JobofinderUpdated 11 October 2026
The season starts before the season
Shops, warehouses and delivery firms know months ahead how many extra people they will need for their busy period, and they recruit well before it. By the time the decorations are up, most of the Christmas jobs are gone. The same is true of summer work at holiday parks, festivals, farms and camps, which is often advertised in late winter and spring.
A standing search set up a few weeks before the adverts appear means you see them on the day, not when a friend mentions it.
What this search looks for
It accepts a job when its title contains temporary, temp, seasonal, Christmas, Xmas or summer. You choose the country and the town, and how far you can travel: only the town, or up to 5, 10, 25, 50 or 100 kilometres from it.
Not every temporary job says so in its title. If you want to see everything short-term, run this search alongside every part-time job near you, or type the kind of work yourself, such as "warehouse" or "sales assistant".
Who hires for the season
- Before Christmas: supermarkets and high-street shops, online retailers and their warehouses, parcel and postal firms, restaurants, bars and hotels, and call centres.
- For the summer: holiday parks and hotels, visitor attractions, festivals and events, farms and food processing, children's camps and summer schools.
- At other times: exam invigilation, university open days and clearing, elections, stocktakes and sales.
The biggest seasonal employers recruit through their own careers pages. Add the ones near you to your search. Where the page runs on an application system Jobofinder can fill in, it applies for you when a matching job appears, which matters when hundreds of people apply in the first days.
Things to check on a temporary contract
A short contract still comes with rights. In most countries temporary workers must be paid at least the minimum wage and build up paid holiday, and the contract should state the end date or the notice period. If you study on a visa, your weekly limit on working hours applies to temporary jobs as well, although many countries allow more hours during official holidays. Our country guides give the limits and link to the official pages.
Common questions
When are Christmas jobs advertised?
Earlier than most people expect. Large retailers and delivery firms usually start advertising in late summer or early autumn and do most of their hiring in October and November. In Australia, where Christmas falls in summer, the adverts go up in spring.
Which jobs does this search find?
Jobs whose title contains temporary, temp, seasonal, Christmas, Xmas or summer: "Christmas Temp", "Seasonal Sales Assistant", "Temporary Warehouse Operative", "Summer Camp Leader".
Can I use it for just a few weeks?
Yes. Plans are paid monthly and can be cancelled at any time. You keep access until the end of the month you paid for.