherine Goulet are founders of FabJob.com, a publisher of career guides offering step-by-step advice for breaking into a variety of dream careers. Visit FabJob.com to discover how to break into the career of your dreams.
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by Tag and Catherine Goulet:
Sisters Tag and Catherine Goulet are the Dream Career Experts. In 1999 they founded FabJob.com, the leading publisher of guides on how to break into a dream career, which has been visited by 50 million people. They have been featured in media from ABC to Oprah.com and Woman's Day to the Wall Street Journal online, and their career advice appears on the career pages at AOL, CNN, and MSN. They are authors of Dream Careers and other career books. Visit FabJob.com to discover how to break into your dream career.
FabJob.com is featured in Woman's World Magazine ("Land Your Dream Job" article, April 2007).
FabJob Guides have been featured in stories at The Wall Street Journal and Entrepreneur Magazine sites.
