When looking for a seasonal job, it’s important to have a strong resume. After all, while there are plenty of seasonal jobs out there to apply for, there are also more people looking for work lately. And for anyone hoping to get the best shifts at a restaurant or retail outlet alike, are those returning from previous seasons who have seniority. This means that a strong resume is an important step for getting your foot in the door, landing that interview, and getting started for the season!

Anyone who has previous work experience should have no difficulty at all putting together a resume, since there is actually work experience to list. But some do not have much work experience, and some might not have any in their new area of interest. In these circumstances, it’s important to think of pertinent life experience that might be able to go on a resume. Did you help serve drinks at a family wedding? You can list that as working an event with barbacking experience. There are plenty of different ways to take life experience and incorporate it into a resume, though be sure to not exaggerate too much.

Knowing your skills and being able to articulate them is also important. Think that painting houses with your dad doesn’t quite add up to something that goes on a resume? You can actually list home repairs and renovations under your skill set, which, with summer house painting and renovation jobs a big part of pre-season work, might mean quite a lucrative part-time position before the season even begins! A lot of the beginner experience that comes with a seasonal position ends up being quite marketable in the future, too, so don’t scoff at that hostessing or busing position quite yet; it might mean something better next season.

For those who want to branch out and travel away from home, some of the best places for seasonal jobs are those that make a living off of the season itself. Nantucket, Cape Cod, and Martha’s Vineyard are popular destinations for New England those who can afford the bus fare there and back. Many seasonal jobs will provide housing for employees, too, especially in guesthouses and at restaurants and delis. Doing the right research online is a great way to figure out if these are locations worth traveling to.

But because there are more people heading to these locations, having an iron-clad resume that displays work experience and lists verifiable references is important. If you can’t think of references, getting creative is never a bad idea. List anyone who has mentored you or who knows you well and can speak highly about your work ethic. Of course, always let any potential references know that you’ve listed them so that they can be prepared to hear from perspective employers, rather than being put on the spot!

Whether it’s finding work during winter vacation or the long stretch of summer, seasonal jobs are some of the most profitable out there.  There’s no worrying about how a work schedule will coincide with time in school, since classes are out for long enough to try full-time work. And because people feel more generous when on vacation, seasonal jobs are often the best time to earn tips. Big holiday weekends like Fourth of July can end up earning teens what working for a couple of months during the regular year might for others. That’s a huge incentive to get out there and to get working!

Of course, before you can start raking in the cash, you need to land the position. For anyone who is heading into the field of seasonal employment for the first time, be aware that even with a strong resume, chances are that jobs will start out small. After all, people who come back season after season do enjoy seniority, and while this might not seem fun your first year, it will matter in the future.

The first step to seasonal employment is getting together a resume. For those without a lot of prior work experience, this can seem a bit tough. The best way to go about it is to think about presentation. Be sure that there is at least one page, and that it’s not left half-blank. Don’t use a gigantic font to hide a lack of work experience, but do experiment with different fonts and margins. Anyone who is somewhat computer-savvy can make the visual presentation of a resume look nice enough to catch the interest of prospective employers.

As far as content goes, be creative when it comes to prior job experience. If you were ever helping out with a party or serving food at a wedding for friends, then you do have hospitality experience. Helped out in your father’s shop with woodworking? Then you’ve got a bit of carpentry skill. Think about everything you’re capable of doing, and then figure out ways to incorporate that into a resume. However, in your efforts to do this, do not embellish. You might want to include your GPA, if you’re currently excelling in school, to show just how much hard work and responsibility matters to you.

No resume is complete without references, and for those employers who actually take the time to check, it makes a big difference if you get glowing reviews or confused people wondering who you are. If you’re going to include someone as a reference, be sure to talk to them first, so that they can be expecting a phone call. For those who don’t have tons of previous employers, choose teachers or guidance counselors, family friends who know you well, or anyone you can say was an employer or mentor. After consulting with your references, be sure to double-check the spelling on your resume.

Small mistakes can sometimes be enough to weed out people before interviews. Hand-delivering a resume also makes a difference, but be sure to dress well and be well-groomed that day. Likewise, checking up a week later to see if the resume was received, in a non-pushy way, sometimes makes the difference between getting an interview and never hearing back. Remember to be assertive, but not too aggressive, when job-hunting for the season!  That way, you’ll be sure to hear good news from someone.