Career Advice

When great poets see green leaves grow brittle and turn colors before they fall to the ground, they see the passage of time, and the slow march of death that will inevitably conquer us all.

When I see a pile of autumn leaves, I think of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and free candy.

Few people think of the career opportunities or seasonal jobs that come with the fall. During the winter holidays, job seekers know they can count on retail jobs when everyone's shopping. During the summer, they can mow lawns or work as a lifeguard. In the fall ... what exactly do you do?

We've put together a list of jobs that you can find in the fall, many of which take advantage of the cooling weather.

1. Retail sales clerk
Where: Halloween superstores

Why: Every September and October you see stores that sell only Halloween costumes and decorations pop up in every city. They're dormant all year, but once fall rolls around, these stores are ready to serve your every ghoulish desire and they need workers to do so.

2. Sports referees
Where: Recreation centers, sports complexes, local leagues

Why: Everyone associates exercise and sports with the summer, but the fall has its own bevy of athletic opportunities. Recreational leagues, community centers and schools have plenty of football, soccer and basketball games going on year-round that need officiating.

3. Landscape workers
Where: Businesses and homes

Why: Not all homeowners have green thumbs and business owners can't tend to their gardens themselves, so they enlist landscape workers who know what they're doing. Some plants die in oncoming winter weather, so they need to be moved. Certain flowers need to be planted well before spring in order to bloom on time. And all those crispy leaves aren't going to rake themselves. For people who enjoy working outdoors and have botanical skills many of us lack, landscaping is great work.

4. Exterior seasonal decorators
Where: Businesses and homes

Why: As soon as October arrives, business and homes are adorned with seasonal decorations. In October it's either Halloween skeletons and witches, or rustic autumnal scarecrows and apples. In November, you've got bales of hay (and even inflatable turkeys in extremely festive neighborhoods). Plus, as November ends, many places begin to bring out their winter decorations early. Many people prefer to leave the daredevil tasks of hanging lights on the roof to the professionals.

5. Interior seasonal decorator
Where: Businesses and homes

Why: If you think the explosion of decorations you see from the street is impressive, wait to you walk through the front door. Businesses usually add a little seasonal color, but more often than not, they need to keep it tasteful. Homeowners are under no such obligation, and many of them revel in the chance to transform their normally quaint living room into a terrifying haunted mansion or a charming farmhouse. That's where seasonal decorators come in.

Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/abalderrama.

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