Though you might not have considered it in the past, taking a short-term, seasonal, or part-time job in mid-career can be an effective way to keep paying the bills when you find yourself without a job or source of income for a period of time.
It also gets you out of the house, meeting new people, and learning new skills, which can help fend off the feelings of depression that are so often the by-product of a layoff.
Holiday Help
Think about what time of year it is, and what kind of short-term, seasonal jobs might be out there. The BIG holiday season won't roll around again for awhile, but the other holidays often bring temporary spikes in the need for workers.
For instance, as I'm writing this post, we're looking forward to:
- Valentine's Day (Feb. 14), the busiest season for most florists, who might need floral arrangers, order takers, and delivery drivers (also a big one for balloon vendors, bakers, and jewelers)
- St. Patrick's Day (Mar. 17), which may temporarily boost the need for bartenders, servers, bouncers, novelty vendors, and um… leprechaun impersonators?
- Tax Day (Apr. 15), is the time of year when tax preparers and accounting specialists become extremely popular.
Temporary or Part-Time Opportunities
Here are a few other job suggestions to consider, each of which is likely to have occasional, short-term, or part-time offerings:
- Driving — If you have a clean driving record and are comfortable with public service, consider using those skills part-time work for Uber or Lyft or to drive cabs, limos, buses, special needs vans, or delivery routes.
- Phone Work — Many organizations have call centers that need people around the clock to assist customers and field incoming calls.
- Catering Assistance — Caterers often book large events that call for several servers to assist with food prep, serving, and cleanup.
- Graveyard Shift — If you're a night owl, check out Indeed.com which has listings for night shift and weekend jobs as well as other part-time jobs beyond the daylight hours.
How to Find These Jobs
Try searching on the word "seasonal" in the major job boards, and check out snagajob.com, a job board specifically for hourly workers. Simple as it seems, just ask around... and keep an eye out for Help Wanted signs.
If you've found yourself out of work and strapped for cash, use your imagination, and consider your likes, dislikes, talents, and hobbies. With luck and creativity, you should be able to bring in a few dollars to help pay bills and keep yourself from going stir crazy while you continue your job search.
RELATED LINKS
Stats and Surprises to Help Your Job Search
What to Do When You Get Laid Off: Tell Everyone
Seven Lessons from a Long-Ago Layoff
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