Seasonal
work
advice
Find out where to look for seasonal jobs and learn how this could benefit your career.
Summer can often be the busiest time of the year for some businesses.
Although it’s only for a short time, you can find many part time and full time work opportunities during the busy summer season.
Benefits of seasonal work
Any seasonal job you do might help you:
- learn new skills you can use all year round
- get work experience to build your CV
- work out if you like a certain job or sector
- try out something new
- decide if you’re ready to go back to work after time off
- earn some extra money
If you're interested in working for a specific company, you could get a temporary job to show your interest and take a first step towards that goal. You'll be able to meet people that work there and get to know the company culture. This could lead to a full time role if one becomes available.
Common seasonal jobs
Some of the most common seasonal jobs include:
You’ll find lots of seasonal jobs in the following sectors:
Other sectors
Summer can be a good time to look at getting a job in other sectors such as the construction sector or agriculture, environment and animal care.
The longer days and better weather can mean more jobs and more hours are available for casual work or temporary contracts.
Best time to apply for seasonal jobs
It’s best to apply for seasonal work a few months in advance. For example, you should try to apply for summer jobs from May or June.
Many businesses may still advertise roles closer to the time, so do not worry if you’ve not applied early. You’re still likely to find many opportunities.
Search for seasonal jobs
If you're interested in finding seasonal work, you can use the government's ‘find a job’ service to search and apply for jobs.
Large companies often advertise their seasonal jobs on their own websites and on job websites. You can also check the websites of smaller businesses near where you live.
If you’re looking for summer work, try searching for ‘summer’, ‘seasonal’ or ‘temporary’ on a job website.
Tips for finding seasonal jobs
When searching for jobs, make sure you look online and in person.
You could:
- check job websites regularly as businesses may only advertise jobs for a short time
- look at your local shopping centre and garden centre websites as they often advertise summer sales roles, customer service and security positions
- search for opportunities on local community social media groups, or post that you're searching for a job
- look out for job adverts in local shop windows and give them your CV
If you’re struggling to find a seasonal job, you can read our advice about searching for jobs.
Help getting hired
If you’ve found some seasonal jobs you’d like to apply for, it might help to look at our advice on:
Related content
Identifying and improving your skills
Chat to an adviser
If you're not sure whether seasonal work is right for you, you can chat to a qualified careers adviser.