Hired for the holidays

With sky-high holiday expenses, many Americans are looking for a little extra money to pay all their bills. However, finding a job may be a little tougher this year with fewer positions posted.

Whether you're interested in some part-time work as Santa Claus, or wrapping gifts while playing the role of yourself, there is seasonal work available. Andrew McCaskill is a career expert for LinkedIn. He says there are about 50% fewer seasonal positions posted this holiday season compared to last.

To find available jobs, make sure you're looking in the right industries. "You can definitely find some good opportunities," says McCaskill. "Retail is the first place I'd look." Other industries to consider include hospitality, transportation, logistics, and professional services in manufacturing.

Your next step is standing out among the competition. "Skills really matter, particularly your people skills," McCaskill says. He advises job hunters to focus on their abilities to communicate and collaborate.

Next up, make sure your resume and any documents you use to apply for the job match the posted job description. "That is a great way to signal to recruiters that you're paying attention," McCaskill says, suggesting you take things a step further and personalize all your communications.

In those communications, focus on using active language. "Instead of saying something like, I was responsible for, say, I improved, or I increased," says McCaskill.

Finally, if this seems like a lot of effort to put into a seasonal position, remember the benefits. McCaskill says you can learn a lot of transferable skills and these positions often become permanent if you do a good job. "People who go in and make a great impression, even if you don't get hired on immediately, you're still in the books for those folks," says McCaskill.

He suggests you put your full effort into both the application and the work to create opportunities for yourself now and in the future.