When the holiday season is in full swing, sometimes the last thing you think about as a college student is looking for a job.
But vacations are a great time to find work as a student.
As the semester draws to a close, employers are looking for a wave of support to adjust to the frantic pace of shopping, order fulfillment, and delivery that comes with the season.
If you need to earn extra money, finding a vacation job for students has never been easier (and more profitable).
Why take a seasonal job?
When I was in college, I was able to take the opportunity to earn a few hours at the company I worked for at home in high school. The one month break between semesters was a great chance to work hard and earn extra money to spend my next semester at school.
College students are in an ideal position to make the most of their vacation employment opportunities. The majority of holiday jobs are in the retail sector and are flexible. When your studies get cut, you can set aside more hours to make more money.
Competition between retailers also benefits those looking for work during the holidays. They usually offer the best pay, benefits and overtime opportunities.
You can also use temporary seasonal work to enter a company that you can work with for a long time when you return to school.
7 Best Vacation Student Jobs
If you’re looking for ideas on where to apply and who is hiring you this holiday season, check out these Vacation Job Ideas.
# 1 – Vacation Work at Amazon
Unsurprisingly, Amazon needs to hire hundreds (if not thousands) of additional employees during the holidays. And in case you haven’t heard, Amazon’s recently announced $ 15 minimum wage policy applies to everyone, even seasonal workers!
Many seasonal jobs are in its warehouses helping to pack and fulfill orders, but there are also opportunities to work from home as a remote customer service employee.
You can go to Amazon.jobs to find and apply for all open positions.
# 2 – Holiday Jobs Mapped Out
Target plans to hire 120,000 seasonal workers this holiday season. They need to fill all kinds of positions: from cashiers to warehousing shelves, fulfillment and delivery.
Target also recently announced an increase in the minimum wage to $ 12 an hour for vacationers as well.
As a Target employee, you can get a 10% off in-store and additional Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
To find all available holiday vacancies, click here.
# 3 – Working at UPS on Vacation
Someone has to deliver all those Amazon boxes that ship around the country during the holidays. UPS plans to hire 100,000 seasonal employees to support the growth in sales.
They offer both full and part-time jobs during the holidays, mainly package handlers, drivers and driver assistants. UPS boasts that more than 1/3 of its seasonal workers get regular jobs after the holidays. If you can move into a full-time job, UPS will offer competitive pay and benefits, including medical care, retirement, and tuition assistance.
You can go to https://www.jobs-ups.com/ to find all available holiday vacancies at UPS.
# 4 – Holiday Work at USPS (Post Office)
Winter break is the busiest time of the year for the post office. During this time, the USPS employs thousands of additional workers (they call them “temporary workers”). Temporary employees can work up to 89 days at a time and earn an average of about $ 12 an hour.
Most of the seasonal opportunities in the post office involve sorting and processing mail, although there are some post office job openings.
To see all the seasonal jobs available and to apply online, go to the USPS Careers website.
# 5 – Holiday Work at Kohl’s
Kohl’s, one of the nation’s largest retailers, announced that it plans to hire 90,000 seasonal workers in more than 1,100 stores and distribution centers this holiday season.
The main jobs for students available during the holidays are salespeople and fulfillment center workers with an average pay of $ 9-10 per hour. If you’re looking for discounts on Christmas shopping, Kohl’s is a great place to work. They offer employees a 15% discount on top of any other promotions, as well as a time-limited 35% discount.
Kohl’s has a dedicated page for finding holiday vacancies here: https://careers.kohls.com/seasonal
# 6 – Work Vacation at Costco
Costco has consistently been ranked as one of the best places to work in retail, and for good reason. The average full-time employee makes more than $ 20 an hour, and Costco is offering benefits like healthcare and retirement when many retailers try to avoid it.
While you are not eligible for benefits as a seasonal worker, it is often possible to transform into a part-time or full-time worker after the holidays.
To see the seasonal jobs available at Costco, you can go to https://www.costco.com/jobs.html.
# 7 – Party Work at Macy’s
Macy’s is another major retailer in the country that is counting on strong holiday sales. They plan to hire 80,000 vacationers this year.
Competition for seasonal jobs is fierce, and Macy’s has announced for the first time that it will offer seasonal bonuses to employees if certain sales targets are met. Most of the vacancies available will be in retail stores as well as fulfillment centers and customer service call centers.
To find available holiday jobs at your nearest Macy’s, go to https://www.macysjobs.com/.
Holiday Work for Students – More Opportunities than Ever Before
With the economic boom and the fall in unemployment, there is more competition than ever between retailers to find good seasonal workers for the holiday season.
While I’ve highlighted 7 holiday student vacancies above that will suit no matter where you live, there are thousands of other opportunities in your local community. If you are persistent and blind to the eyes, the perfect vacation job is for you. So come on!
LOOKING FOR MORE IDEAS HOW TO MAKE MONEY? TRY THESE:
What vacation opportunities have you found? What was your favorite job as a student? Let me know in the comments!