With hundreds of thousands of seasonal retail job openings up for grabs, chances are looking good for job seekers in the market for temporary work.  Some people looking for winter seasonal jobs simply want some extra income and the opportunity to add some new skills to their resume.  But many job seekers filling these seasonal job openings are in the market for full time work.  One of the best ways to find permanent work is to get your foot in the door at one of the many companies hiring for the holidays.  It gives you the chance to try out a new position at a new company, without having to make a long term commitment right away.  At the same time, taking a winter seasonal job allows you to showcase your abilities to the employer that hires you, and possibly secure yourself a permanent gig when the holiday season ends.

To increase your chances of turning your winter seasonal job into a permanent position, research the companies you are applying to, and inquire about how often their seasonal employees are promoted to full time.  For example, Amazon offered 14,000 of their 100,000 seasonal employees permanent positions at the end of last year’s holiday season, and UPS keeps approximately 37% of employees that take winter seasonal jobs as full time staff.  Once you have secured a seasonal job at one of these companies, whether it’s in retail, transportation, administrative or another type of role, here are a few tips to help get yourself noticed:

1)  Make it clear you desire a permanent position

Without being too pushy or giving an ultimatum, tell your manager that you are in the market for full time work, and ask what departments of the company have full time positions available.

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2)  Go the extra mile

If you secure a seasonal retail job, make it your mission to make customers as happy as possible.  If you come across any problems during your winter seasonal job that could be hurting the success of the company, do what you can to get to the bottom of it.  And if extra help is needed, be willing to stay later than your shift requires.

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3)  Be flexible with scheduling

To prove your value as employee, make yourself available to fill shifts that open up.  This is especially common the closer it gets to the holidays, since family obligations, school and other commitments come up for many workers.

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4)  Forge relationships with the right people

Talk to permanent employees that you feel could offer insight and advice you need to help get promoted.  Ask questions about how to do your job better, and offer them help whenever you can.  Going out of your way for them can help you in the long term, since they could give you a possible recommendation when managers are trying to decide what seasonal employees to hire full time after the holidays.

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5)  Expand your role

There are many different types of winter seasonal jobs that retail, transportation and other companies are hiring for the holidays.  So no matter what job you end up with, try to explore other departments and help out workers that have jobs that differ from yours, without sacrificing the quality of the job you were hired for.

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