Employers usually recruit for seasonal summer jobs from March right into the summer.
A summer job is an ideal way of getting that all-important work experience. On this page, you can find links to some great summer job ideas across a wide range of job sectors.
Check job websites regularly as new vacancies can be added daily with some summer seasonal jobs being advertised for a short period of time.
Sector specific websites to start your search
Airports
Airports within commuting distance of some parts of Wales:
- Cardiff Airport
- Bristol Airport
- Liverpool John Lennon Airport
- World Duty Free - have retail vacancies in airports across the UK
Catering jobs
Hotels, restaurants, pubs, parks, and cafés often recruit extra staff during the summer.
- The larger companies advertise vacancies on their own websites, and many employers use catering and general websites such as Caterer.com
- Companies may often recruit in their windows, so keep a look out when you are passing by
- Approaching local restaurants and pubs and handing in your CV is also a good way to find work
A few of the major restaurants/pub chains to get you started:
- J D Wetherspoon
- KFC
- Marston's
- McDonalds
- Mitchells & Butlers (Toby Carvery, Harvester, Miller and Carter and more)
- Pizza Hut
- Stonegate Pub Company
- Whitbread (Beefeater, Brewer's Fayre, Table Table)
Other catering outlets include:
Childcare jobs
- Local councils and other organisations often run Summer Playschemes. To find a council, visit Gov.wales
- Sometimes there are jobs available as a Nanny or Au Pair over the summer
A couple of agencies to get you started:
Cinemas
Take a look at the well-known cinemas but don't forget there are small independent cinemas out there too.
Some of the larger cinemas:
Construction, labouring and landscaping
- Look for construction, labouring and landscaping jobs on online job sites like Totaljobs, Indeed, Reed and Find a job
- Construction companies also use recruitment agencies to advertise seasonal work. Contact recruitment agencies in your area or use Agency Central to find a recruitment agency near you.
You will usually need to have a CSCS Health and Safety Card to work on construction sites. To find out where you may be able to get help with this contact us or contact your local Job Centre.
Council seasonal jobs
Councils have a range of seasonal jobs that might include grass cutting, parks and grounds maintenance, playschemes, lifeguard and more. To find a council, visit Gov.wales.
Festivals
Job sites to find festival work:
Historic and arts organisations
Get started with the following websites:
Holiday parks and resorts
You could work in catering, cleaning or even organising entertainment for guests, including clubs for children. Below are some of the holiday parks and resorts across the UK:
- Bluestone
- Butlin's
- Bourne Leisure (includes Haven and Warner Leisure)
- Center Parcs
- Darwin Escapes
- Hoburne
- Parkdean
- Pontins
For more holiday parks visit the British Holiday and Home Parks Association job site
Hotels
Hotels recruit through general job sites like Indeed, Reed and Find a Job.
Here are some ways to find a summer job in a hotel:
- Approach hotels and ask about vacancies
- Check out hotels own websites and social media accounts as many advertise this way
Listed are some hotels in Wales as a starting point:
- Celtic Manor, Newport
- Celtic Royal Hotel, Caernarfon
- Hilton
- Lake Vyrnwy Hotel and Spa
- Marriott
- Metropole, Llandrindod Wells
- Premier Inn
- St Brides Spa Hotel, Pembrokeshire
- Travelodge
- Vale Resort, Vale of Glamorgan
Hotel job sites:
Find hotels near you by searching hotel listings. You can then contact the hotels or find vacancies on their websites. Examples of listings include:
National parks and gardens
Whether you like the sound of showing visitors where to go, working with plants or general clearing up, if you like outdoor jobs take a look at these:
Retail
- Some shops get busier in the summertime. Examples of stores that might get busier and need summer staff could include DIY stores, garden centres, tourist based shops and builders merchants
- Look for vacancies on online job sites, or approach local stores near you to find out more
Examples of stores include:
Sports, activity and summer camp jobs
Here's a range of websites to find active summer jobs:
- Cardiff Cruises
- Kings Recruit
- PGL
- Snowdon Mountain Railway
- Super Stars
- Welsh Rugby Union
- YHA (Youth Hostel Association)
- XUK
- Zip World
General leisure jobs:
Teaching English as a second language (TESOL)
Think about teaching English as a second or foreign language over the summer:
Theme parks
You could be showing customers where to go, serving food and drink, cleaning and clearing up or being responsible for a ride. Take a look at the jobs at theme parks:
Recruitment and staffing agencies
Recruitment agencies advertise a wide range of seasonal jobs including fruit-picking, labouring, bar staff and much more.
Contact recruitment agencies in your area or use Agency Central to find a recruitment agency near you.
Safer job searching
Watch out for job scams when you search for jobs on websites. More people are being targeted by online job scams. Find out more about how to avoid the job scams at JobsAware.
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