Seasonal jobs in Denmark

Leslea Petersen's guide to lighting up your job search this winter.

Photographs: The Brand Photography Company

Text: Leslea Petersen

As we’re closing in on the year, career coach Leslea Petersen shares tips on how we make use of the season to open doors for the future.

It may be darker longer, but I love this time of year as my neighbours are already lighting up their windows and balconies with Christmas lights! For you, job seeker, the arrival of winter doesn’t have to mean slowing down your job search or losing your sparkle! It is actually a great time to look for seasonal or temporary employment.

Seasonal work isn’t just about earning extra cash during the colder months, it also gives you valuable experience, expanding your network, and maybe even securing long-term employment opportunities.

How busy is this season?

Peak visitor months are obviously over the summer period when tourists arrive in their thousands. Hotel occupancy is at its highest but the next busiest time is in December. Visitors flock to the major cities for the Christmas markets and Tivoli, and who can blame them, it’s a magical time of year. It also creates opportunities for reliable, flexible workers to jump into temporary roles and if you are already in Denmark, then what are you waiting for?

Employers value flexibility, hard work, and availability for seasonal work, far more than formal qualifications. It’s a perfect time to modify your CV to one page and just highlight what is necessary to fulfil a more physical role if you end up working in a warehouse or in a delivery job. In the short-term, you will also develop new skills and make local connections that can last well beyond the season.

Where are these winter jobs?

I covered some ideas in the last issue but here’s a brief reminder of where to look. Hotels, cafés, and restaurants are obvious choices with the many visitors over the festive period, and they need extra staff for the busy dining and event season, with roles ranging from waiters and baristas to kitchen helpers. Remember, this is party season!

Online shopping in Denmark means delivery companies, warehouses, and packaging centres are flooded with orders from November through January. These jobs are ideal for those who want a practical, temporary job that offers flexible shifts.

For English-speaking students, these jobs are often a natural fit. Employers might be looking for part-time and weekend coverage, so these roles lend themselves perfectly to the student schedule. Even if you aren’t studying hospitality or logistics, a strong performance in these roles can lead to year-round contracts to support your student funds and it is great to have a role on your CV in a Danish organisation. Shows a good work ethic.

Here’s my top tips for landing a winter job

Danish work culture encourages even temporary staff to contribute ideas and take initiative. This means seasonal work can act as an informal trial period, where your attitude and effort matter more than your CV. If you show reliability and motivation, employers will offer continued part-time or full-time positions after the season ends.

• Look as soon as you can and sign up for any temporary work on job portals and search for organisations that are hiring specifically in the areas you can contribute to.

• Find organisations that accept unsolicited applications. Create an opportunity for yourself by telling them what you can do. Make it easy to hire you.

• Be flexible, like I said previously, staff that can work weekends, evenings or during the holidays will have a better chance.

• Highlight those soft skills! Emphasise reliability, good communication skills (languages if it will be a plus) and open to acquiring new skills.

• Learn some Danish basic phrases like “tak for hjælpe” (thanks for helping) and follow Brooke Fossey in this issue for guidance, she’s doing a great job helping us all be more confident in speaking Danish. Any Danish words or phrases you can learn will always be a bonus.

A warm start in the cold months

For students and job seekers just starting your job search journey, winter work offers much more than short-term income. It’s a chance to build local experience, make new connections, and explore different industries from the inside. It also means you get out of the door, earn some cash and hopefully, have some fun working over the most magical time of the year!