We are all familiar with the job numbers, the projections, and the overall state of an economy that feels like it has been hobbled by the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, it might feel like the prospects for work are few and far between but, there are plenty of businesses and even entire industries that are hiring right now, and in the lead up to the holiday season, there are plenty of employment opportunities for people who are looking for all types of work.
Big Box Department Stores like Target, Walmart, and Big Lots always need employees for the holiday season. Target alone has said it will be hiring 130,000 seasonal workers during this upcoming holiday season, numbers on par with 2019. One key difference is that, this year, more of those workers will be utilized in support of the e-commerce infrastructure Target has been developing. As noted, most of these positions will be temporary, seasonal positions, but it’s quite a silver lining for your resume to show some e-commerce experience, an industry sector that is here to stay.
Fed-Ex and Amazon plan on hiring a combined 170,000 entry-level jobs. Fed-Ex is responsible for about 70,000 of those jobs, most of which are going to be seasonal positions, while Amazon intends to hire about 100,000 workers at $15/hour (including benefits) to positions in their warehouses and other shipment and support positions. Amazon’s hiring push does not appear to be seasonal in the traditional sense, insofar as they are hiring in response to generally increased business. They are also pushing to hire an additional 33,000 people for tech and corporate jobs. So, if you have a background in tech or logistics, apply away!
Seasonal pop-ups like Party City, Spirit of Halloween, and other, similar businesses are once again hiring temporary employees to work at costume shops and similar party-themed businesses, especially in the lead up to Halloween. This is “short-term” employment in the truest sense, but if you’re living in a place where retail businesses are up and running, this is a great opportunity to put in a few weeks of work and maybe even make some long-term professional contacts.Also, continue looking for your dream job! And in the meantime, consider that considering a seasonal job…it might just spark something in you that you never knew you had.
This article was written by Jason David. Jason David is a graduate of the University of Southern California and currently works as a freelance writer and performer in New York City.