Seasonal hiring is here. Here's what you need to know

The end of 2021 is approaching. Many people are expecting to spend time with family and friends now that COVID-19 rates are falling in many parts of the world. People are also expecting to spend money — in stores and online — to celebrate. All of these factors suggest the next couple of months will be a busy time for the global economy.

Companies large and small are looking for temporary or seasonal employees to help meet demand. Some large employers have already announced ambitious seasonal hiring plans. Amazon recently announced that it plans to hire 150,000 seasonal employees, for example. UPS also announced that it will be looking for more than 100,000 seasonal employees.

Darrell Ford, who is executive vice president and chief human resources officer for UPS, recently joined me on #GetHired Live to talk about seasonal hiring. I want to highlight part of our conversation so you can learn a bit about seasonal roles.

You can read part of the conversation below. The questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity. You can watch the full conversation by clicking here.

Andrew S.: What are the plans at UPS for the holiday season? How many people are you looking to bring on? What type of roles are open?

Darrell F.: We’re looking for almost 100,000 employees and seasonal workers, which are essential to helping our economy move forward. You think about the volume in particular during this period. Our volume almost doubles during the peak season. So with that, we need additional help — not only package handlers but drivers. PVDs – personal vehicle drivers – that you can actually drive your own personal vehicle and deliver packages during this time period to earn a little bit of extra cash. In fact, members of my family will do so this year to get some experience and help us out.

Andrew S.: You can’t handle or deliver a package remotely, but is UPS hiring for remote roles?

Darrell F.: We do hire for some remote roles. We have almost 300 positions that we're hiring onto my team as we speak. Some of those positions are remote and can help us make sure that the candidates and the employee experience are actually good ones.

Andrew S.: Who should apply for seasonal roles?

Darrell F.: Well, all are welcome. Whether men, women, veterans, college students, all are welcome to apply. If you're in-between roles and looking for an opportunity to earn some extra cash. Many of these jobs turn into full-time employment over time. In particular, when I think about the workforce today, almost 138,000 — at last count — of our employees started out as part-time seasonal workers. Just think about that, almost a third of our workforce started out as part-time. Two members of my team started out as part-time supervisors. They've now become officers within the company. So this is reflective of who we are as a company and the opportunities here at UPS.

Andrew S.: What is UPS looking for in potential employees?

Darrell F.: Some of that depends on the job, of course. But, broader than that, we're looking for character. We're looking for someone who has a service mindset. We're looking for someone who is a team player. We don't provide a particular product. We don't make an actual product or manufacture it. We provide a service. Being in service of others and good customer service is going to be important. Having the right attributes and mindsets around that, I think are helpful.

Andrew S.: What’s your advice for people who want to stick around after their seasonal work has come to an end?

Darrell F.: If you want to stick around at UPS, we would welcome and we would have you. I think it's about making your intentions known. You got to get started. You got to be in it and go apply in order for you to gain employment. It's not the end of the world, it's just a season. If you want to stay on afterwards, then make your intentions known to your supervisor or to your HR leader. Then from there, good things happen. Again, I go back to almost a third of our workforce today started out as part-time seasonal work. I think it starts with choosing the right company, as well. Think about the work that you want to do and what you would like to do in your career and your aspirations. Think about that. We're a company that's growing. Being a part of a company that's growing with opportunities is a great place to be because it's dynamic, and then it creates opportunities for employment as well. I think UPS is a great place to start.

Andrew S.: What other opportunities exist within the UPS ecosystem?

Darrell F.: Well, I'm glad you bring that up. I've been traveling to see the operations and get to know many of the UPS employees around the world. When I think about those opportunities, first and foremost, you can go to UPSjobs.com and you can see all of those opportunities around the world. That's probably the first place to kind of get an inventory of what's out there already. After that, we hire everything from package handlers to drivers, to truck drivers, to software engineers. There's a lot of technology that's behind the scenes that make all this possible. When you think about developers, mechanics, media, our meteorologists also being hired here, drone operators, pilots — we run the ninth-largest airline in the world. So think about that for a minute. There's a complicated network of individuals and systems in order to make this experience for you come to life.

What’s your advice for people looking for seasonal jobs or who want to use a seasonal job as part of their job search strategy? Join the conversation.

? Want even more #GetHired?

I go live every Friday at 12:00 p.m. ET from the LinkedIn News page to discuss important issues affecting job seekers and to answer your questions about looking for work. I’ll be chatting with Crystal Barrow, who is the CEO and founder of Shape Your Success Coaching, on Friday’s broadcast of #GetHired Live! We’ll be talking about the ins and outs of changing careers. Of course, we’ll also be answering your job search and career questions. RSVP for the show by clicking here or on the image below to get a notification when we go live on Friday, November 5 at noon ET.

? The follow-up

Nearly 50% of U.S. adults in a recent LinkedIn survey said the pandemic has changed how they feel about their careers. Of those who view their careers differently, 73% said they felt less fulfilled in their current jobs. Many said they want a new job. LinkedIn members offered their advice in the last edition of #GetHired to people who feel unfulfilled in their careers. In addition to knowing that a new job may not solve your problems, they suggest being honest about what you expect from work. LinkedIn members also said you should understand the cause(s) of your issue(s) with work. You should know that careers and people are meant to evolve. You may also benefit from keeping a career journal. Here’s what people are saying about the advice.

? A lesson learned:

Careers are not straight lines. Sometimes your path is bumpy and filled with potholes. While we can never avoid all of those obstacles, there are steps we can take to reduce the risk of tripping up along the way. This LinkedIn Learning course will offer some suggestions on how to be more surefooted in your career. You can watch the course below or by clicking here.

? Other news to help you #GetHired:

Change your mindset when your job search gets to be too much. Looking for work can sometimes feel hopeless and like a never-ending cycle of rejection. Fortunately, you can take steps to reframe the process to make it a bit more tolerable, according to Marlo Lyons in Harvard Business Review. For example, she suggests you think that you’re doing your best instead of thinking that you’re not doing enough. Find out more and see what others are saying by clicking here.

Don’t let imposter syndrome hold you back. If you’ve ever felt out of your element in your field or job, you may be struggling with imposter syndrome. The majority of people encounter those feelings at some point in their lives. It can be crippling to a job search. A recent viral post shined a light on the mentality. LinkedIn members offered their advice for overcoming the obstacle. Here’s what people are saying.

You should take many paths during your job search. Jerry Lee, who is the co-founder and COO of Wonsulting, said on #GetHired Live that job seekers can improve their odds of success by trying several approaches, including one that may help bypass applications. First, he said people should connect with a company’s recruiters and hiring managers on LinkedIn. Then, ask for a conversation about roles or positions within the company. If they say no, Lee said it may be time to rework their LinkedIn profile. Also, it’s important to submit applications for other companies and positions to increase the odds of success. Here’s what people are saying about the advice.

? Up next:

Many companies are slowly bringing back employees to their offices, but a lot of workers are saying they rather remain at home. We’ll take a look at the growing demand for remote jobs and dive into some ways to find roles that let you work where you want. Have you recently looked for a remote job? Or, have you found a remote role? Tell me about it by clicking here.