5 Things Every Seasonal Employee Needs to Know

It’s tough to start a new job as a seasonal or temporary employee. Standard training goes out the door, people are rushed and you feel pressured to learn ALL THE THINGS right away!

Many high school and college students are taking temp jobs now as they seek a more permanent step. I get it- I've been there. I started a career in bookselling for very simple reasons: there was a bookstore in a nearby mall, I like books, I needed a job. I got a job: 12 hours a week cleaning, dusting, lifting, and any grunt work that needed to be done. 24 years later, that career ended and I was the Senior Store Operations Manager for that company; I'd learned a lot about bookselling, business, hiring, and people.

Here are five simple things you need to know to stand out from the crowd of newbies.

Five Simple Things and 5 Pro Tips

1) Work every hour you are scheduled. This simple sentence is the one thing you simply MUST do!

This means you start on time, you are there every day you are scheduled, and you work every minute of your shift or until you are sent home.

Pro Tip: Don’t ask for a day off once you have been scheduled for that day! If you MUST be off, find someone to cover your shift, then ASK to take the day off and let your manager know who will work in your place.

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2) Learn your coworkers’ names and use them. The sweetest sound to a person is their own name. Let your coworkers know that they matter and that you are a part of the team.

Pro Tip: For the first three times you interact with a coworker, smile and introduce yourself by name. It removes any awkwardness that they may feel if they haven’t remembered your name.

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3) If you use it up: replace it. This goes for, but is not limited to: coffee, creamer, toilet paper, register tape, bags, pens, staples, tape, rubber bands, soap, aspirin, trash bags.

Pro Tip: If your staff takes out the garbage offer to help someone once, then offer to do it yourself at least once a week.

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4) Ask, everyday, how the team is doing towards the weekly goal. This could be a sales goal, a referral goal, an add-on goal, an email goal, a warranty goal… you get the idea.

EVERY PLACE HAS A GOAL.

It might be a productivity goal of widgets per hour, orders fulfilled per shift, processes per minute, or dollars per transaction. Know the goal, and know how you contribute towards it.

Pro Tip: You can’t go wrong with an add-on effort. There is a reason ‘do you want fries with that?’ is used to mock fast food interactions. They ask it because, eventually, someone will say yes. It’s the Law of Large Numbers. Believe the science.

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5) On your way to work say this out loud: “I couldn’t wait to tell my family and friends the day I got this job!” Remind yourself of this every work day.

You will have frustrations. You will be misunderstood. You will be snapped at. You will be tired. It happens to us all.

But, the thing is, it’s still that great job. The one you applied for. The one you interviewed for. It has not changed… even if you understand it better and it isn’t perfect.

Pro Tip: When you least want to work say out loud: “I get to do this!”. NEVER say “I have to do this.” One will build you up and refocus you and the other will make you feel like a victim. That’s not for you!

In Conclusion

These five things will help you stand out from the everchanging crowd of seasonal hires, and can help you once you move into a permanent position, too!

Let me know in the comments your best piece of advice for someone new to their job!

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Here's some more advice that comes in handy at work:

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You can also find me on Medium, where I first posted a version of this article.