Seasonal jobs can provide great perks

Some, like Vinnie Shea, are turning to a seasonal work to make some money over the summer.

“I was a senior chief in the Navy, retired after 19 years,” Shea said.

Shea has since struggled to find a full-time job. In the meantime, he works five days a week for Jordan Lake's maintenance department.

“It's a hard job. It's extremely hard,” he said.

He is a seasonal worker, which means Shea is part-time. The job has other perks though.

“It is the type of job I enjoy. I like being outdoors,” he said.

Shea started working at Jordan Lake in 2007 and, after one season, he quickly started to pick up more hours. Now, even though he is referred to as seasonal staff, Shea said he works 11 months out of the year.

“There are new jobs to be had in the state of North Carolina and they're growing everyday,” said Bonnie Mills, assistant manager of the Raleigh office of the state Employment Security Commission.

Mills said seasonal jobs have become more popular and can lead to full-time work. Even though it's June, she said jobs are still available for the summer months.

“We're getting into that second phase of summertime work. People who are going on vacation, who aren't going to be available for a week, those jobs are starting to come open,” Mills said.

Shea said seasonal jobs can also be rewarding.

“The best thing that can happen is when a park visitor comes up and says, 'You guys have a beautiful park here,'” Shea said.

Mills said the industries that hire the most seasonal help in the summer are retail and parks and recreation. The pay varies, although a lot of companies pay just minimum wage.

However, competition is tough for season. Mills encourages applicants to be aggressive in their job search.