5 Tips to Turn a Seasonal Job into a Full-Time Career

By Christiane Soto, Snelling.com

Is it possible to turn a seasonal job into a full-time position? Absolutely. Is it easy? Not always…not every seasonal (summer or holiday) worker can transition to a full-time employee. Remember, if the company could hire everyone, they would not have needed to bring on a seasonal staff. However, there are definite things that you can do to better ensure your chances of being the person who makes that successful transition.

The key is you. You will not be handed a full-time work gig simply because you are “present”. You need to show management that you are a “high value” employee. You need to do this because (in today’s business environment) management emphasizes value when deciding who makes the transition from seasonal worker to full-time employee. Now, this judgment is based on perception – it is subjective to a certain degree, but there are 5 things that you can do every day to increase your value and therefore your chances:

Go above and beyond – no matter the job, there are always opportunities to learn something. Training and education provide value to your boss. Remember, you have been brought on to help during the company’s busy season. By taking the initiative to learn new skills and providing your employer with the flexibility to better utilize your skillsets, you are providing value.
Embrace your workplace – Every company has something strange about it. Usually there is something trivial about the way that a company operates –its processes, its employees, etc. – that is bothersome. Look past it. Like everything in life, nothing is perfect. Tolerance is the stamp of a high-value employee. Whining, complaining and antagonism are not.
Show up on time – many times, workers (of all types) can be unreliable. Something as simple as showing up on time and not extending your breaks can provide value.
Remain productive – By its very nature, seasonal work is designed to provide coverage during an extremely hectic time of the year. The longer the “season” the higher the probability that a worker’s productivity will start to fizzle out. Diligence, perseverance, and optimism add value, and that is what managers remember when it comes time to hire full-time employees.
Speak up – Finally, if you do not let your managers know that you are interested in becoming a full-time employee then all the above advice is moot. No one is a mind reader and many summer and holiday workers simply want nothing more than a little extra spending money (to use when they return to school in the fall or to spend on Christmas presents). If you do not fall into either of those categories, let management know.

Remember, value succeeds. High value employees may lose jobs (due to downsizing or closure or simple bad luck), but they get new jobs. If you continue to provide value – no matter the job, no matter the job duties – you will be successful in landing your best-fit job.

This is where Snelling can help. We provide seasonal, temporary and temp-to-hire workers to our clients year-round. Our clients know that we provide top-quality workers who consistently produce outstanding results. If you have what it takes to provide the level of service, commitment and value that we stand for, come join our team. Register on our website today to search through our jobs database. When you are ready, locate your closest Snelling office, where our talented staffing managers can assist you today.