income

5 Reasons Why You Should Consider a Seasonal Job This Year

A seasonal job can be more appealing than you think. When provided an opportunity to generate some extra income, you should take it. There is even more incentive if it means reaching your financial goals faster. Finding those opportunities can be few and far between, but a seasonal job is a great option to earn some extra money during the summer or around the holidays.

Seasonal jobs are a great way to make money while incorporating your hobby.

Seasonal jobs are a great way to make money especially by doing things you already enjoy.

5 Reasons to Consider a Seasonal Job

1. A Variety of Seasonal Opportunities 

Other than the obvious reason, seasonal jobs exist in a variety of interesting fields. If you have a specific hobby, you could look into seasonal positions using your skills. For instance, if you are an avid skier or snowboarder, why not work a winter at a ski resort? Not only will you get some extra time on the slopes for a (possibly) discounted rate, but you also get to make money working somewhere that actually interests you.

However, you don’t need to travel to find a season job. The same idea applies even in your local community. If you enjoy shopping, ask about job opportunities the next time you visit your favorite stores. In addition to working in a place you like, you can also get employee discounts.

2. Greater Potential to Travel 

Are you looking for an excuse to travel more? If you don’t have a full-time job or a remote position, you may want to consider a seasonal job. Vacation resorts and tourist destinations often have many temporary employment options. During the high season and holidays, many places are glad for the additional help. You can use this type of job as an excuse to see a new place while also keeping your bank account stable.

3. Flexible Schedules with Seasonal Jobs

Often, seasonal positions entail working outside normal hours, particularly when you are working at a store. Because of this, you have the perfect chance to earn side income in addition to your full-time wages. This allows you to make more money and worry less about fitting an additional job in your schedule. Putting the extra money toward investment opportunities or savings accounts would be an excellent use of funds.

4. Obtain New Connections

The more people you meet, the more job prospects you create for yourself. As you expand your network and gain a good reputation around the workplace, you leave your footprint. This is important for networking and obtaining references for future employment. Just remember to make that first impression long-lasting and favorable.

Some seasonal positions also intend to keep the best of the best. If you can see yourself working your way up the company ladder, it’s a great way to get your foot in the door. In addition, if you are currently looking for a full-time job, this is just another way to help you along your career path.

5. Learn New Job Skills 

There is always something to gain from every job, whether it is learning a new skill or grasping a concept of smart business. Seasonal jobs improve your resume in multiple ways. First, they increase or enhance your expertise in a new industry. It can even be something as simple as better customer service skills. Second, it improves your interviewing skills and builds your overall resume.

Not only do you learn new things, but you are also absorbing this information in a short amount of time. This is also an excellent point that can be included when applying for your next position.

How to Find a Seasonal Job

If you are unsure where to begin searching for a seasonal job, the easiest and most convenient answer is online. There are literally dozen of job sites out there that cater specifically to seasonal jobs and temporary position. A quick search will bring you to local postings in your area.

Another great way to land a seasonal position is to start asking around. Friends and family are great resources, so utilize them! Some of the best seasonal jobs may not even be advertised. Furthermore, you can also ask about available positions in stores and places of business you visit often. If you are hesitant to be in public and prefer to work from home, there are also sites that can help you find ways to work remotely. You never know what opportunities are out there until you start looking.

Overall, seasonal jobs have the capacity to be quite the rewarding experience. They offer several benefits from the people you meet to the different opportunities they provide. Moreover, you can test the waters in new career fields. It allows you to see where you want to be and consider what you want to do for the rest of your life.

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What Is Middle Class? You May Be Richer or Poorer Than You Think.

middle class

My sister lives in North Carolina. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Naturally, we have very different viewpoints on money. After all, a new report shows that you need to earn more than $60 per hour to rent a two-bedroom house in my city, whereas my sister just bought a 3-bedroom home (albeit a fixer-upper) for $60,000. Technically, she and I are both “middle class” but I got to thinking about what that even really means today.

Middle Class As a Number

There isn’t any specific legal or governmental definition of what it means to be middle class. Generally speaking, if you earn more than the lowest 30% of wage earners and less than the highest 20% of wage earners, then you’re somewhere in the middle class.

People also frequently define middle class in comparison to median income. If you earn between 67% and 200% of the median income, then you’re generally considered middle class.

If you’re interested in where you fall income-wise, then you can use the Pew Research Center’s income calculator to find out. You’ll enter your state, region, income, and number of people in the household. This will tell you if you’re lower, middle, or upper class compared to the rest of the country. It will also tell you how many others in your area fall into the same category.

For example, if I enter an income of $100,000 for a one-person San Francisco household, I discover this household would be:

  • Upper class
  • 19% of the rest of the US is also upper class
  • 30% of the San Francisco area is also upper class

I also learn that 52% of people in the US are considered middle class but only 47% of people in the Bay Area are in that range. Only 23% of the population here is lower class, as compared to 29% of the rest of the US.

Middle Class Isn’t Really a Number

You can gain a little bit of information about class when you look at income. However, there’s so much more to it than that. Middle class is really a mindset, a lifestyle, a way of being. People in this category generally go to college, although not necessarily to the Ivy League. They often live beyond their means with credit cards and mortgages, but they may have good credit scores and access to additional money in emergencies.

Middle class income clearly affords my sister a different lifestyle than what it affords me in San Francisco. And yet, despite the fact that my money would go further there, I frequently pay for pricey cocktails and organic groceries and the services of a housecleaner using my middle class Bay Area income.

Class is a confusing thing, especially as the gap grows between the lower and upper classes. (We used to define the middle as between the lower 20% and the higher 20%. Now we define it as between the lower 30% and the higher 20%. Middle class shrinkage is a real thing.)

Do You Feel Middle Class?

Your perspective on wealth or class makes a big difference. You may technically be in the middle income-wise but feel poorer or richer because of your perspectives on earning and wealth. For example, in a recent survey, most people earning $100,000+ don’t consider themselves upper class.

Technically, by the numbers, this is an upper class group. However, nearly one fourth of them said they’re upper-middle class. Perhaps that’s reasonable. But what about the quarter of them that say they are either working class or poor. That’s right 7% of people who earn $100,000 or more think of themselves as poor.

Where you live affects this. If you live in an urban area, you’re more likely to consider yourself poor by comparison to others. Many people see homeownership as one milestone to becoming middle class, but you’re more likely to rent in a city than in the suburbs.

Plus, if you’re in the middle income bracket, chances are that you have a lot of debt. If you do own a home, there’s a mortgage. Even if you don’t, you probably also owe a lot towards school loans, car loans, and/or credit card debt. When you have a lot of debt, you feel poor, even if you earn a lot of money.

What is Wealth?

Wealth relates to money. However, that’s not all that there is to it. Research shows that millennials think it would take nearly $2 million net worth to be wealthy, and yet 75% of them still feel rich. People feel rich when they make their money work for them. If you use your money to obtain the lifestyle that you want – including health, education, family time, social activities, etc – then you can feel rich.

Sure, you might not call yourself upper class. You might not even identify as in the middle. But you can still identify as rich in the things that matter if you have the right perspective on your wealth.

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